TAKEAWAYS

• Douglas Lwanga defended Ugandan artists after a viral video showed Ziza Bafana, Karole Kasita, Geosteady and John Blaq flying economy to London.
• He explained that promoters abroad face heavy expenses including flights, visas, venue hire, accommodation and artist booking fees.
• Douglas said Ugandan artists need to grow audiences beyond Ugandans in the diaspora to increase attendance and improve profitability for overseas shows.

Ugandan artists Ziza Bafana, Karole Kasita, Geosteady and John Blaq have sparked debate on social media after a trending video showed them traveling in economy class while heading to London for an upcoming performance.

The clip quickly attracted mixed reactions from fans, with some questioning why established Ugandan artists were not being given luxury travel treatment despite their celebrity status back home.

One fan criticized the situation, arguing that it was disrespectful to the artists and a sign that they needed to negotiate better deals with event promoters abroad.

However, media personality Douglas Lwanga has stepped forward to defend both the artists and promoters, urging Ugandans to understand the business realities behind diaspora events.

Speaking through his X platform, Douglas explained that many people ignore the financial risks promoters take when organizing Ugandan shows overseas.

“You raise some important points. The elephant in the room is: why should Ugandan artists travel economy, avoid 5-star hotels, or not receive luxury treatment when traveling abroad to perform?” he wrote.

Douglas argued that before demanding business-class tickets, five-star hotels, and massive performance fees for artists, people first need to examine whether the economics of such events can sustain those expenses.

He listed several questions that should be considered, including the total cost of organizing a show in London, the number of people an artist can realistically attract, venue capacity, ticket affordability, technical rider demands, and whether the promoter’s investment can generate a worthwhile return.

According to him, most Ugandan diaspora shows attract between 500 and 1,000 attendees, numbers he says are still too small to comfortably support extravagant artist treatment.

Douglas also noted that only a few Ugandan artists currently appeal to non-Ugandan audiences internationally, limiting ticket sales even further.

He broke down some of the common expenses promoters deal with abroad, including economy tickets costing between USD 750 and 1,600, business-class flights ranging from USD 2,500 to 5,000, artist booking fees, visas, venue hire, accommodation, production, transport, meals, and licensing costs.

He questioned whether it would make financial sense for promoters to provide luxury treatment for multiple artists on one event while still expecting to make profits from relatively modest attendance figures.

Douglas concluded by encouraging Ugandan artists to create music that appeals to wider international audiences so they can attract larger crowds in the diaspora and improve the profitability of such events.