Ghanaian dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., popularly known as Shatta Wale, has taken a humorous swipe at the way some artistes could allegedly create the impression of a sold-out concert without actually filling an entire venue.

Speaking during a live TikTok session, Shatta Wale jokingly imagined staging a show at London’s O2 Arena, which has a capacity of about 20,000, for just one fan before using curtains to conceal the empty sections.

“I can decide to do a show at the O2 Arena, with a 20,000 capacity, and invite only one fan, Antwiwaa. Give her a chair and table, use curtains to cover the whole place, perform and sweat for that fan, then she comes out and says I sold out the place, just to create a good narrative and a good profile,” Shatta Wale said.

His comments come amid renewed debate over his ambitions for a major concert in London. Member of Parliament and musician Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, recently claimed that Shatta Wale’s team considers the O2 Arena too small for his fanbase and is instead targeting Wembley Stadium.

Shatta Wale’s remarks appear to mock the practice of building publicity around concert attendance, while also highlighting the importance of transparency in how artistes and promoters present the success of major shows.

The controversial comments have since sparked reactions among fans and followers, with some viewing them as pure comedy while others see them as a pointed commentary on concert promotion and the race to claim “sold-out” status.

Check out the post below:

I can decide to do a show at O2 Arena 20k capacity and invite only one fan (Antwiwaa), give her a chair and table and use CURTAINS to cover the whole place and perform and sweat for that fan to come out and say I sold out the place, just to create a good narrative and a good… pic.twitter.com/7KQ1gG60gn

— Ray-Ankrah (@RayAnkrah0) August 18, 2026

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang