Bantwini said he and his team are working on something to make it up to fans after the downpour cut the concert short.
Such were the storms on Sunday that Zakes Bantwini had to stop his Mayonie Open Air festival at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
“You know, these things happen when you’re doing outdoor events. Nature had other plans on Sunday,” concedes Bantwini, speaking to The Citizen.
The South African Weather Service issued a yellow level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms, with heavy downpours affecting parts of the country, and Johannesburg wasn’t spared.
“Obviously, we would have loved to finish the full show, but everyone understood the situation. The vibe was incredible before the storm came through, and honestly, the response from our supporters has been so positive and understanding. It’s just one of those things.”
The Grammy Award-winning muso confirmed to The Citizen that none of the patrons attending the music gathering were injured by the storms.
“Everyone was perfectly safe,” Bantiwni said.
“It was just rain and weather, nothing dramatic. Everyone got home fine, and the feedback we’re getting is all love.”
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Mayonie Open Air festival
The line-up at Mayonie included Liquideep, Msaki, B3B and former one-half of Black Motion, Mörda, also known as Murdah Bongz.
The festival was set up in a way that had immersive staging, layered sound design and interactive spaces that give attendees a deeper connection to the music and its story.
This special vantage point places attendees directly behind the performing DJ or artist, offering a unique, up-close connection to the music.
However, the only act that did not perform was B3B, which is made up of Caiiro, Enoo Napa and Da Capo.
“B3B didn’t get to perform because we had to wrap early due to the weather. But that’s really it; everything else went beautifully,” said Bantiwini.
Due to the interruption caused by the downpour, Bantwini said he and his team are working on something to make it up to the fans whose concert was cut short.
“Give us a week or so to figure out the logistics, and we’ll share the plan. But honestly, the love and understanding from everyone has been amazing. Our community gets it. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, and that’s life.”
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