The annual MTN Bushfire Festival on a farm in the petite Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official name Swaziland, is in its 17th year and has undoubtedly redefined what a pilgrimage really is.
Because while many know a pilgrimage as a journey embarked on to a hallowed place for self-discovery or to find renewal and spiritual alignment, and of a religious nature, this is an annual pilgrimage of a different kind.
This pilgrimage leads thousands to a farm in Malkerns, a little town that lies at the heart of Eswatini’s middleveld, midway between Ezulwini and Manzini, for an energising and uplifting weekend that celebrates the music and arts of Africa and beyond.
This 2024 edition of the internationally acclaimed MTN Bushfire Festival will be held again at House On Fire, a unique, iconic performance venue in the Malkerns Valley of Eswatini and will take place from May 31 to June 22.
Top African festival
Tickets to the event are selling like hot cakes and accommodation at hotels and other budget to luxury establishments is already fully booked for that weekend.
Named “top African festival” by the BBC and hailed by CNN as one of the “7 African music festivals you really have to see”, the event is reigniting the fire for a family-friendly and eclectic celebration of some of the finest music in Africa and beyond with over 20 000 fans from nearly 60 countries across the globe attending in 2023.
The organisers say the event is “rooted in Africa and yet globally inclusive” because of dozens of artists from various parts of the continent and around the world who are expected to take to the festival stages to present multiple forms of creative expression, including music, dance, theatre and spoken word.
This year, the festival will be headlined by one of the continent’s most powerful voices, global music sensation, Nneka, who hails from Nigeria.
The neo-soul singer, songwriter and actress will bring fire with her electrifying blend of Afro beats, soul and reggae to the festival.
With influences such as Fela Kuti and Sade Adu, Nneka’s soul-stirring conscious music embodies the festival’s philosophy of using the power of the arts to inspire creative expression and arts advocacy, expressed through the call to action for positive social and environmental change, “Bring Your Fire”.
Thandiswa Mazwai returns
The festival is also excited to welcome back legendary South African singer and songwriter, Thandiswa Mazwai, who will once again set the MTN Bushfire stage ablaze with her uplifting socio-political messaging and inspiring fusion of traditional Xhosa rhythms, mbaqanga, funk, jazz and reggae.
Another perfect complement to the MTN Bushfire aesthetic will be American-Sudanese rapper and producer, Oddissee.
Celebrated as a deep-thinking lyricist, Oddissee’s music blends elements of jazz, funk, and go-go into his hip-hop-rooted production.
South Africa is further represented by the 2024 Grammy nominee Musa Keys, the “enigmatic spirit of African soul”, Bongiziwe Mabandla, and Limpopo songstress Makhadzi; as well as the talented Filah lah lah and the much-loved Jeremy Loops, who returns to the MTN Bushfire main stage with his unique blend of modern folk music.
A major highlight will be the appearance of the incomparable “King of the Zulu Guitar”, Dr Madala Kunene, alongside Guy Buttery, who, despite their 36-year age difference, have collaborated for almost two decades since they first met at a rehearsal for a TV show.
The southern African region is well-represented with Lesotho singer and songwriter, Maleh, who returns to the festival after her emotionally charged, ethereal performance in 2023.
Eswatini’s Bholoja will once again steal hearts with his distinct voice and authentically Swazi sound.
Legendary Stewart Sukuma & Banda Nkhuvu from Mozambique are another exciting act to look forward to.
They combine traditional and contemporary Mozambican music with revolutionary instrumentation creating an energetic, danceable and infectious sound.
International artists who will grace the MTN Bushfire stage include Fetén Fetén from Spain, and Réunion Island’s DJ Sebb, who will get you on your feet with the rhythms of his deck.
Range of cultural performances
Additionally, MTN Bushfire Festival fans can expect the much-loved range of cultural performances, family-friendly activities, dance, spoken word and the ever-popular artisanal Barn Marketplace, Global Food Village, and KidZone, as well as an invigorated Bring Your Fire Zone for interactive social and environmental advocacy.
Like many of the best festivals around the world, the Bushfire festival attracts audiences with big names but also introduces them to something new and unexpected.
This formula has seen the MTN Bushfire Festival graduate from a gathering on a family-run sugarcane farm to a regional event that attracts thousands of people to Africa’s last absolute monarchy – that usually falls off the radar of the international stage.
In a new, exciting development this year, the festival is treating early camping arrivals to an exclusive programme in the Bring Your Fire Zone on May 30, and the chance to be part of the festival’s #GreenYourFire call to action for positive environmental change.
Arriving early for the festival’s programme on May 30 means less queuing at border entry points to Eswatini and at the festival’s camping check-in.
It also offers Bring Your Own campers the opportunity to pick a prime spot, for example under a shady tree, close to the ablution blocks or by the gates to the festival main arena.
Memorable start to the festival
The May 30 programme promises to be a memorable start to another explosive festival weekend.
Campers will also enjoy an immersive, elevated nature experience with the 300 trees planted over the years by All Out Africa.
All trees planted in the campsite are indigenous and propagated on Malandela’s Farm by Malandela’s Indigenous Nursery.
The extension of the campsite areas through the conversion of the farm’s sugarcane fields to grassland and indigenous trees are part of the rewilding programme for sections of Malandela’s Farm.
More farmed sugarcane fields have been rewilded through the planting of indigenous trees and grass, a process that is ongoing.
First held in 2007, the MTN Bushfire Festival was founded as a much-needed platform to nurture and grow the arts in Eswatini, with a variety of exciting stages showcasing the dynamic and diverse talent from Africa and around the globe that the festival is known for.
