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Cape Town, listen up. If you’ve always wanted to belt out “Don’t you want me, baby” with a few thousand strangers in a giant arena, this is your moment.
So, set your hair to ‘Fascination’ levels and get ready to dance the night away as pop icons The Human League bring their neon-lit, hit-heavy live show to South Africa. And it’s with fellow UK electronic stalwarts Blancmange along for the ride. This is a night that will be anything but vanilla.
The Sheffield pioneers of electronic-forward earworms will first land in Joburg on Saturday, 9 May 2026 as part of the inaugural Now Now Festival at Marks Park. Then they head to Cape Town for a big indoor party on Tuesday, 12 May 2026 at Grand Arena, GrandWest.
Who are The Human League?
If your birthday was in this century, you might not be up to speed with just how influential The Human League has been on the world of music. Moby called them his favourite group, and even David Bowie was a fan. In short: few acts have left fingerprints all over modern pop quite like The Human League.
Formed in the late ’70s, they helped define synth-pop’s glossy future sound, and their 1981 album Dare remains a cornerstone of the era. Expect a setlist built for singalongs, with classics including ‘Don’t You Want Me’, ‘Love Action (I Believe in Love)’, and ‘Open Your Heart’. Check out their biggest hit below:
And then there’s Blancmange: born out of post-punk experimentation in 1979 they evolved into one of the UK’s defining electronic pop acts, with tracks like ‘Living on the Ceiling’.
In short: it’s a rare, nostalgia-forward night of synth-driven anthems. And you’ll be surprised by just how many songs you know all the lyrics to.
The Human League: all the details
Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026 at 7pm
Venue: Grand Arena, GrandWest
Tickets: From R795 (excluding service fees). On sale via Webtickets.
Too late for you? Try the party that'll have you in Bed By 10!
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