Esther Smith alleges a popular Church charged her GH¢60,000 to use their auditorium for her concert

Dorcas Agambila 09:11 - 12 February 2026

Esther Smith

Esther Smith opens up about paying GH¢60,000 to use a church auditorium for one night, sparking debate over how churches and gospel artistes navigate fees and fairness.

Award-winning Ghanaian gospel artiste Esther Smith has spoken openly about what she describes as an excessive fee charged by a well-known church for hosting her December concert.

In an interview with media personality Kobby Kyei, the celebrated singer revealed that the church , which she chose not to name, demanded GH¢60,000 for the use of its auditorium for a single evening. She expressed disappointment at the cost, particularly given the limited duration of the event.

“The church charged us GH¢60,000 to use the auditorium,” she disclosed.

Esther Smith

We even had to hire additional chairs because the ones available were not sufficient. We used the venue for just one night, only a few hours, and it was far too expensive

According to Esther Smith, the situation was made more frustrating by the fact that the existing seating capacity could not accommodate all attendees, forcing her team to incur extra costs to ensure concert-goers were comfortably seated.

Beyond the financial burden, the gospel singer used the opportunity to advocate for fair compensation within the creative and ministry space. She indicated that if the same church were to invite her to perform under different circumstances, she would not hesitate to charge a comparable fee.

She stated;

If that pastor were to invite me to minister, I would also charge accordingly,artistes must ask for what they deserve, especially when they are invited to perform

Esther Smith

Esther Smith also recounted a separate experience involving another church where she had previously made charitable contributions. She said she was taken aback when her request to rent their auditorium for a programme was declined on the grounds that the facility was reserved exclusively for church members.

She revealed.

I used to donate to a particular church some years ago. When we later approached them to rent their auditorium for my event, they told us they do not rent their premises to non-members. I was genuinely hurt

Esther Smith

Reflecting on both experiences, the gospel musician suggested that artistes, including those in ministry, must recognise their value and insist on equitable treatment within professional engagements.

The interview has since generated conversation online, with many weighing in on the relationship between churches and gospel musicians, particularly regarding venue fees and performance charges.

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