[category]
[title]
If there’s one thing we can agree on, it is that South Africa is a musical country. Park Live 2026 proved this to be true.
I was not familiar with some artists on the line-up, but I am glad that I now have new music to discover for the first time. It also seems "African time" may not be a thing because, by 10 am, the crowd was ready to receive Rowlene on stage at Marks Park, Emmarentia.
We were blessed with good weather, skin was showing! Joburgers are quite the fashionistas, as I spotted people who were dressed to the nines. This just shows me how badly they wanted to be at the festival.
Friends, family and human connection
I met a group of four strangers who I thought were friends, but it turned out they all came individually and met each other at Parklive.
One of them said to me, “Girl, there’s no way I was going to wait for my cousins and friends. I made an entire playlist preparing for two weeks”, and no one was going to take that away from me.
I love it so much for them. It also highlights what we pride ourselves on: Ubuntu.
Co-signing this was the absolutely breathtaking Teeks (surely I can say this? We all saw him; he’s fine, fine, fine).
“This is my first time in South Africa, first time playing in Johannesburg. I gotta tell you, man, since the moment we landed... the people here have been so beautiful, so warm, so generous; I feel at home,” he said during his set.
This may be the reason he played us Remember Me: he didn’t get to perform in Cape Town. I am not saying we are better, I am just saying we got a perfectly curated show.
All the artists from Rowelene to Good Neighbours put their best foot forward - no notes.
The good, the bad and the ugly
Let’s get to the nitty-gritty: why are people standing in the VIP? There wasn’t enough seating; the area is just so far from the stage, defeating the whole point of wanting to be seated while enjoying the performances.
This, for me, was a bit disappointing. The suppliers also only had one flavour of Brutal Fruit – the new one that people are still warming up to – so it would've been nice to have a flavour my friend and I enjoyed.
The private bathroom, however, was the star of the show in the VIP area. It was clean and spacious.
There were generally enough food stalls, even though the portion sizes are very questionable for those prices in Cyril’s economy, mind you.
Overall though? As someone who attends a lot of events but still shies away from festivals usually because of how chaotic they can get, I had a really nice time.
I felt safe the entire time; there was a visible police presence and emergency responders were on hand if necessary. The cherry on top? The community - we are truly united by good music.
Follow Time Out Johannesburg on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram! While you're at it, sign up for our newsletter to receive even more of the best of your city.
TIME OUT JOHANNESBURG RECOMMENDS:
📍 The best things to do in Johannesburg
🏨 The best hotels in Johannesburg
🍽 The best restaurants in Johannesburg
🛏️ Where to stay in Johannesburg
📢 Latest news from Johannesburg