The National Arts Festival in Makhanda has become a staple for arts and culture lovers.
Makhanda’s annual celebration of the arts has launched with exuberant energy and a wave of sold-out performances, setting a triumphant tone for one of the National Arts Festival’s most anticipated editions to date.
Defying economic headwinds, the opening days drew enthusiastic crowds who responded warmly to an ambitious, intimate, and deeply moving programme. Blessed by unseasonably warm winter weather, the iconic Village Green welcomed close to 12,000 visitors over the first weekend alone, leaving local accommodation entirely fully booked as festival-goers flooded the town.
Box office records tumbled early, with tickets snapped up instantly for the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artists, Manana and Lee-Ché Janecké. Theatre legend Andrew Buckland and satirical comedian Dan Corder played to full houses, while rave reviews poured in for ground-breaking productions such as Dear Museum: The Truth of the Matters It Seems Everything was Better When We Were Not Telling the Truth and Ireoluwa.
Long-standing festival favourite Tony Miyambo made a triumphant return with Commission Continua and Kafka’s Ape, alongside riveting audiences with the artificial intelligence dance piece autoplay and The Cry of Winnie Mandela.
