Ghanaian Afro-dancehall star Livingstone Etse Satekla, popularly known as Stonebwoy, has disclosed that he personally shoulders a significant part of the cost of organising his annual BHIMFest concert due to declining corporate sponsorship.

The award-winning musician explained that putting together a world-class music festival requires huge financial investment, especially when major sponsors are no longer readily available to support such events.

Speaking ahead of his BHIMFest UK concert in August 2026, Stonebwoy said: “It’s not cheap at all for an artiste like myself without any support.”

The “Jejereje” hitmaker revealed that restrictions affecting celebrity partnerships with some industries, particularly alcoholic beverage and betting companies, have reduced sponsorship opportunities that previously helped fund major entertainment events.

“Most of the avenues, especially the alcoholic beverage sponsorships that we used to partner with, have been shut down by some authorities. Those are the areas that were able to support these shows because of how marketable those products are,” he added.

According to Stonebwoy, keeping BHIMFest running has required personal sacrifice and a strong commitment to promoting Ghanaian music globally.

“It’s very difficult to actually raise finances to do such calibre of shows. Passion leads it all, and we are able to scrape the ground and put one or two things together to continue to showcase Ghana in that light,” he said.

The musician, who has hosted several international acts including Nigerian superstar David Adeleke (Davido) and Jamaican dancehall artiste Grace Hamilton (Spice) at previous editions of BHIMFest, said he often reinvests income from his international performances into the festival.

When asked if proceeds from his overseas shows help finance BHIMFest, Stonebwoy responded:

“Absolutely. That’s just how you reinvest in yourself. I think 80 or 90 percent of the time, that’s how I actually do it”, he concluded.

Stonebwoy’s comments highlight the financial pressure faced by Ghanaian artistes who attempt to organise large-scale concerts while navigating limited sponsorship opportunities. Despite the challenges, he remains committed to using BHIMFest as a platform to showcase Ghanaian music to a global audience.

Watch the interview here:

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang