ULANI emblem — the horned wordmark inside a ring of Adinkra symbols
ULANI PRESENTS

The African Cultural Experiencea taste of freedom

Born from one language. Echoed in another.
Held together by joy.

--Days
--Hours
--Mins
--Secs
20 March 2027 · Human Rights Day Weekend · Gauteng
Join the universe → Meet the muse
JoyCultureFreedomHeritageFuture
When
Saturday
20 March 2027
Human Rights Day weekend
Time
11:30 – 21:00
Gates open at 11:30. One full day.
Where
Gauteng,
South Africa
Venue reveal coming soon
Who
5,000 guests
One edition a year. Be one of them.
01The Story
JABULANI
isiZulu — to rejoice.

ULANI is born from that word: an annual African cultural festival bringing music, food, fashion, beauty, art and ideas into one day. It honours those who came before us through history, creativity and joy, and imagines, boldly, what comes next.

"If you give people a taste of freedom, they will spend their lives chasing it." The founding belief of ULANI
Why You Should Be There

Not just a festival.
A day you'll carry.

01

Honour a legend, together

On Human Rights Day weekend, thousands gather to celebrate Mam' Winnie's courage and style, ending in a collective tribute at nightfall.

02

Every generation on one stage

Legends, soul singers, the new girls on the block and the kids defining today's sound, in one continuous journey.

03

Five worlds, every sense

Art, music, food, fashion and ideas. Wander, taste, try something on, make something with your hands.

04

Play, don't just watch

Collect stamps in your ULANI Passport, join a House, follow discovery trails and leave with keepsakes.

05

Back African creatives

Every ticket means paid work for local artists, makers, chefs and vendors.

06

Be there for chapter one

ULANI honours a new icon every year. There is only one first edition, and only 5,000 people get to say they were there.

Join the universe →
02The Muse
2027 unlocks
Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe
Madikizela-Mandela
(Mam' Winnie)
ULANI muse artwork: a woman in a striped headwrap framed by golden horns and beaded flowers

Courage, resistance, community, personal style, and the strength and complexity of womanhood. Her story runs through the whole day, from the art at the gates to a collective tribute at nightfall.

CourageResistanceCommunityStyleWomanhood
03ULANI Presents

A conversation
between generations.

Six chapters, from the foundational voices who carried a nation's sound to the young artists rewriting it right now. The artists behind each "?" unlock one by one.

ULANIPRESENTS
↻
Ch. 01 · Early Afternoon

The Beautiful Ones

Fresh voices · new girls on the block
Ch. 01 · Early Afternoon

The Beautiful Ones

An ode to the new girls on the block. Emerging women bringing fresh expression and perspective to the sound of now.

Alt-R&BAfro-popNeo-soul
Artists unlocking soon
ULANIPRESENTS
↻
Ch. 02 · Mid Afternoon

The Soul Garden

Feeling · reflection · connection
Ch. 02 · Mid Afternoon

The Soul Garden

Live soul for slowing down. Warm voices, real instruments and songs that sit in your chest long after the set ends.

SoulAfro-soulLive band
Artists unlocking soon
ULANIPRESENTS
↻
Ch. 03 · Late Afternoon

The Vanguard

The zeitgeist of today's youth
Ch. 03 · Late Afternoon

The Vanguard

The new kids on the block. The language, energy and sound of a generation defining its own cultural moment.

AmapianoHip-hopStreet
Artists unlocking soon
ULANIPRESENTS
↻
Ch. 04 · Into the Evening

The Time Machine

Generational DJ sets · every era
Ch. 04 · Into the Evening

The Time Machine

DJs as the connectors. A journey through the decades that blends the outgoing sound with the next and keeps the floor moving.

HouseKwaitoAmapiano
Artists unlocking soon
ULANIPRESENTS
↻
Ch. 05 · Sunset

Heritage at Sunset

Memory · home · the legends
Ch. 05 · Sunset

Heritage at Sunset

Foundational voices and the songs that raised a nation, timed to land as the sun goes down over the festival.

MbaqangaKwaitoAfro-pop
Artists unlocking soon
ULANIPRESENTS
↻
Ch. 06 · Nightfall

The Last Voice

The final voice before the tribute
Ch. 06 · Nightfall

The Last Voice

The last voice of the night. A set rooted in liberation music that carries everyone straight into the muse's tribute.

Liberation musicAfro-soulJazz
Artists unlocking soon

Tap a card to read about the set

THE LINE-UP UNLOCKS SOON

Legends, rising stars and the DJs connecting every chapter. Each reveal drops on Instagram first.

Follow for reveals →
04A Sensory World

Five worlds.
Every sense, awakened.

01See

The Legacy Gallery

Historical storytelling, portraiture, contemporary art and installations shaped around the muse.

02Hear

The Sound Garden

Heritage, soul and contemporary African music, poetry and one shared tribute.

03Taste · Smell

The Freedom Table

Regional cuisines, culinary entrepreneurs and food tied to memory and celebration.

04Touch · See

The Style & Maker Quarter

Fashion, hair, beauty, textiles, craft and markets, with hands-on workshops where you make something of your own.

05Hear · Connect

The Ideas House

Intimate talks, youth dialogue, books and creative encounters asking what freedom means today.

05The Day Journey

Golden afternoon.
Sunset soul.

11:30

Arrive & Discover

Art-led arrival, exhibitions, food, markets and DJ-led wandering.

13:00

The Day Opens

Live music, emerging voices, fashion and conversations in every corner.

17:30

Golden Hour

Heritage performances, the muse's story and a collective tribute.

19:00

Into the Night

The headline journey and a closing celebration to remember.

06Play the Festival

Don't just attend.
Explore.

Pick up a ULANI Passport at the gates, join a themed House and collect your stamps across the five worlds.

  • Quizzes, poetry and collaborative art
  • Discovery trails through every world
  • Keepsakes for the curious
  • Photo worlds built to be remembered
Passport · Edition 001
ULANI
Bearer of a taste of freedom
Legacy Gallery
Sound Garden
Freedom Table
Maker Quarter
Ideas House
The Tribute
No. 0001Tap to stamp
07What Is To Come

This is only
the first chapter.

ULANI is an annual legacy series. Each Afro-futuristic edition honours a different African icon or movement, with a new muse, a new visual world and a new story to rejoice in.

Edition
001
2027 · Unlocked

Mam' Winnie
Madikizela-Mandela

Edition
002
Sealed

Consciousness & self-definition

Edition
003
Sealed

Care, and health as freedom

Edition
004
Sealed

Dignity & economic justice

Edition
005
Sealed

Education & women's leadership

Join the Universe

Rejoice
with us.

Every artist unlock, ticket drop and festival-world reveal lands on Instagram first. Follow along and be first through the gates.

Follow @ulani_festival → Partner with us
Legacy & EducationSound & PerformanceFashion · Beauty · DesignFood & HospitalityTech & ConnectivityCommunity Access
JoyCultureFreedomHeritageFuture