NewsShattaFest 2026 brings a full stadium, a set past sunrise and a late start
Shatta Wale played his birthday show at the Accra Sports Stadium from after 1 a.m. until daylight. Here is what happened on the night, and what the organisers should fix next year.
The sun was up over the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday morning, and Shatta Wale was still on stage.
ShattaFest Accra, billed this year as MoMo Fest 2026, took place on Saturday, 17 October, his birthday. It was organised by MobileMoney Fintech LTD (MMFL) with Shatta, and advertised to start at 6 p.m.
Birthday morning
Shatta turned 42 that day. On the day he tagged President John Dramani Mahama on X: "my president, my Dad… Kindly relax at home and tune in to @ghonetv or my YouTube… watch me small." The post had passed 211,000 views by the evening. Hours before the show, according to several posts on X, the Assemblies of God used the same stadium stage for a church programme, and fans helped them carry their things out.
The night, in order
The stands were already full before 8 p.m., going by a fan video posted at 7:57 p.m. Security checks at the gates were tight. COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the CID, arrived around 10 p.m., and GhanaWeb reported that Black Stars goalkeeper Benjamin Asare was in the crowd.
Patapaa, Rashid Metal, Edem and Dikoo performed in the supporting slots. Around half past midnight, the gates were opened for free and a crowd rushed in.
Shatta walked out after 1 a.m. Medikal joined him, Nana Ama McBrown came up, and his two wives came on stage. Medikal also paused to shout out a fan account that promotes his music.
What he said
Shatta told the crowd the President had called him. Speaking about the time EOCO came for him, he said: "I do my music for about 25 years. I buy Rolls Royce, I buy Lamborghini, all for my music." He also said: "Only Ghana, then they bring the FBI." At one point he broke down in tears and prayed for his fans to make money. He also spoke about fraud from the stage.
He was still performing after sunrise. Clips of fans leaving were posted just before 7 a.m.
What went well, and what didn't
The crowd, the livestream and the length of the headline set were the big wins. Fans say the show was promoted for only about ten days.
The problems were organisational. A show advertised for the evening had its headliner on after 1 a.m. The late free gate turned into a rush into stands that were already full, which is how people get hurt. Two fans reported phones stolen inside the stadium, one saying his iPhone was taken and could not be tracked.
Shatta proved he can fill a stadium on short notice. The organisation now has to catch up with the crowd. Put the headliner on by eleven, open any free gate early and in stages, and keep people safe on the way out. Get that right and this can be the biggest show in Ghana.
- MyJoyOnline and BFT Online: MoMo Fest 2026 / ShattaFest Accra announced for 17 Oct, 6 p.m. (14 Oct 2026)
- MobileMoney Fintech LTD official livestream on YouTube: supporting acts, Shatta's entrance and Medikal's set (17-18 Oct 2026)
- LOUIS TV livestream on YouTube: Shatta's set running into daylight (18 Oct 2026)
- GhanaWeb: CID Director-General and Benjamin Asare at the show (17 Oct 2026)
- @shattawalegh on X: post to President Mahama (17 Oct 2026)
- GHOne TV, Dek360Ghana and fan videos on X: arrivals, the free gate and the crowd (17-18 Oct 2026)
Every factual line in this story is checked against at least two independent sources, unless the text says it comes from one report.