Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has attributed the cancellation of ShattaFest UK in London on August 1, 2026, to poor organisation and what he described as dishonesty by the event promoters.
The show at Copt hall Playing Fields was halted by UK police amid reports of overcrowding and a crowd surge. Authorities cited safety concerns after the venue exceeded its capacity. Videos of the disruption circulated widely online, showing fans and emergency responders at the scene.
In a TikTok live session, Shatta Wale said he had warned members of his team that the size of the crowd and the way the event was being managed would draw police attention.
“I told my team, including my wife, that the police would come around because of the way this guy was organising the event,” he said.
He accused Akwaaba UK, the organisers linked to Ghana Party in the Park, of merging the two events for commercial reasons. According to him, the decision created confusion among attendees.
“You lied to the people that the event was Ghana Party in the Park. You lied to the fans, the council and the event promoters,” he said. He claimed this was why some fans arrived with cooking equipment and utensils, treating the gathering more as a cultural park festival than a headline concert.
“That is why people carried gas cylinders, oil and cooking utensils to come and pound fufu. Or you told them I was a caterer? Somebody carried oil to come and fry yam at my show… ei… that’s why you people cannot perform at the O2.”
Shatta Wale also argued that clearer planning, including the stage setup, and better crowd management could have prevented the problems that led to the shutdown.
“When we went for the meeting, there was a reason why I told them I don’t want that runway stage. I don’t want this. I know what my fans can do when they see me. I am the only one who can calm them on stage. I am not a celebrity to them, I am their brother.”
While critical of the organisers, he thanked the UK police, paramedics and local authorities for intervening.
“I thank the UK police, the paramedics, the council and everybody who stopped the show,” he said.
Although Shatta Wale and his team have addressed the incident, some ticket holders continue to call for refunds on social media.
