With just days to go, anticipation is building as the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz 2025 prepares to light up Johannesburg from September 26 to 28.

This year’s festival, hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre, promises an unforgettable three-day celebration of music, culture and community, with a stellar line-up of both local and international acts, carefully curated to deliver world-class performances.

Read more: Take note of road closures ahead of JP Morgan Corporate Challenge

While the festival is fully prepared to welcome thousands of jazz lovers to a vibrant and seamless experience, motorists and commuters are advised to seek alternative routes due to the anticipated congested traffic flow.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Maude Street will be converted into one-way traffic from 5th Street to West Street.
2. On West Street, the lanes closest to the convention centre will be closed, while the lanes furthest from the venue will remain open for two-way traffic.
3. Similarly, on Alice Lane, the lanes nearest the convention centre will be closed, with the lanes further away open as two-way traffic. These road closures and changes will be in effect on Friday and Saturday from 14:00 to 24:00, and on Sunday from 12:00 to 21:00.

For festival-goers, here are a few key tips to help make your experience even more seamless:

The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz will operate on a cashless system, and no cash payments will be accepted at any of the service points.

Also read: Road closures to be aware of this weekend

To help ease the expected congestion near the venue, Uber pick-ups will be available at two designated locations: the corner of West and Maude streets, and the intersection of West and Maude streets.

Ticketmaster will be on site for ticket verification and sales from 17:00 to 22:00. Full bars will be available at multiple locations across the venue, and the different stages can be found here: the Mbira Stage on Level -2 (Exhibition 2), the Conga Stage on Level 0 (Exhibition 1), the Diphala Stage on Level 2 (Ballroom), and the Dinaledi Stage on Level 5 (Pavilion), which also has a bar counter. The Lounge Jazz Stage on Level 0 near the food court (Exhibition 1),

A food court will be set up at the Maude Street loading bay, offering a variety of menu options for attendees.

Ablution facilities at the Sandton Convention Centre can accommodate up to 5 000 guests.

Smoking is not permitted inside the venue; patrons wishing to smoke may exit the building to do so on Maude Street or in the designated smoking area on Level 2. The use of vapes and e-cigarettes is also prohibited inside the venue.

Mantwa Chinoamadi, CEO of T-Musicman and producer of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival, confirms that preparations are progressing smoothly, with expectations high that the three-day music extravaganza will run as planned.

“Not only are the artists ready, but the venue and all teams involved are fully prepared to welcome thousands of attendees. We promise yet another unforgettable experience, continuing our 26-year legacy of world-class jazz festivals,” Chinoamadi shared.

Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!