Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has revealed that organisers of the ShattaFest event in the UK have remained silent following the stampede that left fans injured and forced the show’s cancellation.
In an interview on GHOne TV with Serwaa Amihere, Shatta Wale explained that ShattaFest UK was organised in collaboration with Akwaaba UK, the team behind Ghana Party in the Park.
The partnership, he said, was intended to revamp his show into a special experience for members of the Shatta Movement and patrons of Ghana Party in the Park.
Criticising the massive turnout and poor management, Shatta Wale noted that he had anticipated security problems and warned his team in advance.
“I can boldly tell you, when we were going, I told all my crew that the police was going to raid the whole show, and most of them were surprised when that happened. It was my show,” he said. “I was just like two or three minutes to the venue and I was just laughing. When it happened, I was just calm, chill.”
He explained that his collaboration with Akwaaba UK was based on an agreement to split ticket revenues. However, he said his share remains unresolved due to the cancellation.
“I’ll still have to let my lawyers write to them and let them know it was an agreement. The problem is they have to pay.”
Despite repeated attempts to reach the organisers, Shatta Wale said none have responded, describing their silence as disrespectful.
“Well, after everything, none of the organisers called me. My team has reached out to them, but they are not even picking their calls. That’s very disrespectful.”
He also criticised Ghanaian promoters abroad, accusing them of exploiting artistes instead of taking their jobs seriously.
“I’ll tell every Ghanaian promoter out there, if you know you are a promoter, stop that. You guys went there to hustle and make money, but stop using Ghanaian artistes to take visas.”
Shatta Wale stressed that he had invested heavily in ShattaFest to present Ghanaian music in a positive light. He said he agreed to work with the organisers to give them an opportunity to stage the event successfully for his fans and other artistes.
“I’m giving you guys an opportunity to let us make this happen. Let’s do it beautifully so that other artistes can come and enjoy this thing,” he said.
His remarks follow the controversy and backlash after ShattaFest UK was halted by UK police on August 1, 2026, amid reports of overcrowding and a crowd surge. Questions remain over the financial arrangements between Shatta Wale and the organisers and whether the two sides will resolve their differences.