Detty December was once the season that brought Nigerians together; it was a time when students saved pocket money, young workers planned months ahead, and music lovers showed up for the culture and not for status. In 2025, that feeling quietly slipped away.
For many fans, the heartbreak came before the music. One fan, @UrglyGramm, captured the emotion plainly and painfully, writing: “What gets me is when December comes and you start charging ridiculous ticket prices just because you’ve ‘made it.’ Most of these Nigerian artists don’t truly have love for their fans in their hearts.”
That sentiment echoed across social media as Detty December arrived with excitement and prices that many average Nigerians simply could not afford.
From Cultural Celebration to Luxury Experience
In previous years, Detty December concerts were designed with the everyday Nigerian in mind. Regular tickets ranged between ₦5,000 and ₦10,000, VIP access hovered around ₦20,000 to ₦30,000, and a few premium options existed for those who wanted more. By 2025, that structure had completely shifted dramatically.
Now, major Afrobeats concerts now sell tickets that cost more than what many Nigerians earn in months. At Flytime Fest 2025, VIP standing tickets reportedly reached ₦300,000 for Asake, ₦250,000 for Davido and Rema, and about ₦120,000 for other headliners like Olamide and Flavour. Just a year earlier, similar tickets sold for between ₦120,000 and ₦180,000. A few years ago, ₦50,000 to ₦80,000 was once considered premium, but now, it is a different story.
With Nigeria’s minimum wage currently at ₦70,000, a single ₦300,000 ticket equals more than four months’ salary for an average worker, making such shows almost impossible to attend for some couples, families, or groups of friends.
Detty December, once a shared experience, began to feel exclusive.
Fans React: “This is Not for People Earning Naira”
Online, many fans did not hold back at all in expressing their disappointment over the situation.
@Dagigabox wrote, “I used to really get excited about Flytime Fest especially for my wife but you see those headliner ticket prices, they are not for people earning naira. That’s just one ticket now imagine two. We stream the music!”
Another fan, @MAXPOWERR10, questioned the fairness of the system:
“After I have streamed all their songs and made them serious money online, I will still pay ₦300,000 to stand? All the money they make from streaming can be used to subsidize shows.” For @7thgod, the confusion was simple:
“Can someone actually explain to me how we went from 5k tickets to 300k?”
For many Nigerians, Detty December became something to watch on Instagram stories and YouTube clips and not something to experience live.
Why Are Tickets So Expensive?
Event organiser and business consultant Khafihan says rising ticket prices are driven by survival, not luxury.
“Concert production is extremely expensive”, he explained. “From LED screens to stage design, sound, lighting, staff payments, and logistics, margins are very thin. From the outside, prices look unreasonable, but inside the planning process, there is often no other option.”
According to him, marketing costs, inflation, VAT, taxes, security, and hidden charges quietly pile up, and ticket prices absorb the shock.
“A single A-list artiste can take up 50 to 70 per cent of the entire event budget”, Khafihan said. “When you add logistics and creative production, the model becomes hard to sustain without premium pricing.”
He also noted that sponsorship often determines whether a show stays accessible or becomes exclusive.
“If an event has strong sponsors or venues that reduce costs, organisers can lower ticket prices. Sponsorship removes pressure and allows planners to cater to their original audience.”
Without sponsors, ticket prices rise, and average fans are the first to be priced out.
Who Detty December Now Serves
While some ticket zones sold out, especially for Asake’s performance, the crowd composition told a different story as many venues were obviously filled with celebrities, high-income earners, corporate guests, and diaspora visitors earning in foreign currency.
Without doubt, the whole shift changed the soul of the season.
Lifestyle influencer Noble Igwe warned, “Greed might quietly end Detty December in Nigeria at this point. When event tickets become unaffordable, people don’t stop having fun, they simply find alternatives.”
Music commentator Collins Bajayi added, “Detty December is marketed to the diaspora. But when locals are priced out, the culture starts to feel rented, not lived in. If Nigerians at home can’t afford the shows, the season loses its soul.”
Where Balance Could Still Exist
At the heart of the backlash is not a refusal to pay for entertainment, but a desire to still belong. Many fans believe concerts can remain profitable without completely shutting out the people who helped build the culture in the first place.
For everyday Nigerians, concerts could still work if pricing reflects different realities. Regular tickets in the range of ₦10,000 to ₦20,000 would allow students, young workers, and loyal fans to show up and feel seen. A mid-tier option around ₦50,000 would cater to fans who want comfort and better views without feeling priced out. And premium experiences above ₦100,000 can then remain available for high earners, brands, and diaspora visitors who want exclusivity.
Such an approach keeps venues full, preserves the energy that made Detty December special, and allows organizers and artists to earn sustainably without turning the season into a luxury-only affair.
A New Opportunity for Mid-level Artists
Ironically, the rise in premium ticket pricing has created space for mid-level and emerging artists.
Artists like BNXN, Johnny Drille, Victony, Fireboy DML, Cavemen, and Juma Jux sold tickets between ₦20,000 and ₦50,000, drawing fans who skipped high-end concerts. By focusing on volume, loyalty, and sponsorships, these artists filled venues and deepened their connection with fans.
Adeola Akinyemi, founder of Make Music Lagos, said platforms like hers focus on value over hype, giving music lovers access to live performances without financial strain.
What This Means for Afrobeats
Afrobeats is now global, and Nigerian artists keep selling out arenas abroad and earning in dollars. But at home, rising ticket prices risk breaking the bond between artists and the fans who built the movement.
Though, Detty December still boosts tourism, hotels, and flights, yet for everyday Nigerians, the season is slowly becoming something to stream rather than experience.
And if this continues, Detty December may survive, but without the people who gave it life.