Most KZN surfers can agree that nothing quite beats washing a bunny down with a beer after a sunset session between the piers. But in Durban, the spaces for jolling and spicy new music don’t extend too much further than the corners of your favourite curry den.
But what if we told you that this May, you can stroll off the beachfront in your boardies and follow the sounds to find one of the most flavourful international music festivals to hit South Africa just a step back from the seaside. Something new bru!
For all the KZN surfers, music and beach culture lovers – Zakifo Muzik Festival will be flooding your gully on 27 & 28 May with some of the most diverse music from the Indian Ocean Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, USA, Mozambique, Mali, Mzansi and beyond – and best of all it’s all happening on your salty back stoep.
Battery Park is located just behind Battery Beach on the Durban Beachfront / Golden Mile. It’s the big piece of land earmarked for Anant Singh’s film studio development… and Zakifo will be the first festival to use the space for two nights of exceptional live music.
Zakifo, is the brand-new sister festival to Reunion Island’s 13 year old music festival named Sakifo. Sakifo also takes place in a city of surf, Saint-Leu – one of the island’s most cooking surf spots, famous for its lefts and infamous for its sharky waters.

Jerome Galabert, Founder of Reunion Island’s Sakifo Music Festival and Co-Founder of Durban’s Zakifo Muzik Festival, shredding in his home town of Saint-Leu.
Now in its second year, Durban’s Zakifo (the grom of the SA music festival scene) will be bringing an eclectic range of music from around the world with 13 international artists and over 26 local acts completing the diverse and stupidly good lineup. From reggae to hip hop, jazz, electro, indie, blues, folk, rock, Francophone and endless island vibes – Zakifo, like Durban’s Golden Mile, is a space for everyone – no matter how good you surf, skate or squeak a takkie.

Brazil’s Flavia Coelho rocked Durban at Zakifo 2015. Image © Marcello Maffeis.
Another thing about Zakifo, almost sweeter than the line-up and its location, is that it’s cheap. So for all the broke surf rats out there – you can get a ticket and still have a couple coins left over for your ‘Indo Trip’ money jar.
Zakifo will be pulling in this year together with the winter swells – you don’t want to miss either!
Get your tickets to Zakifo shap shap HERE. The early bird catches the cheap deals eksé!
Check out what you might have missed at Zakifo 2015 with last year’s festival flashback vid:
Support your national and local Durban musos: Tidal Waves, Aking, The Brother Moves On, The Rudimentals, Moonchild, Gigi Lamayne, BCUC, Black Math, The Harbingers, Existing Consciousness, Mix ‘n Blend, Sibot and more.
Check out the Zakifo website here.
Join the event on Facebook here.
Like the Zakifo Muzik Festival Facebook community here.
Follow on Instagram & Twitter @ZakifoMuzikFest
Check out the Zakifo Monday Mixtape here and the women firing up Zakifo 2016 here.
Check you there!
*Poster artwork by: Kronk
Why do all south African companies never advertise a price of anything?
Because they know they are a rip off
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