Visit South Africa�s biggest and busiest gathering of artistic and cultural excellence at the National Arts Festival.
Join thousands of visitors from across the country and beyond with the biggest celebration of art and culture in South Africa at the National Arts Festival.
Formerly named the Grahamstown Arts Festival, the National Arts Festival was renamed in 2002 when it was transformed into an independent Section 1 company. The festival is renowned as a leading African showcase of both local and international creative and cultural delights.
The National Arts Festival takes place in Makhanda (formerly known as Grahamstown) which has a reputation as the �sleepy university city�. Makhanda was named after the Xhosa Chief and warrior known for leading the Battle of Grahamstown in 1819.
This small �sleepy city� with a typical population of about 70 000 people, once a year transforms into a hustling, bustling city for 11 days during the National Arts Festival.
The festival attracts over 200 000 people a year and spans across 90 venues within Makhanda. Artists from across South Africa, as well as a number of international artists participate in this exciting event and the festival contributes significantly to the regions economy each year. In 2016, the Rhodes University of Economics Department conducted a study on the impact of the National Arts Festival on the provinces economy, and estimated that the event contributed around R377million to the economy in that year alone. Their study also concluded that a whopping 99% of the visitors of the festival in 2016 would recommend the event to others.
When does it take place?
This National Arts Festival takes place between June and July each year and showcases a vast range of arts, crafts and performing arts to delight visitors. The city�s usual halls and rooms become theatres, the parks and sports fields transform into flea markets and the typically quiet streets explode into buzzing routes where all forms of traffic have to be controlled and directed by officials.
What can you expect?
Over 600 performing arts shows take place during the festival, ranging from opera,
drama, jazz and folk music to even stand-up comedy shows! The National Arts Festival Programme can be viewed and downloaded from the event website, or festival-goers can purchase printed copies online through Takealot or from the events Box Office during the festival.
The Main Programme
The key festival programme is made up of a Main and a Fringe programme. The Main Programme has many curated works that have been selected through a meticulous process of artist applications and reviews from a hand-picked Artistic Community. There are also productions made possible by sponsors and partnerships and these make up the Festival Selection � a process handled by the Festival�s Executive Producer.
During the Main Programme, viewers can enjoy a mix of dance, music, theatre, visual art as well as performing arts. These features comprise of both local and international artists and producers.
Previous National Art Festival Standard Bank Ovation Awards winners are showcased in The Arena and The Student Theatre section of the programme incorporates unique new and upcoming work from students from universities and colleges across South Africa.
The Fringe
A large variety of artistic creation amongst differing genres is presented on equal footing along with the Main Programme. That means that visitors can expect to view either brand new or experienced artists showcasing their work during the programme. What makes The Fringe unique is that this section of the programme is open to all artists, producers, directors who are exempt from the main programmes meticulous selection process.
How to plan your trip to the National Arts Festival
The huge influx of people to the small city of Makhandla each year means that accommodation becomes limited, so booking in advance of the festival each year is a good idea. There is a wide range of different accommodation types � some closer to the National Arts Festival for those not wanting to commute, and some nearer to the beach for those wanting to enjoy an ocean view during their stay.
Makhanda is 130km to the nearest airport at Port Elizabeth and 190km to the next closest airport at East London Airport. There are options to hire cars in advance (before they all book out), or there are multiple options for shuttles and buses. Once again, it�s always a good idea to arrange your transportation early.
Getting around the city during the National Arts Festival is very easy � venues are close in proximity to each other and there are Tuk-Tuk rides and bicycle hires for those who don�t have their own vehicles. Fellow festival-goers are often generous in lift-sharing and there is also the Festival Hooper which is free to all ticket holders during the festival.
Early Bird Tickets to the festival are available a few months prior to the event every year � these are great to take advantage of and save yourself some money on ticket prices.
The National Arts Festival is an annual sensory delight for art and theatre lovers and typical holiday-goers alike. Whether you�re seeking a social getaway with friends with a difference, or you return every year for the festival artistic features, you�re sure to enjoy every aspect of this event.
The National Arts Festival website has all this information and more, as well as ticket information and dates. For any further information or to book, visit the festivals website.
