Ghanaian reggae-dancehall star Emmanuel Andrews Samini, popularly known as Samini, was unable to perform at a scheduled boat party in London after organisers called off the event over overcrowding concerns.

The ‘White Night on the Thames’ Summer Boat Party, held at Blackfriars Pier on Saturday, August 8, 2026, was expected to run from 5pm to 11pm, with Samini billed as the headline performer.

The event descended into confusion after more people reportedly gained access to the vessel than its permitted capacity. A police officer at the scene clarified that the authorities did not shut down the event.

“We didn’t cancel the show; the organisers cancelled it. What happened was the boat was supposed to take a number of people. They’ve sold a certain amount of tickets. But some people had pushed past security and got on the boat without any tickets, and the boat was overweight. So it can’t take any more people,” the officer told blogger Real Deeper.

The situation reportedly worsened after ticket holders endured several hours of delays before being allowed onto the boat, only to be instructed to disembark shortly afterwards.

“We were at the pier from 3:30pm. They told us we would be going on the boat at 5pm. They pushed it to 5:30, then 7pm. It was until 8pm that they finally allowed us on the boat. And when we got on, we were asked to get off. We will get our money back by all means,” an angry patron said.

Another attendee criticised the event’s organisation and vowed to seek a refund.

“Ghanaian event organisers are very poor at organising events. We will never attend any event they organise again. We will demand a refund, and if they fail to give us our money, we will curse them,” the patron said.

The cancellation has added to growing concerns over crowd management and event planning involving Ghanaian entertainers in the UK, coming shortly after Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., popularly known as Shatta Wale, had his ShattaFestUK event cancelled following a crowd-control incident.

For Samini, the disruption meant that fans who had paid to see the veteran performer left the venue without the much-anticipated performance.

Watch some reactions below:

Ghana event organizers in the UK are indeed very poor

— Nick Nii Sai (@nick_nii_sai) August 9, 2026

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang