DURING September,
the Gauteng Tourism
Authority (GTA) is
partnering with several
events, such as the
Standard Bank Joy of Jazz
Festival, the GoWest! Music
Festival and the Moretele
Park Tribute Concert 2016,
to promote Gauteng’s arts,
culture and heritage offering.
It is also working with the
City of Johannesburg to
promote the 2016 Arts Alive
International Festival.
Barba Gaoganediwe,
GTA head of Destination
Promotions and Marketing,
said the GTA was
encouraging travel agents
to package these and other
Tourism Month events
with the wonderful variety
of tourism and township
products and experiences on
offer in the province.
The GTA is also calling
on Gauteng residents
to make time to enjoy
these offerings, explore
the province’s history and
heritage sites and be good
hosts to the increasing
numbers of friends and
relatives visiting the
province.
Here is a selection of
the must-attend events
taking place in September
in Gauteng and ideas on
how some of these can be
packaged with the province’s
tourism and township
offerings.
FNB JoburgArtFair
The 2016 FNB JoburgArtFair
takes place from September
9-11 at the Sandton
Convention Centre. It will
feature 90 exhibits from
selected galleries in 12
countries across Africa,
Europe and the US. Tickets
are R100pp on September 9
and R130pp on September
10 and 11.
Joy of Jazz
Jazz lovers are in for a treat
at the star-studded Standard
Bank Joy of Jazz Festival
that takes place at the
Sandton Convention Centre
from September 15-17.
The international line-up
features jazz greats such
as Gerald Albright, Jonathan
Butler, Bob James, Bill
Champlin, Deniece Williams,
Brenda Russell, Deborah
J Carter, Houston Preston,
Ranee Lee and more.
South Africans include
Barney Rachabane, Sibongile
Khumalo, Judith Sephuma,
Wouter Kellerman and many
others. Tickets are R500
(September 15), R750 for
a day pass on September
16 and 17 and R1 250
for a weekend pass. This
event can be combined with
a walking or cycling tour
through Alexandra Township,
provided by operators like
The Hub Presents.
Arts Alive
The annual Arts Alive
International Festival takes
place from September 1-25,
offering a wide variety of
music, arts and cultural
events.
Some highlights include:
Jazz on the Lake at Zoo
Lake on September 4 – a
fun family day featuring
the likes of Seun Kuti, son
of world icon, Fela Kuti;
drummer extraordinaire
Paco Sery; Nathi and
Mafikizolo.
As part of the Moshito
Music Conference &
Exhibition the Censored:
Afro-World Music Concert
takes place on September
8 at the Joburg Theatre.
The concert features
The Soil, Sipho Hotstix
Mabuse, Thlokwe Sihume
and Roger Lucey.
Melville hosts the
Moshito Street Festival on
September 10, featuring
bands such as Tidal Wave
and Blk Jks.
The Beat Music Festival
takes place at Zone
6 Venue in Soweto on
September 9 and features
Kwaito, hip-hop and house
bands. It can be packaged
with a tour of Soweto or
combined with one of
many fun activities, such
as cycling, quad biking and
bird watching adventures,
spa treatments, sampling
craft beers at the Ubuntu
Kraal Brewery or lunching
on Vilakazi Street.
The Indian Music Festival
at Joburg Theatre on
September 9 features
Indian Hindustani classical
vocalist, composer
and lyricist, Pandit Ajoy
Chakrabarty, who has
performed at the Carnegie
Hall and The Kennedy
Center in the US.
The 4th African
International Women
Writers’ Symposium
at Joburg Theatre from
September 15-17 features
local and international
writers and poets speaking
on the theme, Witness and
Memory.
La Pli i Donn is a
contemporary circus show
at the Joburg Theatre on
September 18. It features
circus performances,
music and acrobatics by
performers from Réunion
Island, Madagascar and
South Africa.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
perform at the Joburg
Theatre on September
10 and 11, with Hugh
Masekela and Jamaican
songwriter Tanya Stevens
performing at the same
venue on September 23.
Heritage Day events
(September 24)
The Indigenous Food and
Comedy Festival takes
place at Constitution
Hill. Visitors can browse
indigenous food stalls and
enjoy comedy from some
of South Africa’s leading
comedians. The event,
which costs R150pp,
starts at 12h00 and could
be packaged with an inner
city walking tour.
The GoWest! Music
Festival takes place
at Coronation Park in
Krugersdorp. Featured
artists include Hugh
Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi,
Nathi Mankayi, PJ Powers,
Judith Sephuma, Mafikizolo
and more.
Urban Music Clash:
Ziyamporoma! at Soweto
Theatre sees the clash of
different musical genres
with big-name artists
representing Kwaito, hiphop,
dance, house, Afropop
and reggae.
Dan Patlansky, Dave
Ferguson, Laurie Levine
and Josie Field, and
Nakhane Touré perform at
Folk Night at the Joburg
Theatre.
Also not to be missed...
The 2016 BMW
International Polo Series
takes place at Waterfall
Polo Estate in Sunninghill
on September 11, when
South Africa competes
against Uruguay. Tickets
are R250.
The Getaway Show takes
place at the Ticketpro
Dome from September
23-25.
The 5th Annual Jozi
Film Festival takes
place in Johannesburg
from September 15-18,
showcasing the latest
films by South African
and international
filmmakers..
