Free Ticket Culture Hurting Ghana's Event Industry - Ruddy Kwakye
Accra, Ghana - 16 June, 2025 - The Ghanaian event industry is struggling to make a profit, despite sold-out shows, according to media executive and culture curator Ruddy Kwakye.
In an interview on Joy FM's Showbiz A-Z, Kwakye revealed that many event organisers give out too many free tickets to fill venues, ultimately affecting their bottom line.
This practice, Kwakye argued, is often driven by ego, as organisers prioritise a full house over financial sustainability.
“You charge 100,000 cedis to do a show in Ghana but the reality is you can’t sell 100,000 dollars of tickets. Half of your December shows by your favourite artistes were all free. They just gave tickets to people to fill it up. It’s an ego trip. Because there is a system; you market in a certain way you would get your money back but there is no short cut around it, thinking we sold the tickets, therefore [we should make profit],” he emphasized.
Kwakye's comments shed light on the challenges faced by event organisers in Ghana. Despite announcing sold-out shows, many organisers complain of making losses. Kwakye attributed this to a flawed business model, where organisers rely heavily on ticket sales rather than exploring alternative revenue streams.
Playwright Latif Abubakar echoed Kwakye's sentiments, emphasising that ticket sales are often insufficient to cover production costs. Instead, Abubakar suggested that organisers should diversify their revenue streams through sponsorships, partnerships, and investments.
Abubakar revealed that he generates additional income by creating portfolios of exhibitions, where companies pay to showcase their products.
This approach, he believes, can help organisers mitigate financial risks and ensure sustainability.
Source: Lead News Online
