As South Africa celebrates Heritage Month this September, the Folklore Festival returns for its 4th edition, a three-day celebration of music, storytelling, and cultural preservation.
The event, was held from 11 to 13 September 2025 at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, has become a premier destination for discovering contemporary folk artists and experiencing the creativity, community, and cultural connection that binds South Africans.
Redefining Afro-folk with their traditional instruments, the event will include renowned performers like Buhlebendalo, Jabulile Majola, Zawadi Yamungu, Nkosingiphile Mpanza, and Odwa Bongo, as well as iconic Mmbaqanga vocals.
Pilani Bubu, founder and curator of the Folklore Festival, spoke about the festival, highlighting its essence with the Saturday Star.
What inspired the choice of #Kinfolk as this year's theme, and how does it reflect the current cultural moment?
Kinfolk emerged as a powerful theme because it speaks directly to what people are craving right now: deeper connection and authentic belonging. In a world that often feels fragmented by digital noise and cultural erosion, Kinfolk is a reminder that family is not only who you’re born to but also the community you create through shared stories, rituals and cultural practices. It reflects the current cultural moment by calling us back to the rhythms that root us: our collective memory, our identity, and the heritage that grounds us as African people.
You've described "kinfolk" as going beyond blood ties. How do you hope the festival will help people experience that sense of extended family and belonging?
The Folklore Festival is designed as a homecoming. Over three days, we create moments where audiences feel like they’re part of an extended family, whether that’s parents and children discovering stories together in the kids’ space, strangers dancing in rhythm at the Fireside, or festival-goers sitting at a communal table during our VIP Brunch, sharing food that carries its own history and storytelling. That’s the heart of Kinfolk: realising you belong, even among people you’ve only just met.
What makes the 4th edition of the Folklore Festival unique compared to previous years?
This is our most ambitious festival yet. For the first time, Folklore expands into a three-day programme, each day designed with its own energy: the Industry Showcase, where artists connect with promoters, labels and cultural curators; the Fireside evening with DJs, drummers and surprise acts to set the tone; and the Family Day, which remains the signature day and the heart of the festival with music, markets, kids’ programming and a celebratory atmosphere. We’re also launching our Artist Development and Capacity Building Programme workshops and showcases designed to give emerging artists real tools and opportunities to grow. It’s a step forward for us as a festival that doesn’t just celebrate heritage but actively invests in its future.
In what ways do you see the festival contributing to the preservation of African heritage and sacred knowledge systems?
Preservation is not about keeping culture frozen in time; it’s about keeping it alive, dynamic, and relevant. Through our programming, workshops and artist development initiatives, we’re ensuring that sacred knowledge, indigenous instruments, folk practices and ancestral stories are actively shared and reinterpreted. By giving cultural custodians alongside emerging voices, we’re building continuity. The festival becomes both an archive and a living classroom, where African heritage is not only remembered but also carried into the future.
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star