If you reside in or around the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, brace yourself to feast on a fun-filled arts festival packed with music, theatre, comedy, and dance, among others, from 22 February until 2 March.
During this period, the 2025 Mandela Bay Arts Festival will take place across numerous venues in the Nelson Mandela Bay central business district (CBD) and New Brighton, with ticket prices ranging from an affordable R50 to no more than R200.
Nelson Mandela Bay Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Bongekile Mankahla, said the festival not only provides great entertainment for local and visiting audiences, but it’s also an opportunity to see children who grew up on the local streets performing on stage or in a band.
“These are our neighbours and our friends [whom] we are supporting. By building more opportunities for our artists, we are stimulating the creative economy and independent incomes,” said Mankahla.
This summer's festival has a full range of exciting shows, including performances for younger audiences.
Among others, the programme includes iintsomi for the very young in Kwathi ke Kaloku Ngantsomi, and a journey into the vibrant world of video games with Press Start - An 8 Bit Musical from BBoy Rhythm and Nicki Ray Academy of Performing Arts.
There will also be a roving clown, Simphiwe Mzimba, performing pop-up experiences with juggling and balloon art to delight the children.
Chantal Harris and Nkosinathi Maki will unpack everything from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and alcoholism to local extortion in their comedy routines, which reflect on the human condition with humour and satire.
An impressive line-up of Bay musicians will take the stage, including Denzil Africa, Mzwabantu 'Mzee Sax' Kondile and his band, Lefa Mosea, with guest appearances by Mariloe Booysen and Pam Jikwa, Marcellus Wellman, and Rezwaan Goliath, as well as a GQeberha Gqom and Piano Night experience and more.
Visitors to the Festival will also experience a range of local crafts and visual art exhibitions and can participate in workshops on everything from exploring heritage (Arts Legacy Education Alive) to street dance culture (KDX: Street Dance Derby Workshops).
Audiences looking for a cultural experience with a twist can book for Floetic Fun Foods and Fashion Fair by Art-Anything-Funzaai, an adventure into Xhosa food and traditions.
Film has also been introduced for the first time with Virgil Jacobs' film The Birth of Otis. The O.G. Phizow TV Content Creators Convention will also host an intensive film training workshop featuring public lectures from esteemed industry experts, hosted by content creator and creative Phila Goduka.
The chief executive officer of the National Arts Festival, Monica Newton, said that when the organisation surveyed the 2024 audiences, it was encouraging to find that 60% of the festival participants who were interviewed had attended more than ten Mandela Bay Arts Festival events over the 2022 and 2024 Festivals.
“This speaks to a growing appetite for the festival-style ‘cultural binge,’ where audiences become fully immersed in the event and keep coming back to try new and interesting things,” concluded Newton.
To get a full programme and to buy tickets, visit the festival website: www.mbaf.co.za
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