News24 | SEE | Roads prepped, talent unleashed: Makana Mayor welcomes National Arts Festival 2025

The National Arts Festival in Makhanda kicked off on 26 June with an opening ceremony on Thursday night.

• The National Arts Festival in Makhanda kicked off on 26 June with an opening ceremony.
• Despite issues with infrastructure and funding, the municipality and festival are confident about this year’s edition.
• The festival runs from 26 to 6 July 2025 and offers more than 240 items on the programme.

The National Arts Festival in Makhanda kicked off on 26 June with an opening ceremony on Thursday night.

NAF, one of Africa’s biggest arts festivals, runs from 26 June to 6 July and has more than 240 items on its programme, encompassing music, theatre, visual arts, film, comedy and more.

Makana mayor Yandiswa Vara was one of the speakers at the opening ceremony and gave a media briefing earlier in the day about the town’s readiness for the festival.

The municipality has ensured that the roads are trafficable and that basic services such as water supply, sewer systems, street lighting, and road maintenance are operable.

“All of this ensures the festival can operate smoothly and sustainably while benefiting the local population,” she said.

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Despite experiencing a prolonged drought, Vara said that the town’s water supply is stable, and steps are in place to ensure minimal interruptions.

They cannot say that they have fully attended to all their water challenges, but they are actively addressing them.

Vara said that Makhanda is more than 200 years old, which unfortunately speaks to their failing infrastructure.

“The capacity of our infrastructure has deteriorated. When it was built, it was for a certain population, but that population has grown now,” she said.

They remain committed to tackling these ongoing issues and making sure communities don’t suffer inconveniences like burst pipes. They have also repaired numerous roads in the town, which is known for its frequent pothole issues. Vandalism presents another problem for them and has led to issues with electrical supplies.

On the importance of the festival, chairperson of the NAF board, Siphiwo Mahala, said at the media briefing:

“Year after year, artists lay bare their souls to us, creating a mirror to society and sharing experiences.”

“The festival is the antidote to indifference and apathy. In a world where people seem to care less and less, we invite our audiences to care more and to respond with conversation,” he added.

NAF CEO Monica Newton commented on some of the festival’s funding issues. Last year, the National Lottery Commission declined to provide funding for NAF, according to GroundUp. Standard Bank is still one of the event’s sponsors, according to its website.

The festival has also been impacted by the country’s budget (which has gone through three iterations under the GNU), policy changes in the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, and some of its other partners have also experienced budget cuts.

“We hope for the best. We plan with what we have, and we present a festival every year that we are exceptionally proud of,” Newton said.

Later, at the official opening ceremony, which took place at the 1820 Settlers’ National Monument, Vara opened the night on a sombre note, remembering the victims of the recent Eastern Cape floods.

“One of the most formidable natural disasters in the history of our country has struck in the past few weeks,” she said.

She requested the audience to stand for a moment of silence to honour the flood victims.

Focusing on the festival itself, Vara spoke about how it has changed over its 51 years of existence, having had different names and shifting audiences.

“But the essence of what the National Arts Festival is all about has not changed. The celebration of arts in all its forms and the recognition and expression of culture in different ways is still what makes this festival the National Arts Festival.”

Despite the challenges and setbacks the festival and municipality face, the energy from the audience at the opening ceremony was buzzing.

Before the evening started, Makhanda singer Loveseed put on a small concert as audiences took their seats. A few songs in, the lights in the venue went out briefly due to an interrupted electrical supply.

This paused the performance, but her drummer kept the momentum going, making the crowd go wild, cheering and pulling out their phone lights in the dark hall. It’s with that excitement that the attendees at this year’s NAF are welcoming the major event.