MTN Bushfire unveils full programme for 2026 festival

More than 23 000 attendees are expected at the annual event, which will feature music, dance, theatre, spoken word, poetry, interactive arts and roaming performances from artists representing 22 countries.

Held under the theme Bring Your Fire, the festival programme will span six stages and include performances from established and emerging artists across a range of genres and disciplines.

One of the headline performances will come from Uncle Waffles, who is set to perform on the Main Stage in what organisers described as a return to her home country. The Main Stage programme will also include a tribute performance celebrating the work of Busi Mhlongo, featuring artists including Buhlebendalo, Xolisa Dlamini and Zawadi YaMungu.

Additional Main Stage acts include Kokoroko, Moonchild Sanelly, Young Stunna, Ndlovu Youth Choir and the collaborative project Project Entropy featuring Msaki and Jesse Clegg.

The festival’s House on Fire Amphitheatre Stage will host a range of performances including Hope Masike, Yugen Blakrok, Wayne Snow and Dan Patlansky alongside other international performers.

Electronic music programming on the Corona Firefly Stage will feature acts such as Thakzin, Coco SA and Artwork Sounds, as well as DJs from Eswatini and other African countries.

Beyond music performances, organisers said the programme will include theatre, visual art installations, poetry, workshops, cultural performances and roaming artistic activities across the festival site.

The festival will also feature a dedicated KidZone programme under the theme African Circus, while the Bring Your Fire Zone will host workshops and participatory activities centred on social and community themes.

The full programme forms part of the broader 2026 festival schedule, which combines music, cultural activities and multidisciplinary artistic experiences across the three-day event.

Check the full programme via the MTN Bushfire official website.