Gauteng, the business hub of South Africa, hosts a variety of events throughout the year. Tourism Update rounds up the top upcoming events in the province that will engage tourists.
At Constitution Hill
The Bassline Festival is the rebranded Africa Day, which will take place over three days from May 25 to 27 at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
Constitution Hill is a former prison complex that bears testament to South Africa’s turbulent past and is now a museum that is home to the country’s Constitutional Court. The precinct was where famous former prisoners, such as Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Fatima Meer, all spent time.
Bassline Fest is a world-class live music festival with top-of-the-line staging, lighting, production and talent. The festival will feature a dialogue on May 25, with the signature Africa Day concert taking place on May 26, which will be televised live locally. On May 27, festivities are more laid back, featuring jazz and world music.
Jeanny Morulane, GM: Marketing and Communication Head for Constitution Hill, comments: “This annual celebration of African dynamism will showcase a host of Africa and the globe’s talent.”
The Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival, from June 27-30 and forming part of the Afro Punk build-up event, is Constitution Hill’s flagship youth festival, commemorating South Africa’s 1976 youth uprising. It was established in 2013 to provide a platform for the broad spectrum of artistic expression for young professionals in the creative industry.
In its first year, the festival – which encompassed a group art exhibition, panel discussions and a music concert – attracted over 1 500 young people and was well received by Johannesburg’s eclectic audience.
Now in its sixth year, it has become one of Johannesburg’s most popular contemporary youth arts festivals, with 2017 seeing 11 000 young people from diverse cultural backgrounds descend on Constitution Hill.
Morulane says there are also a variety of venues on site to suit every eventing need, from small private functions to large corporate conferences.
“An open invitation exists for all to come and experience it, to feel it. Touch the textured walls, read their graffiti, listen to their echoes, stride up the Great African Steps, stand in the highest court in the land, and learn what constitutionalism means in SA,” says Morulane.
Joburg Art Fair
For art lovers, the annual FNB Joburg Art Fair showcases the best in contemporary African art and design, with 23 galleries and 11 special projects.
The event takes place from September 6-9 at the Sandton Convention Centre’s Exhibition Hall 2.
The Alfa Romeo Art Talks Programme will feature local and international gallerists and artists. Grolsch Brewery has commissioned glass artist, Martli Jansen van Rensburg to create a green glass installation that will be exhibited at the fair for the first time.
Comic Con
Reed Exhibitions Africa and ReedPOP – the world’s largest producer of pop culture events – in partnership with VS Gaming – a South African independent gaming brand – will bring Comic Con to Africa for the first time, from September 14-16.
The event will take place at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and International Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Comic Con Africa is a three-day event showcasing comic books and science fiction/fantasy-related film, television and popular arts. The exhibition will also feature pop culture across other genres, including animation, toys, gadgets, clothing, collectible card games, table top games, anime, manga, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels.
Activations during the event will include professional gaming tournaments, celebrity panel discussions, seminars, workshops and autograph sessions with the likes of Jason Momoa, who acts in Aquaman and Game of Thrones.
Jazz Festival
Celebrating its 21st anniversary in 2018, The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz has a line-up of top international and local artists. The event is set to take place between September 26 and 29 at six venues at the Sandton Convention Centre.
International artists at this year’s event hail from America, Sweden, Spain and The Netherlands and will be joined by to performers from South Africa and the African diaspora.
Celebrating wine
RMB Winex Wine Festival will entice local and international wine lovers with a selection of fine wines under one roof. The event will take place from October 24-26 at the Sandton Convention Centre from 17h00 to 21h00.
More than 150 exhibitors will represent a myriad of brand names, boutique wineries and wine routes at the event. Food products on show will include cheeses, olive oils, olives, chocolate and nougat, and with up to 800 wines, brandy and Cape Port available for tasting and purchase, the event is a Gauteng must-do.
Soweto Marathon
The People’s Race, formerly known as the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon, will take place on November 4. This will be the 25th time the race has been held, and sportsmen and women from all over the world are invited to participate. The event takes runners through Soweto, which, with its complex history, exposes runners to a combination of fitness and history.
Athletes can run the standard marathon of 42,2 kilometres, a half marathon of 21,1 kilometres and a 10-kilometre run, starting and ending at the FNB Stadium.
Other not-to-be-missed events
- The Whisky Live Festival at Sandton Convention Centre from November 9-11, will feature more than 180 top brands, some of them new releases from Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada, Wales, Japan and South Africa. Whisky workshops will offer tastings in whiskies not widely available in the country, along with a lecture programme.
- The Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup, to be held on December 1 at the Turffontein Racecourse, is the longest-running horse event in Johannesburg. The event is one for fashion-forward trendsetters as it focuses on the latest haute couture fashion fads. It is ideal for families, as little ones can watch the horses and visit them in the parade rink. There is also a carnival with various rides, buskers and face painters.
