How the Scorpion Kings electrified FNB Stadium

Some concerts are great while you’re there, but by the time you get home, the night is already starting to feel like a memory. Scorpion Kings Live at FNB Stadium was not that kind of concert. This was the kind where you get home, scroll through your videos, watch a few clips, send them to your friends and somehow end up dancing along all over again. Even after the show ended, I still felt like I hadn’t quite left the stadium behind.

On Saturday 19 September, more than 74,000 people made their way to FNB Stadium for Scorpion Kings Live, where DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small took over the biggest stadium in Africa. After last year’s showdown at Loftus Versfeld, bringing Scorpion Kings to FNB felt like the natural next step for Amapiano, a sound that grew from South African communities. Thousands of people had come together to dance, sing and celebrate the music. I missed the Loftus show last year, so I was determined not to make the same mistake twice.

We kicked things off with a Scorpion Kings feast

Before heading to the stadium, we stopped at RocoMamas for the Scorpion Kings King’s Feast menu. I went for the Madumane Double and the Scorpion Kings Pan, and RocoMamas definitely made sure we were well fed before the show. The Madumane Double comes with a double beef smash, chakalaka, chorizo and cheese on a brioche bun, while the Scorpion Kings Pan is a sharing feast with ribs, wings, grit balls, chicken strips, chakalaka, slaw and dipping sauces. Both meals were great, and after that, we were more than ready for the hours of dancing ahead.

It seemed like everyone had the same idea about getting to FNB early. There was some traffic as fans made their way towards the venue, but after chatting to a few people, I heard mostly positive feedback about the Rea Vaya, Gautrain buses and the park-and-ride services. After experiencing the event myself, I’d definitely consider the park-and-ride when heading to a major event at FNB. With thousands of people all trying to get to the same place, leaving your car at a designated spot and taking transport to the stadium takes some of the pressure off.

We could already feel the excitement before we got inside

Walking towards the stadium, you could already feel the excitement in the air. Fans were dressed up, taking pictures, meeting friends and psyching themselves for what was ahead. There was a real buzz around the entrance, and watching everyone make their way inside was an experience in itself.

People weren’t simply arriving for a concert; it felt like they were arriving for an occasion.

Getting inside was also surprisingly smooth. Security was tight, as you’d expect from an event of this magnitude. I was in the General Standing section with a few people I knew, and even before the main show started, people were already dancing and having a good time.

I also had one of those moments where I had to remind myself that I was actually there. I spotted influencers and celebrities walking around the stadium and, honestly, I was a little star-struck. Seeing so many familiar faces in one place felt surreal, but it also showed how an event like this could bring so many different people together. For one night, we were all there for the same thing: the music.

Everything we needed was covered at FNB Stadium

With more than 70,000 people expected, I was also paying attention to the practical side of the experience. I’d heard complaints about the lack of facilities and dirty bathrooms at last year’s show, so I was curious to see what things would be like this time around. My experience was completely different.

Food stalls and bars were available throughout the stadium across different floors, so you didn’t have to make your way to one central area every time you wanted something to eat or drink. There were also plenty of clean bathrooms. The queues weren’t particularly long either, which might not sound like the most exciting thing to mention, but when you’re sharing space with more than 74,000 people, it makes a big difference.

The stage was just as big as the occasion

The production matched the scale of the venue with a massive stage, giant screens, lighting, smoke effects and moving beams reaching across the stadium. At my section there was always something happening visually, even when you weren’t looking directly at the performers.

When the lights eventually went down, the entire stadium changed. The screens, lighting and effects came together as the stage filled with dancers and musicians giving us an experience everywhere we looked. It was the kind of production you’d expect from Scorpion Kings at FNB Stadium.

And then, the Scorpion Kings took over

At around 6:55 PM, the music suddenly stopped. The lights went out and DJ Maphorisa’s mother, affectionately known as Mama Phori, opened the main show with a prayer. We spotted a red light above us. Everyone started looking around, trying to figure out what was happening, and for a moment, nobody seemed quite sure what was about to happen.

Then came the big reveal. It was speculated that the Scorpion Kings had arrived by parachute, and I was stunned. Did they really just do that?! The cameras followed the Scorpion Kings as they made their entrance, and FNB Stadium went crazy. 

Then the first song played, Hello. If you were listening to Amapiano during the lockdown era, you already know how big that song became. Hearing it blast through FNB Stadium while thousands of people reacted at the same time was something else.

Our hosts Bontle Modiselle and Robot Boii kept the crowd entertained as the show moved from one performance to the next. The energy in the stadium was already high, but the main show was only getting started.

The live band deserves a mention

One of my favourite parts of the main show was the live band. We hear these songs everywhere, from our phones and headphones to cars, clubs and parties, so hearing them performed with live instruments in front of a stadium full of people made the music feel completely different.

The musicians did not miss a single key or come in off-beat. They actually made some of the songs feel ten times better live. There were moments when I found myself paying just as much attention to the musicians as the artists on stage because the live instruments gave songs I already knew another layer.

I enjoyed the live performances so much that when I got home, I ended up replaying the videos just to hear the band again. Shoutout to the band, because they really did their thing.

The celebration of women became one of the night’s most meaningful moments

One of the moments I’ll remember most was seeing the women of Amapiano take over the stage. Ami Faku, Msaki, Busiswa, Nkosazana Daughter, Lady Du, Thatohatsi and Kamo Mphela joined forces to perform Asibe Happy, celebrating the women who have helped shape Amapiano and South African music.

Each of these artists has become a recognisable voice in South African music, so seeing them perform together in front of such a huge crowd felt like a celebration of what women continue to bring to Amapiano. The night was all about dancing, singing and having fun, but there was also a deeper meaning to having so many women celebrated on that stage.

We were there to dance, sing and have a good time, but there was still a painful reality unfolding outside the stadium. South Africa is currently grappling with the deaths of women whose bodies have been discovered in Ekurhuleni and other parts of Gauteng, and the situation was acknowledged inside the stadium with a minute of silence in their memory.

The noise inside FNB Stadium that night was something else. With more than 74,000 people singing, screaming, dancing and reacting to every performance, there was barely a quiet moment. Then everything suddenly came to a stop, and the stadium fell completely silent. Nobody was dancing or singing during those few moments. We were all simply standing together, taking a moment to remember the women whose lives had been lost.

It made me realise that celebration and difficult realities can exist at the same time. For me, that contrast made the moment even more significant.

There was also a touching tribute to some of the musicians we’ve lost over the years. Ami Faku performed Abalele, with AKA, Riky Rick, Costa Titch, Killer Kau and Mpura among the artists remembered as their images appeared on the stadium screens.

Madumane was up next

We’d already seen Maphorisa doing his thing behind the decks, and Bontle told us that now it was time for Madumane to step forward. Madumane is essentially another side of DJ Maphorisa, where he puts the producer and DJ roles aside and steps into the spotlight as an artist.

You can’t really have Madumane without making the entrance a moment. A Gusheshe drove up the ramp, with Maphorisa stepping out ready to perform. Seeing the car appear on stage was one of those moments where all you could do was laugh and think, “of course they did this.”

We thought that was the end. We were wrong

Once the other performers had made their way through their sets, it felt like we were getting close to the end of the night. I thought that was it, and judging by reactions from the crowd, I wasn’t alone in thinking we were done.

Then came the news that we had another 30 minutes of music, and FNB Stadium erupted all over again.

I was definitely happy to hear it because I wasn’t ready to go home yet, and again the reactions confirmed that neither was anyone else.

A few exclusives from Kabza were enough to get everyone’s attention all over again. It was one of those if you know, you know moments, and hearing them in the stadium made the final stretch even better.

Nobody was ready to call it a night

Eventually, there was no avoiding it, the show had come to an end. Outside the entrance, people were still gathered in groups, singing, dancing and enjoying the last bits of the night. Some were heading off to their transport, while others stood around with friends, and there was still music playing all around us.

Watching people continue dancing outside FNB Stadium became one of my favourite memories from the night. After everything that had happened inside, seeing people carry the celebration outside felt like the perfect ending.

Looking back, maybe that’s what made Scorpion Kings Live feel different. It wasn’t just about watching Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa perform, but everything that happened around the music and the people who came to experience it together.

Robot Boii teased the possibility of seeing us all again next year, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, we were all for it.

Could we be back at FNB Stadium for another Scorpion Kings Live in 2027? We’ll have to wait and see what happens.

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