Wizkid, Nigerian superstar artist was announced to have been paid $3 million for headlining the AIA Sound Festival in Denmark in August, 2025 making him the highest ever for an African artist for a single show. Along with Wizkid, artistes like Davido, Rema, Burna Boy, Fireboy DML, and Ayra Starr are leading this trend this year, turning live performances into a powerful tool for growth.
The trend shows how far Nigerian artists have normalised summer tours abroad as part of their careers, performing in cities across North America, Europe, and Asia.
This shift is expanding their reach, bringing in new income sources, and increasing their streaming numbers.
Their success also attests to how Nigerian music, especially Afrobeats, is now a global music genre, one that even non-Nigrians pay thousands of dollars to watch live.
Touring isn’t easy. It costs a lot to travel, and artists have to deal with different cultures, languages, and rules in each country. Still, the benefits—more fans, money, and recognition—make it worth the effort.
This summer, several Nigerian artists are touring far away from home.
Rema is on his “HEIS World” Tour, with stops in places like Washington, DC, and festivals like Coachella and Wireless. Burna Boy’s “No Sign Of Weakness” Tour includes a concert in Berlin, Germany. Ayra Starr is supporting Coldplay on their Music of the “Spheres World” Tour, performing in Miami, Hull, and London. Fireboy DML also completed a show in Toronto, Canada in August. Nigerian artists are reaching fans in diverse regions.
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Damilola Adeniyi, a music business professional says “I’m just going to break it down into three phases. First off is the fact that touring is very important, even if it’s solely for them to make revenue, it’s very important, you know, because they’re doing a business and if their investment in the business can get a bigger yield in a certain region, it’s smart of them to obviously push traffic to that region and get whatever break they can get, you know, because they’re going to get good ROI for their business in those regions. So it’s smart to make that move.”
These international tours are creating fresh revenue streams for Nigerian artists. Ticket sales are a key part of this income. For example, Rema’s tickets start at $44, while Ayra Starr’s shows with Coldplay range from $69 to over $1,000. Burna Boy and Asake’s ticket prices vary by venue, but they are expected to be significant given their popularity. When converted to naira, the revenue trumps ticket sales made in Nigeria during local December/January music festivals.
Beyond tickets, artists make money from merchandise sold at concerts, like t-shirts and hats. Davido’s 5ive Alive tour has sales for merchandise such as t-shirts and sleeveless tops selling for $40-$45 each. This mirrors the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyonce who sell out merch during their concerts.
The tours also open doors to brand deals. As artists gain more attention overseas, companies want to partner with them, adding another layer of income. Most recently, Tems joined Omega watch brand as an ambassador months after joining MLS San Diego fc Ownership Group as a Club Partner becoming the first African female to be involved in MLS club ownership.
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“The music has crossed over and there’s a lot of Africans in the diaspora. So they have to service those audiences too as well and those audiences, because of the quality of the economy in those regions, are a higher paying audience. So, you can also make more money from that region and also use the opportunity to expand the culture and expand the sound to audiences that are Africans or non-Africans that are interested in our music and our culture”, Adeniyi said.
Boosting Nigerian artists’ streams
The tours do more than just fill venues—they drive streaming numbers too. Davido’s “5ive” album is a clear example. After his performances in Boston and Philadelphia, the album returned to the Billboard Top 200 charts after being off for five months. This shows how live shows can bring renewed interest to an artist’s music.
When fans see an artist perform, they often go back to streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music to listen again or explore more songs. Rema, whose world tour recently came to an end in Spain, is now the fourth Nigerian artiste with the most songs surpassing 50 Million Streams on Spotify with 16 songs.
These tours aren’t just good for the artists—they lift the entire Nigerian music industry. As stars like Davido and Burna Boy succeed abroad, they put Nigerian music in the spotlight. This can lead to more chances for other artists and bring investment into the industry, like funding for studios or new talent.
Darkoo who featured Rema on the hit song “Favourite Girl” now has his song surpass 50 million streams on Spotify, showing the ripple effects these appearances have on other artists these A-list artists have featured in the past.
Technology’s role in the trend
Technology is a big reason this is happening. Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music let Nigerian artists reach listeners anywhere in the world. A fan in New York or London can find Rema’s latest track as easily as someone in Lagos. This builds a global audience before the artists even arrive for a show.
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“Access to information, data, and the internet, along with higher internet penetration and spending power in other regions, are key factors. If a subscription costs N1,000 or N1,500 in Nigeria compared to $9 or $10 in another region, the revenue generated from streams in Nigeria will obviously be significantly less than in those other countries. Even though their core fanbase might originate here, artists still need to find opportunities that offer greater benefits for themselves and their team, which is why they accept international bookings,” Adeniyi said.
Social media helps too. Platforms like Instagram and X let artists announce tour dates, share clips from performances, and talk to fans directly. This keeps the buzz going and gets people excited to buy tickets or stream music.
The success of these summer tours suggests they’ll become standard for Nigerian artists, much like they are for Western musicians. More artists will likely plan international shows each year, especially in the summer when festivals and outdoor venues are popular.
