Call for entries: MTN Bushfire Firefly music competition

The open call seeks to unearth under-the-radar artists, and the top three winning artists will perform at MTN Bushfire festival in eSwatini from 26 to 28 May. The competition is open to artists in eSwatini as well as South Africa to create expansive opportunities and larger reach for artists looking to explore their musical careers.

Interested artists can apply here before 26 March.

Who can apply?

• Applications are open to artists aged 18 and 35 years.
• Artists must have at least two recorded songs for consideration.
• Applicants must be residents of eSwatini or South Africa.
• Applicants should preferably have performance experience.
• Applications are not open to DJs. 

How to apply

• Applications can be done here.
• Applicants must send two tracks for consideration.
• Applicants must send their EPK/bio in PDF or weblink.

Important dates

• 6 to 26 March: Applications open to artists in eSwatini and South Africa.
• 3 to 14 April: Top 20 announcement and voting commences on Ayoba.
• 17 to 26 April: Top 10 announcement and voting continues on Ayoba.
• 28 April: The Firefly grand finale.
• 27 May: The Top 3 All Stars will perform at MTN Bushfire Festival 2023.

Note: The top 10 at the grand finale and top three at MTN Bushfire performances will be on backtrack and limited to two songs per artist.

Artist benefits

• Music promotion on international platforms.
• Performance with expense stipend at the Firefly Top 10 grand finale.
• Arts round table participation.
• Music conference invitation and various networking opportunities.

Voting

Voting will be conducted via the MTN Bushfire Firefly channel on the Ayoba app. Personalised MTN Pulse data bundles will be available for purchase throughout the series. More information can be found on the MTN Bushfire website.

View the original call here.