TAKEAWAYS

• Bebe Cool says artists should shift from expensive concerts to bar performance.
• He highlights venues like Pier One and The Villa as more profitable and organized.
• The Gagamel boss notes he has gone years without a major concert, focusing on strategy instead.

Ugandan singer Big Size, Bebe Cool has come out to advise musicians to rethink how they approach live performances, especially during the festive season.

According to Bebe Cool, many artists are still fixated on staging large-scale concerts, yet the dynamics of the entertainment business have shifted. He noted that concerts are no longer the only — or even the most profitable — way to earn from performances.

He argued that musicians need to start being strategic and treat music as a business that requires calculation and smart decision-making. Instead of spending heavily on big venues, logistics, and promotion, artists can earn more by performing in high-end, well-organized bars and lounges.

“Business is business — it’s all about calculation. The same money you spend on a big concert, you can make even more performing in these organized bars,” Bebe Cool emphasized.

Citing recent experiences, Bebe Cool pointed out venues like Club Guvnor, Pier One, and The Villa as examples of places where performances are more controlled, intimate, and financially rewarding.

He emphasized that these spaces offer better sound, organization, and audience engagement compared to chaotic large concerts.

The Gagamel boss stressed that artists should stop chasing “big, big” events simply for hype, noting that the same or even more money can be made through consistent bar performances with fewer risks.

In a related observation, Bebe Cool himself has taken a couple of years without staging a major concert, and his public performances have become increasingly rare. Despite this, he remains influential in shaping conversations around the business side of music in Uganda.