SA: Bongeziwe Mabandla announces Europe tour dates

Mabandla, who won the Best African Pop Award at the recently held Metro FM Music Awards, will complete four European dates in May before returning to southern Africa for MTN Bushfire festival in eSwatini. He will then return to Europe in July and August, completing his tour in Rubigen, Switzerland, on 6 August.

Apart from Germany and Switzerland, Mabandla will perform in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and the UK. This will be his second European tour of 2024.

Mabandla is regarded as one of the most innovative artists in South Africa today. The award-winning singer-songwriter is known for a unique style that fuses traditional Xhosa folk music with modern electronica.

Throughout his career, he has performed on stages across the country and around the world. His talents have expanded into film and visual art, and he has become a sought-after collaborator.

He first caught the attention of music fans with his 2012 debut album Umlilo, before releasing Mangaliso (2017) and iimini (2020), both of which won South African Music Awards for Best Alternative Album. His latest album amaXesha was released last year, gathering positive reviews.

In 2023, his creative talents took another leap with the release of Augure (Omen), a feature film directed by Belgian-Congolese rapper and filmmaker Baloji. Alongside acting, Mabandla performs two original songs in the film, which made the Un Certain Regard selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Bongeziwe Mabandla tour dates:

• Häkken, Hamburg, Germany – 21 May
• Yuca, Cologne, Germany – 22 May
• Kantine am Berghain, Berlin, Germany – 23 May
• Ante Festival, Winterthur, Switzerland – 28 May
• Bushfire Festival, Malkerns, eSwatini – 1 June
• Metropolis Festival, Rotterdam, Netherlands – 7 July
• Valkhof Festival, Nijmegen, Netherlands – 18 July
• Cabane Bambou, Saint-Tropez, France – 21 July
• Midzomer Festival, Leuven, Belgium – 1 August
• Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire, UK – 3 August
• Mühle Hunziken, Rubigen, Switzerland – 6 August