Asake’s Return to the British Stage Receives Mixed Response

Nigerian singer Asake has returned to the stage in London, England nine months after a crowd crush at his last concert left two people dead.

The 28-year-old Afrobeats star performed at the O2 Arena on Sunday, 20 August, after arriving 90 minutes late.

Before the gig kicked off, a tribute was paid to Gaby Hutchinson and Rebecca Ikumelo, a security guard and a fan who had lost their lives during Asake’s show in Brixton, England last December.

The tribute included a spoken word performance from poet Aina More, along with actors dressed in white carrying flowers and news coverage of the unfortunate event. It closed with a call for anyone who has additional information about the event to pass it on to the Metropolitan Police for their ongoing investigation.

Shortly afterwards, Asake began his show by descending from a camouflage helicopter, leaving viewers with mixed reactions. Some outlets praised the artist, while others found his actions tactless.

Rachel Ikumelo – the sister of one of the victims – called the performance a “sorry excuse” via X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, 21 August, before adding: “My sister lost her life at your show and you haven’t spoken to a single member of my family since. But you can hold another concert in London less than 9 months later and play her videos as a ‘tribute’?”

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