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September is looking rather busy in KwaZulu-Natal.
You can spend the month eating your way through Durban, cheering on cyclists along the M4, catching a Bryan Adams singalong, watching more than 100 dancers take over The Playhouse, or heading north for a massive music festival in Richards Bay.
There’s also plenty for the culture vultures, with orchestral concerts, cabaret, contemporary dance and a country-meets-Celtic music session on the cards.
Here’s what’s happening around Durban and KwaZulu-Natal this September.
Durban
KZN Philharmonic Orchestra: Early Spring Season finale
- Date: Thursday, 3 September | 7pm
- Location: Playhouse Opera Theatre, 231 Anton Lembede Street, Durban
- Tickets: Available via Quicket
- Bookings and information: 031 369 9438 or info@kznphil.org.za
- Park and Ride: Services are available from St Agnes Church in the Upper Highway, Grace Family Church on the North Coast, Westville Senior Primary and Caister Lodge in Berea, with departure times between 5.50pm and 6.20pm.
The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra's 2026 Early Spring Season reaches its grand finale this September, with an evening dedicated to the music of Mozart.
Conductor Leon Bosch takes the podium for the final concert, while piano duo Xin Wang and Florian Koltun join the orchestra for Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos.
Durban Street Food Festival
- Dates: Friday, 4 – Sunday, 6 September
- Location: The Pavilion Shopping Centre, Entrance 5 – Banking Hall Parking
- Food: More than 75 food, craft and lifestyle vendors
- Tickets: From R40 from Webtickets
- Information: durbanstreetfoodfestival@gmail.com | 064 809 2066
Come hungry, Durban.
The Durban Street Food Festival is back, transforming The Pavilion into one giant foodie playground where Durban bunny chow sits alongside gourmet smash burgers, Indian street food, seafood pasta, South American empanadas, German sweet treats, matcha drinks and plenty of desserts.
With more than 75 food, craft and lifestyle vendors, this is one for anyone who considers "just one more snack" a perfectly reasonable lunch strategy.
READ: Eat your way around the world at the Durban Street Food Festival
SYNC Spring Edition
- Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026
- Time: 9pm–4am
- Location: Club 386, Umhlanga Rocks
- Tickets: From R50 from Quicket
- Age: 18+
- Book a booth: 082 450 5180
Durban, get ready to dance into spring as SYNC returns to Club 386 in Umhlanga for another late-night party, this time bringing Hurshy on Decks along for the ride.
Expect nonstop music, energetic vibes, drinks specials and a dance floor that keeps going until the early hours. Gather your crew and get ready for one more big night out before the fast begins.
WOA iQembu Cycle Challenge
- Date: Sunday, 6 September | 7am
- Location: M4, starting near the Kings Park Swimming Pool/Moses Mabhida Stadium
- Distances: 40km, 60km and 100km team events
- Entries: MyActive
- Registration: Saturday, 5 September, 9am–1pm at DVH Cycles, Durban North
Get your cycling crew together.
The WOA iQembu Cycle Challenge is back for its fourth edition, turning Durban's M4 into a fast, flat team time-trial course. Teams tackle either two, three or five laps of a 20km circuit, with the clock stopping when the required number of riders cross the finish line.
The 100km event is for teams of five to eight, the 60km requires four to six riders, while the 40km option is open to teams of two to four. It’s open to everyone from cycling clubs and serious racers to families, training groups and ‘we should probably exercise more’ teams.
Every entrant also receives custom cycling socks, a finisher's medal, goodie bag and finish drinks.
READ: WOA Iqembu Cycle Challenge returns to Durban for 2026 team cycling race
Rachel Kolisi: Falling Forward Documentary Screening Experience
- Date: Thursday, 10 September 2026
- Time: Market opens 5.30pm | Screening 6.45pm
- Location: Durban
- Tickets: R295 from Webtickets
- Information: info@rachelkolisi.com
Rachel Kolisi’s Falling Forward Documentary Roadshow is coming to Durban this September, offering an evening designed to inspire, connect and celebrate women.
The documentary explores Rachel's personal journey through identity, loss, healing, motherhood, courage, faith and rediscovery. Afterwards, she takes to the stage for a candid fireside conversation exploring resilience, purpose and finding a way forward when life doesn't go according to plan.
Whether you're navigating a new chapter, rebuilding after disappointment or simply looking for an inspiring night out with friends, Falling Forward promises an evening of honest stories and meaningful conversations.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Shall We Dance
- Dates: Friday, 11 – Sunday, 13 September
- Times: Friday at 7pm | Saturday at 1pm and 5pm | Sunday at 11am and 3pm
- Location: The Playhouse Opera, Durban
- Tickets: R150–R200 via Webtickets
Swap Netflix for sequins.
One of Durban's favourite annual dance spectaculars returns with more than 100 local dancers, more than 10 dance styles, elaborate costumes and enough choreography to make you reconsider your own living-room dance routine.
Presented by the South African Dance Teachers Association in association with The Playhouse Company, Shall We Dance features ballroom, Latin and a host of other styles.
International dance stars Egor Kondratenko and Mie Lincke Funch will also return to the Playhouse stage, bringing their award-winning Latin American routines to Durban.
READ: Shall we dance? Durban's dazzling dance show is returning
Damsel in Distress
- Dates: Friday, 11 – Sunday, 13 September
- Location: Rhumbelow Theatre, Durban
- Tickets: R180-R220 from Webtickets
For something a little more intimate, Damsel in Distress brings cabaret, humour and some darker themes to Rhumbelow Theatre.
The story follows Griselda, a librarian who has spent years safely travelling the world through books, until Edward Pamment enters her carefully protected life and forces her to confront the fears she has kept hidden.
Starring Kiruna-Lind Devar in her first solo cabaret, the production explores courage, survival, femicide and gender-based violence through music and storytelling.
The 70-minute show features songs including I Love Paris, Mein Herr, At Seventeen, Bang-Bang and You Don't Own Me.
Music en Masse 2026
- Date: Sunday, 13 September | 2.30pm
- Location: DLI Hall, Greyville
- Information: 031 202 6174 | bcha1820@global.co.za
Ever wondered what happens when you put a very large number of musicians in one room?
Music en Masse brings together musicians of all ages and backgrounds for a massed orchestral concert billed as one of the biggest orchestras ever seen in Durban.
Conducted by Russell Scott, the programme ranges from Carmen Suite and The King and I to The Lord of the Rings, Memoirs of a Geisha, Gabriel's Oboe, Amparita Rocca and the Can Can.
Musicians who can read and play music are also invited to participate.
Music from Scotland
- Date: Saturday, 19 September | 2pm
- Location: DLI Hall, Greyville
- Tickets: R100
- Information: 031 702 5311 | kenmustard@mcclungs.co.za
Fancy an afternoon of Scottish and Celtic music and dance?
Music from Scotland brings a taste of the Highlands to Greyville, with an afternoon dedicated to traditional music, dance and all things Celtic.
South Africa vs Australia: ODI Cricket Comes to Kingsmead
- Date: Thursday, 24 September 2026
Location: Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban
Tickets: Available through Cricket South Africa
Cricket's biggest rivalries are back in Durban! South Africa and Australia will go head-to-head at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium this September, giving local cricket fans the chance to watch two cricketing giants battle it out on home soil.
The Dafabet ODI promises a day of top-class international cricket, with the Proteas looking to make the most of home advantage against a formidable Australian side.
Whether you're a die-hard cricket fan or simply looking for a big day out in Durban, grab your friends, get behind the Proteas and soak up the atmosphere at Kingsmead.
KZN North Coast and Zululand
Yudhika Sujanani’s Royal Feast Curry Masterclass
Date: Thursday, 3 September 2026
Time: 1pm–5pm
Location: Mosaic Terrace, The Beverly Hills, Umhlanga
Tickets: R1 795 per person
Bookings: WhatsApp 079 511 0952
Spice up your September with an afternoon of Indian cuisine as celebrated chef Yudhika Sujanani brings her Royal Feast Curry Masterclass to Durban.
Hosted by Darren Maule, the interactive afternoon will see Yudhika sharing some of her signature recipes and cooking techniques, including Royal Parda Lamb Biryani, Shahi Masala Chicken, Tamarind and Tomato Prawn Curry and Burfee Soji.
Expect more than a cooking demonstration, with stories behind the dishes and plenty of tips and tricks to help take your own cooking from simply following a recipe to truly understanding the flavours and techniques involved.
The experience also includes a gourmet buffet after the masterclass, a signed copy of Madame Curry: Feast, Pray, Love, an exclusive Jimmy Choo Fragrances gift and a Jimmy Choo goodie bag.
LIQUIDEEP in the Park
- Date: Sunday, 6 September 2026
- Time: 12pm–7pm
- Location: Chris Saunders Park, Umhlanga
- Tickets: R200–R350 from Webtickets
- Age: Strictly 18+
Spend your Sunday with one of South Africa’s biggest live performers as LIQUIDEEP takes over Chris Saunders Park for an open-air afternoon of music, food and coastal vibes.
Expect a live performance from LIQUIDEEP, with supporting acts and DJs setting the mood from midday. Add curated food vendors, fully stocked bars and the lush Umhlanga setting, and you've got all the ingredients for a memorable Sunday.
Good to know: Parking is limited, so organisers recommend using Uber. Valid ID may be requested at the gate. Cooler boxes, camp chairs, umbrellas, weapons and illegal substances are prohibited.
Passport to Japan: A Curated Japanese Food & Wine Pairing Experience
- Date: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
- Time: 6pm for 6.30pm–8.30pm
- Location: Daruma Umhlanga, The Pearls
- Tickets: R590 from Quicket
Take your taste buds on a journey to Japan without leaving Umhlanga at Passport to Japan, an intimate evening of Japanese cuisine, wine and culture at Daruma.
Hosted by Travel Bug Tours & Safaris and Daruma Umhlanga, the experience goes beyond a traditional dinner or wine tasting, combining five carefully curated courses with wine pairings and stories about Japanese culinary traditions.
With communal seating and limited places available, this promises to be a relaxed and intimate evening for food and wine lovers looking for something a little different this September.
Ballito-Biza Festival
- Date: Saturday, 26 September | 2pm–10pm
- Location: La Montagne Holiday Resort, Ballito
- Age: Strictly 13–17
- Tickets: From R150 via Howler
Ballito is getting its own mini festival moment – and this one is strictly for the teenagers.
Ballito-Biza promises an Ibiza-inspired poolside festival experience for 13- to 17-year-olds, complete with DJs, live entertainment, swimming, ocean views, food and a full festival production.
There will be general, VIP and VVIP experiences, although some ticket categories may sell out.
Parents, take note: this is a drop-off and collection-only event, with no attendee parking at La Montagne. Alcohol, vapes, cigarettes, outside food and drinks and a long list of other prohibited items are not permitted.
Dolosfees
- Dates: Thursday, 24 – Saturday, 26 September
- Location: Open veld near Alkantstrand, Richards Bay
- Tickets: From R100 per day | R350 for the full weekend | Children 6–12 R50 from iTickets (free for children U6)
- More information: dolosfees.com
Richards Bay is turning up the volume for Dolosfees.
The three-day festival brings some big names to the North Coast, including Prime Circle, Die Heuwels Fantasties, Fatman, Tino, ANGUS band and the Saxby Twins.
But there’s more than music on the programme. Heritage Day festivities kick off with a fun run, followed by a Miss Dolosfees pageant, art classes, a Plankie braai and food tasting, a skateboarding competition, stalls and entertainment for children.
There will also be performances from local school groups, culture dancers, the Richards Bay Dance Company and Zululand's Got Talent contenders.
KZN South Coast
Scottburgh Mall Family Trail Run
- Date: Sunday, 27 September | Registration from 7am
- Location: Scottburgh Mall, Gold Rush parking lot
- Cost: From R80 to R120 from Webtickets
- Times: Registration at 7am | 11km at 8am | 6km at 8.30am
Lace up for a morning of trail running, family fun and community giving at the Scottburgh Mall Family Trail Run.
Every runner receives a goodie bag, while all entries automatically qualify for the lucky draw. Prize-giving takes place at 10am in the centre court at Scottburgh Mall, with prizes for the top three finishers. Best of all, the event is giving back to the community, with proceeds donated to Keep Scottburgh Beautiful and S.N.A.P.
KZN Upper Highway
Ponies and a Meadow Mixer
- Date: Sunday, 6 September
- Location: Rocking Horse Equestrian Centre, Assagay
- Cost: R500, or R550 including the horseback walk
- Bookings: Asma – 082 768 8897
Swap the usual Sunday plans for a spring morning of flowers, ponies, seasonal sips and good company at Ponies & a Meadow Mixer.
This gentle countryside experience is all about slowing down, getting creative and enjoying a little time outdoors. Guests can build their own bouquet with Floral Atelier, craft a seasonal mocktail with Sippin’ & Co and take a gentle horseback ride around the centre – no riding experience needed.
There’ll also be plenty of pony time, spring photo opportunities and a curated grazing box to enjoy while unwinding in the paddock.
What to expect:
- Build your own spring bouquet
- Create a seasonal mocktail
- Enjoy a gentle horseback walk
- Meet and photograph the ponies
- Relax with a curated grazing box
KZN Midlands & Drakensberg
Two Old Friends
- Dates: Saturday, 12 September at 5pm | Sunday, 13 September at 2.30pm
- Location: The Old Mushroom Farm, 11 Karkloof Road, Howick
- Tickets: R120–R150 via Quicket
Brian Bedingfield and Huyton Watts are back for another edition of Two Old Friends, this time joined by guest artist Anton Cawthorn-Blazeby, as well as Craig Martens, Chris and Kaylee Bester.
Expect a country, bluegrass and Celtic flavour, with a relaxed atmosphere!
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