2025 LINE-UP

       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 30 JULY 2025

FOLKLORE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 4TH EDITION UNDER THE THEME #KINFOLK

Celebrating Deep Cultural Connection and Belonging Through Music, Storytelling and Heritage Preservation on South Africa’s Heritage Month.

         

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – The highly anticipated 4th edition of the Folklore Festival is set to return on 11-13 September 2025, embracing the powerful theme of #Kinfolk – a celebration of the deep, meaningful connections that bind us as a community rooted in African culture and heritage preservation.

The concept of "Kinfolk" extends far beyond blood relations; it speaks to the spiritual family we create through shared stories, traditions, and cultural experiences that have been passed down through generations. In a world increasingly fragmented by digital disconnection and cultural erosion, the Folklore Festival's #Kinfolk theme calls for a return to authentic belonging – to the rhythms that pulse through our collective memory, the stories that shape our identity, and the sacred knowledge systems that anchor us to our ancestors and guide us toward our future.

This gathering represents more than entertainment; it is a homecoming where cultural custodians, emerging artists, and community members unite to strengthen the threads that weave us together as one people, celebrating the profound truth that our individual stories are most powerful when they become part of our collective narrative.

FIRST ARTIST LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

The festival proudly announces its first wave of artists, featuring legendary voices and emerging talent that embody the spirit of cultural preservation and innovation:

The Mahotella Queens – South Africa's crown jewels of mbaqanga, with a career spanning over fifty years, brought mbaqanga music to a global audience, balancing an emerging urban identity with the nostalgia of traditional cultural practices. The Queens - Hilda Tloubatla, Mildred Mangxola, and Nobesuthu Mbadu - first sealed their place in the legend of urban South African music in the early 1960s.

Buhlebendalo (from The Soil) – Born in Soweto in 1986, this Soweto-born gender activist and former lead vocalist of the multi-award winning, internationally acclaimed and double platinum selling South African A cappella group THE SOIL brings her sentiments of African spirituality and deeply rooted cultural perspective to the festival stage.

Jabulile Majola – one of the rising voices of Afro-Folk, his latest project Isitifiketi talks to identity. rooted in time, movement, and the places and experiences that shape who we are. Growing up at a Children’s Home in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, storytelling was everything — from folk tales to stories about the world beyond. This gifted storyteller discovered his passion for singing in the church before exploring folk music, drawing inspiration from masters like Joseph Shabalala and Leonard Cohen.

Zawadi Yamungu – Known by her Swahili stage name meaning "Gift from God," Nkosingiphile Mpanza is a remarkable artist who sings and plays a diverse set of traditional, she channels ancestral spirit through song. Another rising star in the blended world of indigenous and contemporary folk music.

Odwa Bongo – Admired for his extensive vocal range and cultural commitment, Odwa is one of the few prominent uHadi players in the country, bringing deep traditional invocations and contemporary jazz expression to preserve and celebrate indigenous musical forms.

Tickets on Quicket, link here: https://qkt.io/FolkloreFestival13SeptFamilyDay2025

 Kids under 5yrs – FREE , Kids 5 – 17yrs R180 , Adults 18yrs+ R250 (Online), R300 (At Gate)

 

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM

For the first time ever, the 2025 Folklore Festival introduces a comprehensive Artist Development and Capacity Building Program designed to nurture emerging and established cultural practitioners. To include

Industry Showcase Opportunities:

·       7 August 2025: Black Labone's Earth Day in Pretoria featuring the annual Folklore Folk & Poetry Stage.

·       11 September 2025: Industry Night Showcase with cultural curators, promoters, festival owners, venue owners, labels and producers. Registration links: https://qkt.io/FolkloreFestival11SeptIndustryShowcase

Featured Artists for Development Program:

The program will showcase emerging talent including:

Sabu Jiyana (Johannesburg) – After 17 years of recording, performing and touring the world, Matimba Frontman Sabu Jiyana has made it his personal mission to take his audience on a journey through the African continent through a sound he has coined "The Pan-African Sound."

Safe Energy (Johannesburg) – An emerging band from Johannesburg bringing fresh energy to the South African music scene with their distinctive sound and authentic artistic expression.

Siba Sarabi (Gqeberha) – A rising artist from the Eastern Cape bringing unique cultural perspectives and musical innovation to the contemporary South African music landscape.

Le Mpendulo (Pretoria) – An emerging proudly Ndebele talent from the capital city, representing the new generation of South African artists committed to cultural preservation and modern expression.

NeAhtyah - Zintle Mbuyazwa (Cape Town) – A Cape Town-based artist whose work also bridges traditional and contemporary sounds, representing the Mother City's rich musical heritage.

MandiFeze à Duo (Johannesburg) – A collaborative musical partnership exploring the depths of African folk traditions through harmonious storytelling, poetry and authentic cultural expression.

Tap Percussionist (Pretoria) – A skilled rhythmic artist bringing the dynamic energy of tap percussion to traditional and contemporary musical arrangements.

Darlianoh (Pretoria) – An emerging artist whose unique approach to folk music represents the evolving landscape of South Africa’s culturally rich sounds.

 

Folk & Poetry Stage Headliners:

The stage will be headlined by established artists Tubatsi Moloi, Pilani Bubu and Phila Dlozi, who bring years of experience and mastery to the festival:

Tubatsi Moloi – A South African singer-songwriter influenced by blues, jazz, rock and African folk music, inspired by artists Guy Buttery, Philip Tabane, Bob Dylan and Zim Nqawane. His music asks audiences to be open-minded and exploratory. With notable collaborations with Msaki on the joint album "Synthetic Hearts."

Pilani Bubu – An indelible storyteller, singer-songwriter, TV presenter, and creative entrepreneur who has graced the global stage for the past decade, captivating audiences with her enchanting melodies, astonishing vibrato and spoken word. Known for songs deeply rooted in South African heritage with a unique voice and cohesive global sound she calls "jazzy folk soul."

Phila Dlozi – A prominent artist taking the folk music streaming by storm, with up to a 78.8K monthly listeners on Spotify, known for collaborations with major South African producers and bringing contemporary African sounds to global audiences.

 

A Comprehensive Workshop Series:

The festival launches its very first capacity building workshops covering Artist Development, Publishing and Distribution, Branding, Promotion, Event Production, Indigenous Instruments & Folk Styles, and African Storytelling through Literature, Poetry, Film and Art.

Artists can sign up for our programming via the below links:

Thursday 7 August, Pretoria, State Theatre:

 https://qkt.io/FF25BlackLaboneFolkAndPoetryShowcase  

 

Thursday 11 September, Johannesburg, NSATheatre: https://qkt.io/FolkloreFestival11SeptIndustryShowcase