4 days ago
‘Hub of ideas': National Arts Festival warms up as attendees fill Makhanda after slow start
The National Arts Festival kicked off in Makhanda on 26 June and runs until 6 July.
Attendees come from all over the country to attend the event, which celebrates the arts in all its forms.
This year's programme is filled with quality productions wowing audiences, but some attendees feel the fest is not what it used to be.
For a number of attendees at the National Arts Festival, travelling to Makhanda is an annual pilgrimage.
Some people have been attending the 51-year-old festival for decades and have seen how it's changed over time.
NAF kicked off on 26 June and runs until 6 July, with more than 240 items on the programme, encompassing music, theatre, literature, visual art, photography, poetry, dance, etc. There are also plenty of pop-ups, markets and free public shows, so it's easy to get overwhelmed by the number of things to see, hear, do and experience.
Thus far, the festival has been off to a slow start, with more attendees arriving over the weekend and making their way to the Village Green market and Settler's Monument.
With more than a week still lift of the fest, attendees still have lots to look forward to.
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Attendee Angie Halley said that her family used to go to the festival every year.
'We would spend almost the whole week here. Last year I came for the first time again after a long while,' she said.
She arrived at the festival on Saturday and spent time with her family at the Village Green, but she said it isn't the same as it was all those years ago.
Another attendee Chester September also arrived on Saturday with his family and was enjoying the Village Green, but said it wasn't as good as 2024.
'Last year there was a bit more tents and stuff, and more shows available for the kids,' he said. He also feels the festival has been getting smaller each year.
Joel Ontong
Joel Ontong
Susnato Mukherjee took the bus from the Stellenbosch area to the festival, and he has been attending since 2011.
He said the fest had been beautiful thus far, but he noticed the attendance was a lot less than previous years.
'But the quality of the shows has been just wonderful,' he added.
Festvial goer Robert Cameron-Ellis said he thinks this years NAF is going to be a 'super festival'.
'What we've seen so far has really been of world-class standard. The dance particularly has been quite phenomenal, and the music is just to die for,' he added.
Cameron-Ellis first attended the festival in 1979 as a student.
'Since the last 10 years, I've made it an annual pilgrimage.'
Fine arts photographer Thabisa Nxawe said that, in addition to getting ready for her group exhibition at the Albany Museum, she was looking forward to watching other shows.
She also said it felt major to have her work be exhibited at the festival.
'It's also my second time, exhibiting this side, but it's my first time physically being here and I hope to sell my prints. It's also great being surrounded by other artists as well,' she added.
Joel Ontong/News24
Joel Ontong/News24
Elizabeth Eziko, who hails from East London, said it was her first time at the festival and was looking forward to performing and attending some shows.
'I'm really excited. I didn't know it was this big, and I'm looking forward to seeing the shows, even though I am basically swamped with practising and performances back to back.'
Performer Siya Stamper, who is from Makhanda, also felt the festival has gotten smaller over the years.
'When I was younger, it was like big, amazing, but I feel like now it's just shows. The community, the liveliness and everyone coming together and walking around the street – that's died down.'
But she also likes that there are more shows, as she gets to support her peers. Her favourite part of the festival is getting to connect with other artists.
'It's a hub of ideas, especially for young people. Building relationships– that's the beautiful thing about this festival.'
