GET TICKETS HERE
Johannesburg’s most anticipated creative festival, Constitution Hill’s Basha Uhuru
Freedom Festival is back! This year the festival does a double take with exciting new
program partners for the commemoration of Youth Month.
Celebrating it’s 14th anniversary from the 24 – 27 June – The Basha Uhuru Freedom
Festival, is a legacy signature event and memorial to honour the youth who fought for
freedom and justice in South Africa and were lost in the June 16th youth uprising.
This
year’s theme is ‘Commemorating 50 years of Youth activism and Creative
Freedom’ and the event has been specifically curated to speak to youth throughout the
month of June through various programs.
The Basha Uhuru Festival is an opportunity to learn and be inspired, share skills and
nurture talent, network, collaborate, create and monetize whilst driving important
conversations affecting the creative sector.
“Basha Uhuru is more than a festival – it is a celebration of the power, resilience
and imagination of South Africa’s youth.
We are thrilled to see thousands of young
people gather at Constitution Hill to commemorate 50 years of youth activism and
creative freedom through music, art, film, entrepreneurship and dialogue. Events
like these are vital because they provide platforms for young people to express
themselves, develop their talents and contribute to Gauteng’s growing creative
economy.
We look forward to another inspiring and impactful edition of Basha
Uhuru.” Vuyiswa Ramakgopa – MEC Gauteng Economic Development, Agriculture and
Rural Development
Basha Uhuru is known for it’s creative conference program, starting on Wednesday, the
24th of June, that precedes the Sounds Of Freedom Concert and one day music festival
that attracts music lovers, youth, change makers and the movers and shakers of
Gauteng to celebrate all things creative.
The much anticipated annual music festival hosted at Constitution Hill’s newest venue
– The People’s Park opens at 10h00. Visitors are invited to spend the day supporting the
performances of emerging artists; exploring the Creative Youth Expo; engaging with the designers of locally made fashion and goods at the Curated Market; visiting the
museum exhibits and resonating with our liberation heritage through creative culture.
The Basha Uhuru Legacy Award was created to recognise and celebrate South
Africa’s artists who over the years have driven creative freedom through their music
and are heralded as our music icons whose music is timeless in both our heritage and
culture. Previous winners include Mandla Spikiri; Thebe, Alaska and the 2025 awardees
Boom Shaka.
Don’t miss Mzanzi’s star-studded talent and catch Nasty C; Zee Nxumalo; DJ Tira;
Bucie; DJ Cleo; Skwatta Kamp; Lia Butler; OSMIC; HitBossSA; Atmos Blaq and Maline
Aura, Lochive and upcoming local talent to the main stage
GET TICKETS HERE
Basha Uhuru will be unveiling a very special mural honouring celebrated designer,
publicist, and creative icon Maria McCloy. Maria held a very special relationship with
Constitution Hill over the years. She was integral in championing the publicity of the
Basha Uhuru Festival and performed for the first time on the Basha stage in 2025!
The
mural , designed by local accomplished artist and creative maker Lazi Mathebula ; who
is well recognised for his unique style both in SA and globally. This mural will sit next to
that of our music legend Bra Hugh Masekela on the public facing mural wall along
Joubert Street at Constitution Hill.
“Our partnership with the Basha Uhuru Festival reflects Joburg Tourism’s
commitment to leveraging culture, heritage and creativity as powerful drivers of
economic growth and destination promotion,” says Belu Mabandla, Executive
Head: Destination Marketing & Events, Joburg Tourism Company. “As we
commemorate 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising, we are equally focused on
the future — supporting youth-led innovation, strengthening SMMEs and
showcasing Johannesburg as Africa’s leading hub for both business and leisure
tourism.”
“Basha Uhuru’s and Conhill’s Creative Uprising always on program delivers
capacity building programming that unlocks potential and empowers youth
through the event’s Creative Conference. The conference brings though provoking
dialogues, masterclasses and design workshops to its audience and allows for
knowledge sharing. The event and concert create market access opportunities for
MSMEs at the Gauteng Curated Makers Market and generates approximately 150
gig work for local artists, production crew, content creators and more. The Creative
Conference Program will also accommodate approximately 600 youth during the 3
day event.” Reuben Pasha – Constitution Hill – Education, Heritage and Public
Programs Manager.
What’s on the Program?
Visit www.bashauhuru.co.za to register! 24 & 25 June: Closed Sessions
The Youth Summit presented by WeThePeopleSA & Chapter 9 institutions:
Under the theme “Constitutionalism in Action: Youth Shaping the Next 30 Years”, the
summit seeks to reposition young people not merely as beneficiaries of democracy, but
as active custodians, participants and builders of South Africa’s constitutional
future.The summit responds to several interconnected challenges identified both
nationally and within WeThePeopleSA’s theory of change:
The summit seeks to bridge these realities. By uniting historical Strategic Problem /
Opportunity Statement.
Thirty-two years into democracy, South Africa faces a critical paradox: young people
inherit one of the world’s most progressive constitutions while simultaneously enduring
acute inequality, unemployment, and democratic disillusionment.
As we approach thirty years of the Constitution and the 50th anniversary of the 1976
uprising, we are reminded that the fight for dignity remains unfinished business.
Honoring that legacy means ensuring the radical courage of 1976 and the rights
enshrined in our Constitution co-exist as active drivers for change, rather than
historical artifacts.
At the same time, a powerful opportunity exists: Today’s youth are not passive. They
continue organising, mobilising, and creating change across climate justice, education,
gender equity, community activism, and entrepreneurship.
Memory with constitutional values, the platform will empower youth to transform
systemic frustration into practical civic action—building a socially cohesive and
prosperous South Africa where no young person is left behind.
25 JUNE 2026
17h30 – 21h00 FREE Attendance
The Basha Uhuru Visions of Freedom Film Festival – showcasing a range of short films
and a feature films, all made and produced by local filmmakers.
26 JUNE 2026
Back to the Future: Remembering Freedom in 2026, presented by Iqhawe Magazine
10h00 – 17h00 FREE Attendance
A full day conference that speaks to topics such as: “The Women Who Opened The
Door” – An intergenerational conversation reflecting on 70 years since women marched
and demanded visibility, dignity and agency, “The Youth Who Refused Silence” – Youth
Assembly — “What Must Change In The Next 30 Years?” – Reflecting on the spirit of
1976 and asking what youth resistance looks like now. From protests to TikTok,
independent publishing; digital protest and cultural organising.
Film Director Theme
Mathonga Elizwe (36
mins, short) Tsogo Kupa
Ongoing, unresolved struggle for land
justice
Ekstasis, 35-minute
short film)
Emilie Badenhorst and
Kanya Viljoen Complexities of intimacy and selfhood
Blind Spots (10 mins,
short) Miselwa Ngamlana Queer Representation and Intimacy
Ubani Lore (5 mins,
short) Nqanawe Shange
National pride, cultural expression, and
the celebration of
local pop culture icons and their legacies.
What did you dream (10
mins, short) Karabo Lediga
Family, connection and the unseen older
women who held South African
communities together.
Sam Nzima: A Journey
Through His Lens
(74 minutes, feature) Nhlanhla Mthethwa
The enduring Historical Legacy and
focuses on Sam Nzima’s unbreakable
commitment to capturing historical truth,
even under a shower of police
Sipho’s Pink Dress (3
mins, short) Tshego Magolego
short animated film is a tender reflecCon
on identity,
belonging, and the power of self-
expression
Music Masterclass: Presented by Groove Academy
10h00 – 17h00 FREE Attendance
Want to get paid every time your music plays, streams, or sells? The Music Masterclass
brings the decision-makers to you. We’ve got SAMPRA for needle-time royalties,
SAMRO for performance royalties, CAPASSO for mechanical + digital royalties,
RISA for label + anti-piracy, Non Club Record Bar on physical distribution + vinyl
culture, Royalty Mate on tracking + admin, and Radio 101 on how radio actually
picks music. No fluff, just direct answers on registration, splits, claims, and getting your
music heard + paid. If you’re serious about owning your career, pull up.
Theatre: 50 Years On: Aluta Must No Continua – Masingita Masunga
18h00 -19h00, Women’s Jail
Inspired by George Twala’s Story. The production challenges the repeated chant “Aluta
Continua”, echoing across generations, and repositions it as a warning rather than a
victory slogan. Fifty years later, the play asks:
If the struggle has become a permanent condition, did we win — or did we inherit
unfinished freedom?
Words of Freedom Poetry Showcase presented by: WordUP Sessions
19h00 – 22h00, Women’s Jail
FREE Attendance Kick off your weekend by joining Basha Uhuru for this immersive live poetry session that
brings meaningful art through words to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of
the June 16th Youth Uprising.
Let the movement that moved youth for freedom of choice create visions for the future
for youth in South Africa.
Curated by Sabelo Soko, this powerful gathering features Mak Manaka; Xabiso
Vili; Modise Sekgothe; Solly Ramatswi; Torsten Rybka; Tshepo Molefe; and Zama
Madinana—artists who continue to push the boundaries of poetry as a tool for social
dialogue, identity, healing and transformation
27 JUNE 2026
The Sounds of Freedom Music Festival!
10h00 – 02h00
Patrons are invited to indulge in art; the makers market and creative expo whilst
indulging in good food; music and fashion! Don’t miss Mzanzi’s star talent and catch
Nasty C; Zee Nxumalo; DJ Tira; Bucie; DJ Cleo; Skwatta Kamp; Lia Butler; OSMIC;
HitBossSA;; Atmos Blaq and Maline Aura, Lochive and upcoming local talent to the
main stage
Stay tuned to our social media handles:
Facebook: Constitution Hill (South Africa)
Instagram: @Constitution_Hill
X: @VisitConHill
www.bashauhuru.co.za
INFO SUPPLIED
