Feel the beat at the annual Zakifo Music Festival

Get ready for a party as the fifth annual Zakifo Music Festival lands on Durban’s shores with a series of intimate pop-up bespoke concerts in venues around the city.

Running over two consecutive weekends from May 24 until June 1, the festival offers a wide range of live performances featuring cutting edge musicians from Africa and beyond.

Zakifo aspires to strengthen ties between the cultural communities of the Indian Ocean through its sister festival, Sakifo, held each year in Réunion, according to one of the founders Jerome Galabert.

“Sakifo means ‘what is needed’ in Creole. With Zakifo Durban our intention is the same. Through our world-class line-up we strive to inspire and create lasting opportunities for collaboration; cross-cultural exchanges; economic opportunities and skills development,” said Galabert.

This year the festival will occupy some of the city’s most happening venues: Durban Botanic Gardens, The Werehouse, the historic Winston Hotel, with workshops and industry events taking place during the week at Curiocity Hotel in the CBD.

Make sure to diarise these dates and venues:

1. Friday, May 24 will see an outdoor festival stage along with the Winston Pub and Origin’s Engine Room at the Winston Hotel. With artists Meute (Germany), Puts Marie (Switzerland) Dobet Gnahoré (Côte d’Ivoire), Make-Overs (ZA), Sands (Eswatini) and Granmah (Mozambique).

2. The Werehouse has a line-up of amazing contemporary African female performers Sho Madjozi (ZA), Eme (Nigeria) & Moonchild (ZA), Dope Saint Jude (ZA) and Sobantwana (ZA) on Saturday, May 25.

3. Get to the Rainbow restaurant for a small, intimate performance by Lindigo (Reunion) on Sunday, May 26.

4. The Durban Botanic Gardens will be pumping with international artists such as Ben Harper (USA), Asa (Nigeria//France), Lindigo (Reunion), Maia & The Big Sky (Kenya) along with the sensational Durban talent of Red Robyn (ZA) on Saturday June 1.

Tickets are available from www.zakifo.com and range depending on the performance.

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