Calendar / MTN Bushfire
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Music & Culture Festivals in Malkerns
MTN Bushfire
May 28–30, 2027ExpectedMTN Bushfire 2027 (20th edition, expected)
Run by House on Fire, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why go
MTN Bushfire is southern Africa's flagship Pan-African arts festival, and for one weekend at the end of May it turns a farm in the Malkerns Valley into a gathering of the whole continent. The setting is the reason to come: House on Fire is an open-air amphitheatre covered in hand-laid mosaic and salvaged sculpture, and the stages spread out under the trees on the surrounding farmland. The programme is deliberately broad, mixing African and international headline music with theatre, spoken word, poetry, film, dance and a global-village market, all wrapped in the festival's Bring Your Fire ethic of art with a social conscience. More than 20,000 people come, tickets have sold out year after year, and the crowd is a mix of Swazis, South Africans and travellers who plan a whole trip around it. Because Eswatini is small, you can pair the festival with a game drive or a hike in the same few days. It is the single best reason to be in the kingdom in May.
When it runs
Held annually over the last weekend of May at House on Fire in the Malkerns Valley, a three-day Pan-African music and arts festival organised by the House on Fire arts venue. The 19th edition runs 29 to 31 May 2026; the 20th is expected in late May 2027.
- May 28–30, 2027ExpectedMTN Bushfire 2027 (20th edition, expected)
- Ran May 29–31, 2026MTN Bushfire 2026 (19th edition)
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
Bushfire runs over the last weekend of May, at the tail of the dry autumn: warm days and cold nights, so bring a fleece for the after-dark sets. The 2026 edition, the 19th, is confirmed for 29 to 31 May at House on Fire in the Malkerns Valley. It is a three-day, multi-stage event with camping on site; tickets routinely sell out well before the gates open, so buy ahead. Rain is unlikely in late May but the ground is dusty and the nights are cold at altitude.
Getting there & around
House on Fire is in the Malkerns Valley, about 20 minutes from the Ezulwini Valley hotels and 45 minutes from Manzini, reachable by hire car or festival shuttle. On-site and nearby camping fills fast; Ezulwini and Mbabane hotels are the main alternative and book out for the weekend. Buy tickets in advance through the festival, as it has sold out every year. Bring warm layers for the cold nights, cash for the market stalls and a torch for the campsite.
Where it happens
Malkerns, Eswatini.
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