Ugandan events organiser and promoter Abbey Musinguzi, popularly known as Abtex, says organising musical concerts has become a high-risk business, describing the current environment as “total and pure gambling.”
According to Abtex, concerts were once a profitable venture for both musicians and promoters. He contrasted that era with the current market, where organisers can invest heavily in a show and still walk away with significant losses.
“Organising a concert is gambling,” Abtex said. “Back in the day, organising concerts was business.”
He pointed to legendary musician Fred Sebatta as an example, recalling a period when promoters could stage major concerts at venues such as Nakivubo Stadium and still make money from the events.
The promoter also used the discussion to pay tribute to an older generation of Ugandan musicians, naming the late Paul Kafeero, Herman Basudde and Moses Matovu among artists whose work helped establish the country’s music industry.
“We talk about people like him as proper examples because most of the people admired those guys. The likes of Paul Kafeero, Herman Basudde, and Moses Matovu. That generation was the foundation of Uganda’s music industry.”
Abtex’s comments highlight the financial pressure promoters can face when putting together modern concerts, particularly when large upfront investments do not translate into enough ticket revenue.
He claimed that the consequences of a failed concert can be severe for some organisers, recounting an example of a promoter he said suffered serious emotional distress after making losses.
“Lately, you organise just one concert, and you make losses out of it to the extent of going mad. There is a promoter I know who almost went mad.”
Abtex’s remarks come as Uganda’s live entertainment industry continues to rely heavily on concerts as a major platform for artists to connect with audiences and generate income.
For promoters, however, his assessment paints a tougher picture: putting on a big show may still attract crowds and headlines, but the financial outcome is far less predictable than he remembers from the era of artists such as Sebatta.