A new sponsor has come on to revive the music festival.
Picture: iStock
South Africa’s favourite food and music weekend is entering a new chapter with Absa.
For more than a decade, the Delicious Festival has been one of Johannesburg’s biggest dates for people who believe good food and great music belong together. Now, the much-loved lifestyle experience is entering a new era, with Absa as its headline sponsor in partnership with the SABC.
Now named the Absa Delicious Festival in partnership with the SABC, it returns to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on 10 and 11 April 2027, for another weekend where music, food, culture and fashion collide.
But before the next big artist announcement or mouthwatering food experience, it is worth remembering how Delicious became such a fixture on South Africa’s entertainment calendar.
From humble beginnings to Kyalami
The festival first launched in 2013, initially taking place on open-field, government-owned parks in Johannesburg.
By 2016, Delicious had grown into what organisers describe as South Africa’s premier lifestyle event, attracting about 40 000 festivalgoers before moving to the iconic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.
Its recipe for success has remained relatively simple: bring together some of the biggest names in music with food, creativity and a distinctly South African atmosphere.
Over the years, its stages have hosted international stars including Ms Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Jamiroquai, Common, Maxwell, Tems, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Chaka Khan, Babyface and Burna Boy.
Local legends and contemporary favourites have shared the spotlight too, from Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba to Black Coffee, Thandiswa Mazwai, Zakes Bantwini and Tiwa Savage.
The festival has also used its platform to remember influential South African artists, paying tribute to figures including Lebo Mathosa, Lucky Dube, Sibongile Khumalo, Johnny Clegg, Brenda Fassie, AKA, HHP, Mandoza and Riky Rick.
A new Delicious chapter
Absa says the partnership will focus on creating memorable experiences while giving customers access to exclusive benefits and new ways to enjoy the festival.
Candice Thurston, Managing Executive for Brand and Marketing at Absa Group, says the partnership is rooted in the idea that “Your Story Matters”, with music, food and culture providing the backdrop for those stories.
For Delicious founder and CEO Tom Pearson Adams, the partnership arrives at an important point in the festival’s journey.
The SABC will also take the experience beyond Kyalami through its television, radio and digital platforms, including SABC+.
