Festival fanatics might have to wave goodbye to the thrilling experience of stadium concerts for the foreseeable future as promoters look towards basements and rooftops to escape crippling rental fees.
The revelation was made by Kwaito Kwasa superstar, Vee Mmapeezy, during the launch of his Last Man Standing event last Thursday.
Set for 4 November, the show’s second edition has now been moved to Game City rooftop.
“If you are wondering why an event of this magnitude is being moved to the rooftop, it’s because stadiums are too expensive and at most times, the expenses of renting out the stadium leaves promoters’ accounts figures in red,” disclosed the ‘Dumalana’ hit-maker.
Vee revealed the two stadiums in and around Gaborone which have been home to some of the country’s biggest music festivals, the National Stadium and the Royal Aria Stadium, have asking prices of P250, 000 and P275, 000 respectively.
On the other hand, venues like Game City Rooftop Parkade and Molapo Piazza come with costs of just P32, 000 and P48, 000.
“Since Covid, it has been a hassle getting sponsors for stadium events, which has forced artists to finance them from their own pockets, leaving some sinking in debt,” he continued.
This year’s Last Man Standing expects to host 10, 000 spectators; while, Vee has promised to return to the stadium soon to accommodate even larger numbers.
However, not all promoters are fazed by the sky-high prices.
On August 26th, the Ikgalaletse gospel show will host Tshwane Gospel Choir, Sechaba Pali, Thinah Zungu, Takesure Ncube and Omega Khunou amongst others at Royal Aria Stadium in Tlokweng.
The organisers are confident, “The Holy Spirit will provide the financial means to make the show a success.”