South Africa is gearing up for one of the most significant cultural events of the decade: the Unity Soweto Concert.
Presented by the Unity Concert Foundation in partnership with the City of Johannesburg and Gauteng department of sport, arts and culture, the landmark event promises to be a once-in-a-generation celebration of music, memory and national unity.
Set for June 14 at Orlando Stadium, in the heart of Soweto, the concert will bring together music legends and rising stars in a historic gathering that bridges generations. Produced by iconic visionaries Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Marah Louw, both original stars of the legendary 1985 Concert in the Park, the Unity Concert is a cultural moment, a tribute to the past and a statement of hope for South Africa’s future.
The event coincides with 50 years since the 1976 Soweto uprising and 40 years since the Concerts in the Park of 1985 and 1986, honouring the fearless youth and cultural pioneers who shaped South Africa’s journey to freedom.
“The Concerts in the Park were acts of courage, unity and imagination,” said the Unity Concert Foundation. “The Unity Concert 2026 carries that spirit forward, reminding us music has always been one of the nation’s most powerful forces for connection and change.”
Audiences can expect a vibrant, all-day musical journey blending jazz, pop, maskandi, Afrofusion and amapiano in a celebration of South Africa’s rich and diverse soundscape
The first phase of the lineup reunites trailblazers from the 1985 Concert in the Park, including Sipho “Hotstix”, Marah, PJ Powers, Juluka and Blondie Makhene. The icons of resistance, Afrofusion and South African pop music will return to Soweto to pass the torch to a new generation in a historic, emotional homecoming.
Timed during Youth Month, days before the official 50th anniversary commemorations of 1976, the concert puts young South Africans at the centre of the story. Audiences can expect a vibrant, all-day musical journey blending jazz, pop, maskandi, Afrofusion and amapiano in a celebration of South Africa’s rich and diverse soundscape.
The Unity Concert Foundation expressed gratitude to Soweto community stakeholders and Jozi My Jozi for their support.
Innocent Mabusela, CEO of Jozi My Jozi, said: “For Jozi My Jozi, supporting the Unity Concert is about strengthening social cohesion and affirming Jozi as a city where culture drives unity and renewal.”
The event will also be captured in a heritage documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Darrell Roodt, ensuring the historic moment lives beyond the stage. The film will feature archival footage from the 1985 Concert in the Park and explore South Africa’s enduring spirit of unity, resilience and reconciliation.
TimesLIVE
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