The 4th annual Folklore Festival is a celebration of African culture and music that takes place at the National School of Arts from 11 to 13 September 2025. Alongside the musical lineup headlined by the Mahotella Queens, this festival hosts a range of kids activities such as a book fair featuring young African authors and workshops on indigenous instruments. There are also a number of stalls selling African food and crafts as part of the diverse Pan-African creative offering. Here’s what you need to know.
Folklore Festival 2025: What to expect
The Folklore Festival offers an immersive, family-friendly experience that bridges heritage with contemporary creativity. Over three days, audiences can expect a rich programme of performances, workshops, and discussions exploring African storytelling traditions and artistic innovation.
A bustling food and crafts market will showcase artisanal treasures and culinary delights, inviting visitors to taste, see, and take home a piece of African creativity. Families will find a dedicated children’s zone with engaging educational activities, storytellers, and childminders – ensuring even the youngest attendees can connect with their roots. With its blend of cultural depth, community warmth, and interactive experiences, the festival is both a celebration and a conversation – a reminder that heritage thrives when shared across generations.
Kinfolk, the 2025 festival theme, honours cultural roots and shared belonging
In the heart of South Africa’s Heritage Month, the 4th edition of the Folklore Festival returns from 11–13 September 2025, carrying the evocative theme #Kinfolk. This year’s focus embraces the profound connections that bind us, transcending bloodlines to celebrate the spiritual family formed through shared traditions, ancestral stories, and cultural practices. Against the backdrop of a fast-paced, digitally fragmented world, the festival invites audiences to slow down, reconnect, and honour the rhythms, knowledge, and narratives passed down through generations.
The Folklore Festival has earned its place as South Africa’s premier celebration of African heritage, where music, storytelling, theatre, film, poetry, literature, and visual arts converge to preserve indigenous knowledge while nurturing emerging voices. More than an event, it is a homecoming – a vibrant space where elders, artists, and communities gather to weave their stories into a living cultural tapestry for future generations.
A fresh new artist lineup
The first wave of the 2025 line-up promises a soulful mix of legendary voices and rising stars. Audiences can look forward to:
- The Mahotella Queens – South Africa’s iconic mbaqanga trio, whose harmonies and rhythms have carried township sounds across the globe for over five decades
- Buhlebendalo (from The Soil) – Bringing a deeply spiritual and culturally rooted perspective, this acclaimed vocalist and activist channels African heritage through song
- Jabulile Majola – A gifted storyteller and Afro-folk musician whose work explores identity, place, and belonging
- Zawadi Yamungu – Blending traditional instrumentation with contemporary folk, her music resonates with ancestral spirit
- Odwa Bongo – A rare uHadi player and vocalist whose fusion of tradition and jazz preserves and reimagines indigenous soundscapes
How to book tickets
Cost: R250pp for adults, R180pp for kids ages 5 to 17yrs, free for kids under 5yrs. Book via Quicket. VIP tickets are also on offer
When: Running from 11 to 13 September, from 10am to 10pm daily
Where: The National School of Arts, 17 Hoofd St, Braampark, Johannesburg
Website: folklore.community
Email: [email protected]
