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For eleven days every winter, the quiet Eastern Cape university town of Makhanda transforms into South Africa's biggest arts and culture hub.
From June 25 to July 5, the National Arts Festival returns for its 52nd edition, bringing together more than 2,000 artists across over 250 productions spanning theatre, music, dance, comedy, visual art and film.
Since 1974, the Festival has been the place where South African artists premiere bold new work, where careers are launched and where audiences stumble across the unexpected.
First-timers should know one thing: you will never see everything!
But there is a way to navigate the country's biggest arts gathering to tap as much of the creative magic as you can.
This year's theme Come Together, Create New Worlds is embedded in a programme that tackles everything from artificial intelligence and cultural memory to identity and indigenous knowledge.
These are the productions generating the most buzz - click here to see the full programme.
Kraal | Theatre
Created by 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre Jason Jacobs, this ambitious two-part work unfolds across two spaces: a conventional theatre and a traditional matjieshut. It's one of the Festival's most anticipated premieres.
More about the Standard Bank Young Artist premieres
One of the most anticipated highlights of the arts festival programme, these are often the productions that push the boundaries of contemporary art. This year's young artists cohort includes: Click here to learn more about the artists and their performances.
- Gabi Motuba (jazz)
- Jason Jacobs (theatre)
- Bronwyn Katz (visual art)
- Ndumiso Manana (music)
- Lee-Ché Janecke (dance)
autoplay | Opera
Billed as Africa's first AI-informed opera, this boundary-pushing production uses generative AI to create music in real time, responding to audience interaction.
Dear Museum! | Theatre/performance
The South African premiere of Albert Ibokwe Khoza's internationally acclaimed work interrogates museum collections, colonial histories and who gets to tell cultural stories.
Understanding the Festival: Curated vs Fringe
Every show at the festival falls into one of two camps. With hundreds of productions across 11 days, the biggest mistake first-time visitors make is overbooking. The best Festival days leave room for spontaneity: a morning exhibition, an afternoon play, a jazz performance after dinner and perhaps an unexpected Fringe discovery in a church hall you hadn't planned on entering.
The Curated Programme is the Festival's flagship selection: professionally produced work chosen by the artistic team, often featuring established artists and major premieres.
The Fringe is where things get wonderfully unpredictable. It's open-access, meaning anyone can register a production —resulting in everything from breakout hits to experimental works that you'll either love or spend the drive home debating.
Read more: Curated vs Fringe: and what's worth seeing?
Getting your tickets
Curated productions are booked through the Festival's official ticketing platform, while Fringe shows manage their own ticket sales. Don't assume you'll buy everything on arrival - the biggest premieres, especially Standard Bank Young Artist productions, can sell out quickly. Click here to browse and book the full programme.
Time Out Tip: Register on the website first and then download the app for seamless search to create your wish list shows, book and store your tickets to your chosen performances
How to get to Makhanda
Makhanda has no commercial airport, so most visitors fly into Gqeberha (around 130km away) or East London (around160–190km away), then continue by car, shuttle or coach. If you're driving, the town sits conveniently along the N2 between the two cities.
Read more: How to get to Makhanda from Cape Town
Where to stay
Accommodation is part of the Festival strategy. Guesthouses, B&Bs, university residences and private homes fill quickly, particularly over the opening weekend when many of the major premieres take place. So while you've left your planning down to the wire, you can still secure last-minute accommodation.
Check Out: Where to stay during the National Arts Festival
The National Arts Festival is more than a cultural bucket-list item. It is one of the Eastern Cape's and South Africa's most significant annual events, generating millions of rand in economic activity and giving South African artists a platform that has shaped creative careers for more than five decades. Ask anyone who's been: one visit is usually enough to start planning the next!
This article is sponsored by Standard Bank
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