Bongani Ndlovu
Bruce Ndlovu and Langalakhe Mabhena, Sunday Life Reporters
BEFORE the drums of carnival processions roll through Bulawayo’s streets, before poets, dancers and musicians take centre stage across the city, the 2026 edition of the Bulawayo Arts Festival (BAF) will begin on a note of worship.
Today, the cavernous Large City Hall is expected to transform into a sanctuary of song as hundreds of gospel music lovers gather for the Praises Go Up concert, a spirit-filled celebration that will officially usher in one of the city’s most anticipated cultural events. For a festival that prides itself on embracing the many faces of Bulawayo’s creative identity, organisers have chosen to begin this year’s festivities by lifting hearts heavenward, placing gospel music at the forefront of the opening celebrations.
The free concert, which starts at 3pm, will feature a diverse cast of gospel artistes and worship teams who will take turns filling the hall with praise and thanksgiving ahead of the week-long arts showcase.
Among those set to minister are Family Conversant Church Worship Team, Minister X and KEC Worship Team, BICC BDY Choir, Minister Nkosi Herman and ELA Music, Truth, House of Extreme Praise, Baba Walle and Pastor Barak Music Family. Popular programme director uMfundisi will steer proceedings.
The concert comes just days after Bulawayo witnessed another major worship gathering, with gospel musician Minister Nkosi Herman among the standout performers at last weekend’s Ekhaya Worship Festival.
Fresh from that successful outing, Herman said he was excited to once again stand before a Bulawayo audience and use music to inspire and uplift.
“It’s a great thing that, as gospel musicians, the City of Bulawayo is finally recognising us. We’re not taking this opportunity for granted. I’m fresh from performing at a major gospel concert in Bulawayo, and looking forward to keeping the fire burning,” he said.
For many gospel musicians, the inclusion of a dedicated worship concert within BAF’s programme signals growing recognition of a genre that has often watched from the sidelines as mainstream arts events took centre stage. This year’s festival will run from Tuesday to Saturday under the theme “Building Bridges: Preserving Connections”, a fitting call for a city that continues to celebrate both its rich cultural heritage and its growing creative ambitions.
According to Bulawayo City Council Cultural Officer Nomatshawekazi Damasane, the festival is closely intertwined with Bulawayo Day commemorations, offering residents an opportunity to celebrate both the city’s history and its contemporary identity. “Bulawayo Day is a celebration of the city being declared a town, but it’s also a time for us to celebrate just who we are as Bulawayo, to have a moment of reflection of us as individuals in the city called Bulawayo. The walk that we take around some of the cultural heritage sites allows us to reflect on where we come from and where we can go as individuals, but also as a city,” she said.
“It is a moment for us to be proud of our various ethnicities and cultures, while also celebrating the world that we live in now and the businesses that are around us.”
Since its launch in 2020, the Bulawayo Arts Festival has evolved into one of the city’s flagship cultural gatherings, creating a platform where established artistes and emerging talents share stages, ideas and opportunities. It has also become an important vehicle for promoting Bulawayo’s identity as a hub of arts, culture and innovation.
As in previous years, festivalgoers can expect a packed programme that stretches across music, theatre, literature, fashion and community engagement initiatives.
The celebrations will begin in earnest tomorrow with Bulawayo Day commemorations and the popular Bulawayo Day Parade and Carnival Walk, events that traditionally flood the city’s streets with colour, music and pageantry.
Damasane said this year’s festivities would also provide a platform for local entrepreneurs and businesses to showcase their products and services.
“That’s why this year we have stalls that have been opened to the public to come and showcase and exhibit the businesses that they are in. We are going to see quite a number of businesses, from crafts and clothing to financial institutions, coming through to showcase who they are and make people aware of the businesses that are here in Bulawayo. It is a time for us to celebrate the diversity that exists within the city,” she said.
One of the major attractions of the week will be the Kings and Queens Concert at the Large City Hall on Thursday. Audiences will be treated to performances from Mzoe7, Bhila, Mandie Mae, Macala, Matojeni Melo-Maniacs, MJ Sings and Phathi Ncube.
Traditional music enthusiasts will have their moment on Friday during the much-loved Imbube Night, where celebrated vocal groups Black Umfolosi, Amaqaqa Music, Indosakusa The Morning Star, Udonsi LwabaPostoli and Great Stars Ijongosi will showcase the enduring beauty of Zimbabwe’s indigenous harmonies.
The same day will also see young creatives take centre stage at the Kasi2Kasi Finale and Youth Concert at Nketha Park in Mpopoma.
Beyond the performances, BAF will continue its tradition of nurturing artistic growth through a series of workshops and cultural engagements. Poetry lovers will gather for Poetry in Motion on June 2, while food enthusiasts and cultural custodians will exchange ideas during the Food and Heritage Workshop at the Small City Hall on June 3.
Damasane said the festival was designed not only to entertain but also to empower creatives and deepen appreciation of local heritage.
“Bulawayo Arts Festival seeks to celebrate the artists within the city, creating platforms for them to showcase their talent and see growth. This year we have a number of workshops that speak to the business aspect of music, partnering with the British Council to bring the SOCREATIVE Workshop, which allows creatives to better understand the business side of the industry,” she said.
“We are also leaning into the food aspect with our partner Amagugu, who will come and showcase and talk about our indigenous foods. This speaks to the heritage aspect of our city, celebrating our food, highlighting it and encouraging people to be proud of it.”
On June 4, Thabiso Youth Centre will host an Inganekwane storytelling session, while the Small City Hall will welcome participants for the British Council’s SOCREATIVE Workshop.
For musicians hoping to sharpen their understanding of the industry, a Music Business Workshop will be held at Stanley Hall on June 5. The session will be facilitated by veteran hip-hop figure Naboth Rizzla in partnership with Austria-based Zimbabwean music legend Vusa Mkhaya.
The festival will also feature educational initiatives aimed at schoolchildren and students.
“We also have workshops that are curriculum-based, where CTD is taking literature from O-Level and A-Level set books and making it performance-based, using art not only to entertain but also to educate and allow pupils to have a better grasp of the texts they are studying,” said Damasane.
“It is really about showcasing the power of art in various ways, the power of culture in various ways, and how our heritage can be preserved from the youngest to the oldest.”
The festival’s final act promises to be as energetic as its opening. On Saturday, White City Stadium will host a lively Rhumba/Tshibilika Show featuring Godolude, Themba “Boyoyo” Mathe, Phikisani Maqedimbuzi and Santoyizo, among others. Meanwhile, soulful crooner Vuyo Brown will serenade audiences at the City Hall Car Park.
derick.khumalo