Concerts SA and IKS Cultural Consulting’s 2026 Music Cities Award highlights the infrastructure, mobility and live-music ecosystems that sustain South African music.
Publicists, labels, brands, artists, event teams, and partners can submit official updates, coverage requests, or campaign briefs.
Concerts SA’s Music Cities Award is bigger than an international accolade. It is recognition of the invisible systems, routes, venues and relationships that make live music possible.
The dissolution of the National Arts Council’s Council is bigger than politics. It exposes a deeper issue: South African artists need funding institutions they can trust.
The National Arts Council’s 2026 funding outcomes show that across Craft, Dance, Literature and Visual Arts, applicants requested R387.6 million. The available budget covered only 3.4% of that value.
Basha Uhuru’s 2026 edition turns Youth Month memory into something practical: music, workshops, market access, creative-economy platforms and paid opportunities for young people.
Zakes Bantwini’s foundation signals a bigger shift in South African celebrity culture: influence is no longer only about fame, but about the systems artists build for those coming after them.
