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What
Red Bull Music Festival
Where
Various venues across Joburg
When
April 3-8
Why care
For music lovers across genres, venues tailored to different personalities and tastes
Even if, like some of us, you loathe festivals (all those people, the lengthy queues for food and drinks and, yuck, the portaloos . . .) once in a while something will pop up on the calendar that catches your interest.
The Red Bull Music Festival coincides with the Red Bull Music Academy’s 20th birthday, and it’s a celebration of everything from the legacy of kwaito music to young jazz musicians, featuring a lineup of 80 artists.
The festival has been hosted in other cities including LA, New York and Paris.
Over the six days, gorgeous jazz venue The Orbit will host improv sessions between young musicians, Jahseed and Admiral will celebrate 24 years of their legendary Reggae Nights at the Bassline, and Oskido and Trompies will bring back the nostalgia of kwaito’s heyday at Republic of 94 (a fitting venue for a genre that defined early postapartheid South Africa).
For the hipsters and cool kids, there will be performances at Great Dane and Kitchener’s (artists include Angel Ho, Rouge and DJ Lag). One thing we’re really looking forward to is catching the elusive 340ml on stage again (at Fox Junction on April 7).
The festival rounds off with Shomadjozi, Sjava and AKA at Soweto’s Zone 6.
Visit redbullmusicfestivaljhb.co.za