Jacaranda Music Festival 2025 Review
This year’s edition of the Jacaranda Music Festival concluded on Sunday, marking the end of a weekend filled with fun, music, sing-alongs, and dancing.
For some of us who were in attendance from day one, right up to the moment the music died down, a whole week might be needed to recover. Perhaps I am just getting too old for three-day raves, but I have no regrets there.
Walter Wanyanya and his team once again managed to deliver what I can describe as ‘an epic experience’.
While there was skepticism in the run-up to the event, with rumblings about the lineup and pricing, all that was thrown out the window when the day of reckoning arrived, as thousands of people came to the party.
In this article, I will be giving you my two cents on the just-ended Jacaranda Music Festival.
The Artists Did Not Come to Play
As I have already highlighted earlier, some people were of the view that there were not many ‘international heavyweights’, even going on to conclude that it was a poor lineup.
However, the selection of artists was actually deliberate as the organisers wanted to bring more diversity to the Jacaranda stage and create an experience where people with different tastes could all enjoy in harmony.
Yes, Amapiano is the biggest genre right now, and understandably, many music fans would have loved to have more names from down south taking to the Jacaranda stage. But then again, every other event in the country is always packed with such, and sometimes a different direction is necessary to maintain a certain level of originality.
One thing I can say is that the majority of artists who performed at Jacaranda Music Festival brought their A game, turning doubters into believers.
Day one was always going to be popular among mainstream music fans, with the outfit of the moment, Jazzworx & Thukuthela, being the major attraction.
Having been tasked with setting the tone for the festival, everyone played their part and ensured that the warning shots were as explosive as possible.
Kamo Mpela was probably the best act of the opening night as she came with a bag of hits and high-octane dance moves that had the crowd cheering throughout the set.
DJ Spunj, who was popping up in between sets, didn’t give fans the chance to rest while they waited for the next act as he kept on pumping tune after tune every time he went behind the decks.
By the time Jazzworx & Thukuthela came on stage, the atmosphere was already charged up, and the duo managed to keep up the tempo as they unleashed their chat-topping singalong hits.
As expected, Saturday attracted a huge crowd, and I am not sure if these are the same people who were complaining about the ticket prices, or maybe it was another constituency.
While the day started on a laid-back tone, with the likes of Masa Caroleen helping people ease into the groove, when Diamond Musica came on stage, it was the signal for everyone to put on their dancing shoes.
I was not familiar with Vusi Nova’s game, but it turned out most of the ladies were waiting for his set as they packed the front of the stage when he came on and basically became his backing vocalists.
Not to be outdone, Mafikizolo proved why they are among the best in the business when it comes to stage performances. From the moment they set foot on stage to the time they left, they had the whole Jacaranda crowd in a chokehold.
Enzo Ishall came with a live band, and personally, I feel like he should have just brought a DJ instead. Yes, a lot of artists want to come out with unique live sets, but as long as the band is unable to replicate those riddims that made your hits great and have to improvise the beats, sometimes it just doesn’t come out well. Such was the case with Enzo’s performance.
Murumba Pitch was the last act of the night, and I am not sure if it was fatigue or what, but they failed to really get the crowd going. They had moments, thanks to their familiar hits, but I was not impressed, and I am sure others would agree.
The final day is usually super chilled, but those who were in attendance can confirm that it had the best vibe of the festival.
Boothle, Lamiez Holworthy and DJ Tira showed us how to properly shut down a festival.
Being one of the best vocalists in the game, Boothle had the party going with hits that included “Ngixolele”, “Woza”, “Siyathandana” and “Hamba Wena” among others.
Holworthy also did her thing behind the decks with a playlist that had 3-step fans getting in their groove.
Then came DJ Tira, the last act of the festival, and this was probably the best set of the weekend, in my opinion.
When it comes to hits, Tira has them by the truckloads and pairing that with the energy he brings to the stage, you get one explosive performance.
Jacaranda Music Festival Experience
There is more to Jacaranda than just the music.
Away from the stage, this is one of those events where friends and family can get together and enjoy their food and drinks in a great atmosphere.
The crowd is unique in its own way, and those people who go out a lot can admit that they saw faces that they have never bumped into at the groove.
Unlike events that cater specifically for your typical ‘bhawa ranger’, Jacaranda Music Festival even attracts your shy types. This is where introverts come out to play with other kids.
I bumped into a few individuals who flew in from outside Zimbabwe for the event, and that speaks volumes about how popular the event has become.
The decision to do away with a VIP section was also a masterstroke to an extent, as this meant that people were not divided along financial or racial boundaries. Everyone became an equal patron the moment they got into the venue, which is something that added a sense of unity to the overall experience.
Gaining entry into the venue was also smooth sailing, from the parking right up to the ticketing booths.
With most people bringing their own drinks, the bar area was also not chaotic.
The toilets were almost always clean, at least at the gents’ side, where cleaners tried their best to keep the mess to a minimum.
This was certainly a well-curated event, and I should say kudos to the organisers.
