From the world stage to the Mother City, the Ndlovu Youth Choir returns to Artscape this summer with a joyous start to their 2026 South African tour. Expect gorgeous harmonies, high-energy choreography and a setlist that leans even further into homegrown sounds.
Promoter Showtime Management has confirmed that the Ndlovu Youth Choir will perform at Artscape on:
- Thursday 5 February, 7:30pm
- Friday 6 February, 7:30pm
- Saturday 7 February, 3pm and 7:30pm
- Sunday 8 February, at 2pm and 6pm.
Johannesburg follows later in the year, with shows at Montecasino’s Teatro from Thursday 30 July to Sunday 2 August, with evening and matinee performances across the weekend.
The Ndlovu Youth Choir was formed in 2009 in the Moutse Valley, Limpopo, and has since grown into a smash-hit ensemble recognised worldwide. That rocket to fame was sparked by their run to the finals of ‘America’s Got Talent Season 14’ and has since seen them take a headline slot at the Africa Festival in Würzburg, a theatre residency at the AFAS Theatre in the Netherlands, and perform at Carnegie Hall in New York.
And now they’re back for what is sure to be another sell-out tour.
In fact, the Choir’s tours have sold out every year since 2021, and recent additions to their repertoire have only widened the appeal. Their 2024 arrangement of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ drew rave reviews from audiences – and unexpected praise from Queen’s own Roger Taylor!
This year’s shows promise an even stronger local flavour.
Founder and conductor Ralf Schmitt says: “Alongside classics such as ‘Mbube’ and ‘Homeless’, we have included Ghoema music, which celebrates the joy of Tweede Nuwejaar and Cape Town’s vibrant culture. The aim is to cover a wide range of South African genres, including gospel and an Amapiano medley, as well as hits from many of South Africa’s greatest singers and bands such as Mango Groove, Hugh Masekela, Johnny Clegg, and Miriam Makeba.”
Fans can also look forward to South African favourites like ‘African Dream’ and ‘Pata Pata’; pan-African anthems including ‘Circle of Life’, ‘Waka Waka’ and ‘Africa’; and international hits reimagined with the Choir’s signature style – think ‘Higher Love’, the operatic showstopper ‘Nessun Dorma’, and that Queen classic.
“Ndlovu Youth Choir tours are now entertainment fixtures for South African audiences,” says Tony Feldman of Showtime Management. “They bring music lovers from all of our country’s fascinating cultures together, and every concert has a wonderful, generous energy.”
Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.co.za.
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