Zoë Modiga, The Brother Moves On and lordkez lead Fête de la Musique Joburg

Fête de la Musique returns to Victoria Yards in Lorentzville on Saturday, June 20, bringing one of Joburg's best free music days back to the city for its 15th local edition.

Running from 1 pm to 7 pm, the festival will be led by Zoë Modiga, The Brother Moves On and lordkez, with a wider line-up that leans into the city's usual refusal to sit neatly in one genre.

This year's bill includes Renaissance, [kimetsu], Zykes Madiga, Thoknique, Namakau Star, Tessi Nandi, Thula Khumalo, Measuretutti Vocal Ensemble, Little Music School in the Valley, Lesedi Ntsane and Khulu.

It's a broad church, which is exactly the point. First launched in France in 1982, Fête de la Musique was built on the idea that music should spill into public life, with musicians of all levels performing for anyone who wants to listen. In Joburg, that spirit has found a natural home: open, unpredictable, slightly chaotic in the best way, and full of artists you'll want to say you saw before everyone else did.

The 2026 line-up was selected from more than 300 applications by a panel of local and international music experts, underscoring the appetite for the festival and the state of live music in the city. Joburg has no shortage of musicians looking for a stage, and Fête de la Musique has become one of the better places to find them.

Of course, the headliners are no small thing either. Zoë Modiga brings one of South Africa's most unmistakable voices to the day, The Brother Moves On arrive with their usual storm of jazz, rock, ritual and resistance, and lordkez adds her hazy, genre-slipping sound to the mix.

Previous Joburg editions have featured artists including Msaki, BCUC, Samthing Soweto, Vaudou Game, Nakhane, SunEl Musician and Bongeziwe Mabandla, so the festival's record for catching serious talent is already well established.

This year's edition is organised by the French Institute of South Africa and co-produced by Bassline, with support from TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa. RedCircle by TEDxJohannesburg will also be part of the programme, inviting members of the public to share one-minute ideas on music, with special appearances by poets and musicians.

The festival is also working with the Keep it Clean initiative this year, bringing greener measures to Victoria Yards through food waste collection, waste separation, and general clean-up support across the precinct.

Selected artists will also perform at the Alliance Française of Pretoria on Saturday, June 13, from 3 pm to 6 pm, ahead of the Joburg edition.

When is Fête de la Musique Joburg 2026?
Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 1 pm to 7 pm.

Where is it happening?
Victoria Yards, Lorentzville, Johannesburg.

How much are tickets?
Entry is free.