Darkroom Contemporary's autoplay is Africa's first AI opera.
Image: Oscar O'Ryan.
Mark your calendars! South Africa’s legendary theatre and arts festival is back from June 25 to July 5, and it’s shaping up to be a wild mix of ancient traditions and futuristic tech.
Whether you’re a die-hard theatre fan, a jazz lover, or someone who spends too much time on TikTok, this year’s National Arts Festival (NAF) line-up has something that will make you look at the world differently.
Tickets officially go on sale on May 20, but the festival has already started dropping hints about what’s to come - and it is massive.
Over 200 shows, including the Fringe, ArtTalks and some heavy-hitting music headliners, are set to grace the line-up.
This year isn’t just about pretty pictures and catchy tunes. The festival is asking: “What does Ubuntu mean in an age of algorithms?” and “How do we heal from inherited trauma while building new worlds?”
One of the festival's highlights is Autoplay by Darkroom Contemporary. It is Africa’s first-ever AI-generated dance opera, using real-time tech to create a performance that changes every single time.
If you’re more into social media vibes, UK artist Louise Orwin’s "Famehungry" brings a live TikTok session right onto the stage to explore our obsession with views, while Canadian company Guilty by Association's "2021" blurs AI and video games in a digital resurrection story.
The 2026 Standard Bank Young Artists are the stars of the show this year, covering everything from dance to jazz.
Jason Jacobs (theatre) is bringing "Kraal", a deep dive into Cape history and identity.
Bronwyn Katz (visual art) is using metal and healing herbs to bring lost Khoi languages back to life.
Ndumiso Manana and Gabi Motuba (jazz) are set to provide the ultimate soundtrack with full bands and spiritual improvisations, and The Soweto String Quartet marks 30 years since their first recording on the festival stages.
For the movie buffs, you can catch the 2026 Oscar winner "Sentimental Value", Park Chan-wook’s "No Other Choice", which famously got a nine-minute standing ovation at Venice, and the first film to be produced in the Rohingya language, "Lost Land".
“The formidable pace of change has us all spinning in new and unprecedented directions. Within this vortex, it's the creatives who search for meaning and new practice; who question and rewire," shared Rucera Seethal, National Arts Festival's artistic director.
"We've brought together as many of these forces as we could to inspire a conversation that will echo beyond the stages in our soon-to-be-released ArtTalk series. Helping us make sense, find each other, build new worlds and pause to experience this once precious life.”
2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre, Jason Jacobs, brings a work of memory and identity through "Kraal" to the 2026 National Arts Festival.
Image: Jeromeo le Cordeur.
The festival remains a powerhouse for the Eastern Cape, too.
Nomatamsanqa Gobozi-Nibe from the Eastern Cape’s Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture shares: "As the National Arts Festival enters its 52nd year, the Eastern Cape Provincial Government continues to recognise the Festival as a vital platform for artistic expression, cultural preservation, social cohesion and creative sector development.
"The festival remains an important beacon for showcasing the depth of South African talent while also contributing meaningfully to the cultural and economic landscape of the Eastern Cape."
She also highlighted the Literature Festival (LitFest) auditions, adding: "These initiatives reflect the Department's continued commitment to creating access, visibility and meaningful opportunities for local artists, particularly young and community-based creatives, to participate in prestigious platforms such as the National Arts Festival and related showcases.”
Standard Bank’s Bonga Sebesho shared the excitement for the long-standing partnership: “Our decades-long commitment to the arts enables us to exhibit and showcase important works.
"This support is an important part of the arts ecosystem, strengthening connections between artists and audiences while nurturing a vibrant space for dialogue and reflection.
"Every platform for visibility fuels growth, and the National Arts Festival provides momentum for Africa's cultural influence and a thriving artistic sector, one show at a time.”
For the full programme and tickets, visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.