{
  "id": 16930882,
  "title": "‘I won’t call it retrogression’ – Stonebwoy’s PRO defends BHIM Festival venue change",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/i-wont-call-it-retrogression-stonebwoys-pro-defends-bhim-festival",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-28T16:40:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/i-wont-call-it-retrogression-stonebwoys-pro-defends-bhim-festival-venue-change/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Vida Adutwumwaa Boateng, Stonebwoy's representative, has dismissed claims that relocating this year's BHIM Festival from a large stadium to a smaller one represents a backward step. During a radio interview on Hitz FM, Vida explained that the decision should be viewed in the context of her team's broader plan to bring Stonebwoy's live entertainment to audiences throughout Ghana via the Torture Experience initiative. She emphasized that the initiative aims to deliver live shows directly to communities in various regions, thereby eliminating the need for fans to travel long distances to Accra to witness Stonebwoy's performances. She provided the Volta Region as an illustration of their efforts to extend their reach beyond the capital. She further stated that the team's intention is to extend the experience to other regions starting next year. \"I wouldn't call it retrogression because, as of now, we have two things running. We have the Torture Experience running, which we are giving every region,\" she asserted. Vida went on to explain that historically, fans from all over Ghana, including the Northern Region and Kumasi, would travel to Accra to attend the BHIM Festival due to the absence of similar large-scale shows in other regions. She noted that Stonebwoy's approach to this year's festival differs by bringing the experience closer to fans in their respective communities while preserving the December festival in Accra as a major event. \"Stonebwoy says that I’m coming to you across the regions. I’m giving you an experience that will live with you for a year and over,\" she added. The comments follow a discussion about the decision to host this year's BHIM Festival at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium instead of the Accra Sports Stadium, which hosted the previous year's event. While some have questioned whether the move to a venue with a smaller capacity indicates a reduction in the festival's scale, Vida maintained that the regional events should also be taken into account when evaluating the team's overall strategy. She suggested that fans in regions already visited by the Torture Experience may opt not to travel to Accra for the December festival, as they have already experienced a Stonebwoy-led entertainment event in their own area. \"If you are in the Volta Region right now and you are unable to make it this December at the UG Sports Stadium, it's understandable because we’ve given you an experience through the Torture Experience that can live with you for a very long time before the train stops again in your region,\" she remarked. Vida's remarks position the venue change not as a retreat from the BHIM Festival's objectives, but as part of a broader strategy to increase access to Stonebwoy's live performances while maintaining the Accra event as a central component of his entertainment calendar.",
  "summary": "Vida Adutwumwaa Boateng, a representative of dancehall artiste Stonebwoy, has rejected suggestions that moving this year’s BHIM Festival from a 40,000-capacity stadium to a smaller venue amounts to a step backwards. Speaking during a radio interview on Hitz FM, Vida said the decision should be considered alongside the team’s broader plan to take Stonebwoy’s entertainment […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}