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 16thYouth 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
