Top 10 Music Festivals in South Africa 2020

Music festivals give people from all over the country a chance to come together and dance. Sharing in the love of music, life and laughter. We get to meet new friends, hear new music, feel new rhythms and come alive together. Over and above having some of the best diving spots, weather and people, South Africa is also known for having some of the greatest music festivals.

We’re going to share the top upcoming events that you can look forward to marking on your calendar next year. You may just want to take advantage of the cheapest flight tickets across your homeland to attend some of these legendary events.

These festivals are overflowing with creative stages and innovative beats. As well as inspiring decor, beautiful people and unforgettable memories waiting to be made. Here’s our list of the top 10 music festivals in SA!

1. Oppikoppi

• Ticket price (per person): To be announced
• When: To be announced
• Genre: All

This year’s festival is an especially anticipated event and is happening in Limpopo. After the festival was cancelled for 2019, Oppikoppi hopes to pioneer a new level of excellence and talent for their 25th birthday celebration this year.

The festival is known for showcasing some of South Africa’s most amazing talents. It provides a truly remarkable space for people all around the globe to get together and enjoy a festival full of good spirit.

We look forward to seeing what’s in store this coming year with Oppikopie’s fresh design and new concepts.

2. Rocking the Daisies

• Ticket price (per person): R995
• When: 4th – 6th of October
• Genre: All

Rocking the Daisies celebrates diversity through its music, embracing new styles and artists that impress every year. This is the kind of festival that invites you to go all out and parade your best outfits and your wild side on the dancefloor.

This unmissable event welcomes performers from all across the globe to grace eccentrically decorated stages with their musical gifts. Enjoy the picturesque setting of Cloof Wine Estate while you jam out.

Bring your tent and your sleeping bag and get ready for 2 days and 2 nights of the most incredible fun you‘ll ever have. At one of the top-rated South African music festivals.

3. RAMfest

• Ticket price (per person): To be announced
• When: To be announced
• Genre: Metal

Calling all metalheads! When it comes to national events in South Africa, RAMfest is hands down the rock ‘n roll festival of the year, every year. Headbang to some of the most iconic performers screaming their souls out on stage. While the band strums up hardcore energy with their bass guitars and drum sets.

This one is for those with a place in their hearts for live, heavy metal music. RAMfest has a plethora of international and local gigs that will inspire you to dive into the mosh pit.

The location of this event changes every year, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements.

4. Cape Town Jazz Festival

• Ticket price (per person): To be announced
• When: 27th – 28th of March
• Genre: Jazz

If a sophisticated air fill with bluesy tunes is your kind of thing, then you can’t miss the Cape Town Jazz Festival. Pulling together the best acts with a magical, instrumental touch, this is one of the biggest jazz festivals in the world.

The star-studded lineup is always one to remember and will leave you tapping your feet long after the event is over. This is one of the most exclusive music festivals Cape Town has on annually.

5. Splashy Fen

• Ticket price (per person): To be announced
• When: 9th – 13th of April
• Genre: All

Travel to the serene mountainscape of Underberg and get together with some of the best crowds of people for one of the most awesome events in South Africa.

Splashy Fen is a favourite for all kinds of people, from teenage hipsters to families and conservatives. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, with multiple themed dance floors to choose from.

This music festival is one of the most popular in the country, providing a series of remarkable local acts, each with their own sound. Hear some of SA’s budding new artists, dance with good company and enjoy the chillout vibe that is Splashy Fen.

6. Into the Wild: Raised by Wolves

• Ticket price (per person): To be announced
• When: To be announced
• Genre: Techno and Psytrance

Get down and dirty at one of Into the Wild’s most popular trance festivals. The out-of-this-world decor and the lively sounds emitted from the dancefloors are enchanting. This psychedelic playground is a beautiful space for friends to gather and shake off their stresses under the sun in Stellenbosch.

7. Vortex: Open Source

• Ticket price (per person): R900
• When: 12 – 16th of December
• Genre: Techno and Psytrance

What do you get when you mix spiritual ideals with creative spunk and psychedelic decor? You get Vortex: Open Source. This outdoor event is one for the books, providing an enthralling atmosphere filled to the brim with innovative styles and heart-pumping tunes.

Gather with like-minded people and stomp the nights away in the ever-beautiful Riviersonderend village.

8. Ultra South Africa

• Ticket price (per person): R750
• When: 28th – 29th February
• Genre: Techno and Psytrance

Another banger to hit us with epic beats next year is Ultra South Africa. This festival has people from all over the world coming together for the common love of good music and is the country’s biggest electronic music event.

You can find this event happening for one day in two cities, giving you twice the opportunity to enjoy the fun. Internationally acclaimed, this is an iconic festival for all music lovers from around the country.

9. AfrikaBurn

• Ticket price (per person): To be announced
• When: 27th of April – 3rd of May
• Genre: All

Leave routine behind and escape to the heart of Africa for a few days of paradise. This out-of-the-box event welcomes people from all walks of life to the party and have their time in the sun. Marvel at creatively built wooden structures and colorful costumes as you embrace your free spirit at Afrikaburn, a branch off from the Burning Man.

Go wild and make memories, then share in the moment when all the artwork from the festival is burnt, honoring the tradition of Burning Man.

10. Cape Town Electronic Music Festival

• Ticket price (per person): To be announced
• When: To be announced
• Genre: EDM

Cape Town is a hub for creative talents that express their gifts through all types of electronic music. Enjoy an event that will take you on a high-energy whirlwind. Bold local DJs will blow your mind with their original tunes and funky vibes, all within a groovy environment full of fellow music lovers and dance fanatics.

Last Words on 2020 South African Festivals

With so many stellar music festivals happening next year, it’s likely that your calendar will be very full. Grab your best outfits, your favourite Bannerman whiskey and pack it all as you go on a musical journey to one or all of the events on our list of music festivals in South Africa.