By Emily Setona
BLOEMFONTEIN – The Free State government says the Mangaung African Cultural Festival (MACUFE) has evolved beyond being a music festival into a cultural programme that celebrates the province’s heritage, stimulates economic activity and promotes social cohesion.
Speaking during the official launch of the 2026 MACUFE at the War Museum in Bloemfontein on 31 July, Free State MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Ntombizanele Sifuba said the festival had undergone a strategic repositioning following its two-year absence after the 2022 edition.
Sifuba said the department was forced to rethink the festival’s model because of the economic realities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the tight fiscal environment.
She said the recalibration was aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of MACUFE while restoring its original purpose as a cultural celebration.
“We had to reposition the festival so that it responds to the changing landscape and material conditions. The depressed post-COVID-19 economy required us to rethink the economic model of the festival if we wanted it to continue into posterity,” she said.
According to Sifuba, the successful relaunch of MACUFE in 2025 demonstrated that the new direction was working.
She said moving the festival to September, during Heritage Month, reinforced the message that MACUFE is fundamentally about celebrating South Africa’s rich and diverse cultural heritage in all its forms rather than being viewed solely as a music entertainment event.
Chairperson of the Free State Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Rural Economic Development, Small Business Development, Sport, Arts and Culture, Zama Sigwebela, described MACUFE as one of the province’s flagship cultural and tourism events.
He said research and feasibility studies had confirmed the festival’s economic value by attracting thousands of visitors to the province, creating opportunities for artists and businesses, strengthening tourism and providing a platform for networking and cultural exchange.
Sigwebela said the festival had become a permanent feature on the province’s calendar, with the first week of September symbolising the arrival of spring and providing the perfect setting for people from different backgrounds to celebrate together.
Reflecting on past editions, he recalled the memorable 2008 performance by American R&B singer Maxwell, saying the atmosphere demonstrated music’s unique ability to unite strangers, create lasting friendships and create memories that endure long after the festival ends.
The 2026 MACUFE festival will take place from 3 to 13 September across various venues in Bloemfontein. The programme will once again feature music concerts, theatre, dance, comedy, film, visual arts, literature and heritage activities, continuing the festival’s renewed emphasis on arts, culture and African identity.
The full artist line-up for this year’s edition has already been released by the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, with internationally acclaimed Malian music legend Salif Keita announced as the international headline act alongside a diverse line-up of leading South African performers and Free State artists.
