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American rock heavyweights +LIVE+ are returning to South Africa this December, bringing one of the most recognisable alt-rock songbooks of the 90s and 2000s back to local stages.
For Gauteng fans, your faves will be on at the same stage you fell in love with them on from their last tour - the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria on 11 December 2026. When SunBet Arena first opened, +LIVE+ were the first band to take to its stage. Their return almost a decade later brings the band back to the scene of one of the arena’s earliest defining moments, and we literally couldn’t be more excited to see them again.
Led by Ed Kowalczyk, +LIVE+ helped shape the sound of 90s alternative rock with songs that you still know all the words to: Lightning Crashes (Kowalczyk calls it a “cosmic fortune cookie”, and we couldn’t agree more), I Alone, All Over You, Selling the Drama and Heaven. These are songs that have lived many lives since the 90s - on radio, in cars, at house parties, in break-up years, in reunion years, and now back where they always belonged, at full volume in an arena.
“South Africa has a very special place in my heart,” says Kowalczyk, “and the thought of coming back to play for our fans brings me great joy. I can’t wait!”
The band’s last South African tour was a box-office success, with packed venues and the kind of audience response that explains why promoters keep returning to this particular love affair between South Africa and +LIVE+.
“There are certain bands that South African audiences form a real bond with, and +LIVE+ is most certainly one of them,” says Andy Mac of AMP Events. “Their last tour here was something special, packed venues, huge sing-alongs, and an atmosphere not easily forgotten.”
The December tour includes two South African dates, with the band also playing Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town on 8 December. But for Joburg and Pretoria audiences, SunBet Arena is the one to circle: a loud, nostalgic, December-sized return from a band whose songs have never really left the bloodstream, and the perfect way to start the holidays.
The details
What: +LIVE+ at SunBet Arena
Where: SunBet Arena at Time Square, 209 Aramist Avenue, Waterkloof Glen, Pretoria
When: 11 December 2026, 7pm
Tickets: Available via Webtickets. SunBet Arena tickets are listed from R895 to R2995.
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