Unity Concert 2026: The Soundtrack Of A Nation, The Beat Of A New Generation

Soweto — South Africa launched one of the most significant cultural events of the decade: the Unity Concert 2026, presented by the Unity Concert Foundation in partnership with, the City of Johannesburg and Gauteng Department of Sports Arts and Culture.

Taking place on 14 June 2026 at Orlando Stadium in the heart of Soweto, this landmark concert will bring together legends and new voices in a powerful, once in a generation celebration of music, memory, and national unity.

Produced by iconic visionaries Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Marah Louw both original stars of the historic 1985 Concert in the Park the Unity Concert is more than a live music show. It is a cultural moment: a living bridge between generations, a tribute to the past, and a bold statement of hope for South Africa’s future.

As the country marks 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising and 40 years since the legendary Concert in the Park, this event honours the fearless youth and cultural pioneers who helped shape South Africa’s journey to freedom. The 1985 and 1986 Concerts in the Park were acts of courage, unity, and imagination. The Unity Concert 2026 carries that spirit forward, reminding us that music has always been one of the nation’s most powerful forces for connection and change.

The first phase of the lineup announcement reunites trailblazers of the 1985 Concert in the Park, including Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Marah Louw, PJ Powers, Juluka, and Blondie Makhene. These icons of resistance, Afro-fusion, and South African popular music will return to Soweto to pass the torch to a new generation of artists in a historic, emotional homecoming.

Timed during Youth Month, just days before the official 50th anniversary commemorations of 1976, the concert places young South Africans at the heart of the story. It will create a shared space where today’s youth, artists, and communities reflect on the legacy they inherit and the future they are shaping. Audiences can expect a vibrant, all-day musical journey blending jazz, pop, maskandi, Afro-fusion and amapiano, in a truly inclusive celebration of South Africa’s diverse soundscape.

The Unity Concert Foundation thanks the community stakeholders in Soweto and Jozi My Jozi for their support and for collaborating with the Unity Concert in their plans for the 50th anniversary commemorations.

Innocent Mabusela - CEO Jozi My Jozi said “For Jozi My Jozi, supporting the Unity Concert is about strengthening social cohesion and affirming Jozi as a city where culture drives unity and renewal.” 

The Unity Concert will also be captured in a major heritage documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Darrell Roodt, ensuring that this moment in history lives on beyond the stage. It will tell the story of iconic music concerts using preserved archival footage from the 1985 Concert in the Park.

The film will explore South Africa’s enduring spirit of unity and resilience, while championing reconciliation, youth empowerment, and social inclusion through the lens of music and memory.

True to its values, the Unity Soweto Concert is a not-for-profit cultural event. Artists retain full rights to their performances and recordings, and any surplus generated will be reinvested into the documentary, heritage preservation, and future projects that support and grow South Africa’s creative sector.

This is not just a concert. It is a national gathering. A living archive. A celebration of who we have been and who we are becoming.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: 14 June 2026

Venue: Orlando Amstel Arena, Soweto

Time: Gates open at 09:00