On 1 July, the 2025 National Arts Festival saw the launch of an exciting new event: the Makhanda Igwijo Competition. A vibrant celebration of collective song and cultural heritage, the competition invited igwijo groups from across the…
Because I am a journalist, rumours interest me. Because I am a journalist, facts interest me more. This is some of what I have heard on the Port Alfred streets and in our supermarkets this week: Ooh, I hear that Festival has got very bad…
The National Arts Festival has congratulated former CEO, Tony Lankester, on the announcement of his appointment as the new CEO of the Edinburgh Fringe. Lankester was CEO of the National Festival from 2007-2019 and has a long association…
The 51st National Arts Festival is in production and as of 1 October, artists have a window to apply to be part of the multidisciplinary showcase through the 2025 Festival’s Fringe programme. The Fringe drives renewal and diversity in the…
Founded in 1974, the National Arts Festival will mark fifty years of creative freedom and definitive South African works from 20-30 June 2024. The festival’s home, in the small town of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, has become the annual…
It’s come a long way from the cream, embossed programme and cash box-office that launched the National Arts Festival in 1974, but the 2024 National Arts Festival programme has gone live at https://nationalartsfestival.co.za and is…
By STEVEN LANG The oldest treasures on display during the National Arts Festival are about 360-million years old — more than 100-million years older than the first dinosaurs. The Albany Museum invites visitors to Makhanda to learn about…
SUE MACLENNAN, LUKE CHARTER AND ROSA-KAROO LOEWE Municipal officials are conducting awareness campaigns around Makhanda and a boil water notice was issued after unacceptable levels of E. coli were detected in the town’s drinking water.…
The National Arts Festival calls for artists to propose works for 2023 Festival The National Arts Festival has announced that the call for the 2023 National Arts Festival Curated Programme is open. The Curated Programme is the Festival’s…
If you were too late to get tickets for a sold-out show at this year’s National Arts Festival, keep your mouse finger at the ready as hundreds of tickets are expected to become available in the next few days. With the scrapping of…
Mid-pandemic, the National Arts Festival predicted that for some, the annual arts pilgrimage to Makhanda may be more challenging this year. So, while a smaller, tighter 11 days of amazing will still be happening live in Makhanda for the…
The National Arts Festival scored a major victory last week when the South Gauteng High Court dismissed attempts by the National Arts Council (NAC) to enforce unilateral changes to a contract which forms part of the Presidential Economic…
Virtual entertainment is coming of age during the National lockdown; a chance for new talent to get exposure The Virtual National Arts Festival has announced that the online platform created for the vFringe Festival is transitioning into…
The first virtual National Arts Festival has been extended and will air until Thursday next week (July 16) with shows from the Fringe set to stay online until July 31. The festival was initially scheduled for 11 days, from June 25 until…
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT We at the National Arts Festival have been worrying, thinking, worrying, arguing and thinking some more about what we do about the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe in relation to our very special annual…
