This eccentric 18th edition of the MTN Bushfire Festival lit up the colourful Kingdom of Eswatini from May 30 to June 1, 2025, drawing over 30,000 festivalgoers from across the globe to the iconic House on Fire venue in Malkerns.
Global Vibes Meet Local Flavours at MTN Bushfire 2025
By Nomonde Mafu
The MTN Bushfire Festival is living up to its legendary status of being a ‘Top African Festival’.
This eccentric 18th edition of the MTN Bushfire Festival lit up the colourful Kingdom of Eswatini from May 30 to June 1, 2025, drawing over 30,000 festivalgoers from across the globe to the iconic House on Fire venue in Malkerns.
With its signature blend of world-class performances, visionary dialogue, environmental consciousness, and cultural celebration, MTN Bushfire 2025 proved once again why it is one of Africa’s premier music and arts festivals.
Notably, the MTN Bushfire Festival has become one of the most sought-after and well-received experiences in Eswatini, Africa, and beyond. It has received raving reviews, not only for the diversity of cultures but its economic boost in Eswatini and the Southern African region. Artists, businesses and organisations have boosted their visibility through the festival.
Over the past years since its inception, it has seen legendary names like rapper AKA, jazz artists Oliver Mtukudzi, Hugh Masekela and Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, and kwaito legends TKZee performing.
The diverse artists perform over three days (Friday to Sunday) – which is the duration of the festival.
MTN Bushfire 2025 unfolded across a rich tapestry of stages, each offering a distinct atmosphere and experience for festivalgoers.
At the heart of the festival was the MTN Bushfire Main Stage, the flagship outdoor arena that hosted international and African headline acts. It served as the central gathering point, delivering powerful performances that lit up the night sky.
The Amphitheatre Stage, set within the House on Fire complex, offered a more intimate and immersive setting. Often described as an Afro‑Shakespearean Globe Theatre, the sunken stage featured an eclectic mix of music, poetry, theatre, and dance, drawing audiences into a close-knit creative space.
For fans of electronic beats and the youth, the Corona Firefly Stage pulsed with energy. This high-octane venue was dedicated to dance music, showcasing a line-up of DJs and vibrant beats that kept the crowd moving well into the early hours.
The UN Bring Your Fire Zone, also known as the Bring Your Fire Stage, offered a more reflective and advocacy-driven environment. This relaxed acoustic space featured spoken word, workshops, handmade crafts, and social-impact discussions, aligning entertainment with purpose.
For families and young festivalgoers, the KidZone Stage brought the spirit of MTN Bushfire to life through child-friendly performances and interactive activities inspired by the ‘Planet Africa’ theme. It provided a safe and fun environment for children to engage with the arts.
Adding to the mix was the MeisterHaus Stage, an electronic-focused platform curated by the MeisterHaus collective. This partner stage catered to lovers of underground and experimental sounds, giving space to boundary-pushing DJs and electronic artists.
Artists dish out unforgettable performances and cosmic reunions!
Over the three vibrant days, the festival delivered a sensory explosion of sound and soul, featuring a kaleidoscope of genres and international talent.
The return of the legendary Mozambican-South African band, 340ml, after a 13-year hiatus was one of the weekend’s most emotional highlights. Their electrifying performance, alongside the powerhouse vocals of South Africa’s Thandiswa Mazwai, lit up the main stage in a reunion hailed by fans as historic.
Day Two and Day Three of the festival continued the momentum with dynamic performances that had the crowds dancing well into the night. South African house music maestro Mörda Bongz and celebrated hip-hop artist Sjava were among the most embraced acts, their performances uniting festivalgoers in a shared groove of rhythm and energy.
From soul-stirring ballads to genre-bending DJ sets, artists brought their spark, turning the festival into a celebration of fire and sound.
Tumisho Mohale, a South African festival goer, raved about the Sjava’s performance.
“Saturday was a bit packed- but the performances, especially Sjava’s, made out for the large crowds,” said the festival goer.
Lawrence Mugumba, another festival goer from Uganda, said it was his first time to the festival and he was now going toadd it to his annual calendar.
“The performances were just a cherry on top. The whole MTN Bushfire experience is out of this world. From experiencing the scenic Eswatini, the humble spirit of emaSwati and the diversity at the festival is worth travelling for,” commented Mugumba.
Dignitaries Add Their Flame to the Festival
The festival was officially ignited on Day One by Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini and Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, whose presence underscored the national importance of the event.
They were joined by dignitaries including United Nations Resident Coordinator George Wachira, European Union Ambassador Karsten Mecklenburg, and MTN Eswatini CEO Wandile Mtshali during the opening ceremony, setting the tone for a weekend of cultural appreciation and creative exchange.
The high-level delegation toured the festival grounds and later joined the Fireworks Podcast, sharing government-led plans to grow Eswatini’s creative economy and highlighting the role of the arts in uniting communities and promoting development.
Bushfire socioeconomic movements: Festival hosts Arts Round Table, Green Your Fire initiative
Creativity met conversation at the MTN Bushfire 2025 Arts Round Table, where artists, thinkers, and industry leaders gathered to exchange ideas and map the future of African arts.
RELATED: Bushfire 2025: Inside the design of Africa’s most inspiring festival
In partnership with the Africa Rising Music Conference, the round table addressed pressing themes such as amplifying underrepresented voices and developing an Arts Incubator Corridor that would foster regional creative ecosystems.
In this year’s Arts Roundtable, participants agreed that the ideas sparked here will blaze trails far beyond Eswatini. In the meantime, in a powerful nod to World Environment Day which was on June 5, the MTN Bushfire Festival continued to champion eco-conscious festival practices through its Green Your Fire initiative.
Under the global theme #BeatPlasticPollution, the festival showcased innovations including compostable packaging, a comprehensive three-bin waste separation system, and on-site recycling stations managed by the committed Green Team.
Festivalgoers were encouraged to engage with sustainability through interactive spaces and the energetic presence of the festival’s Green Superheroes, who inspired attendees to protect the planet without dimming the fire of celebration.
True to its rallying cry, Bring Your Fire, MTN Bushfire 2025 was more than a music festival; it was a convergence of people, purpose, and passion. As the final notes faded under the Malkerns sky, one thing was clear the flames ignited here will burn long into the future, in hearts, in communities, and across the creative continent.
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