Johannesburg - The final countdown to Ultra South Africa 2023 has officially begun. Later today, the iconic Ultra stages will be set up, the Ultra Angels all warmed up and choreographed, and the biggest names in dance music will hit the stages. Ultra South Africa is part of Ultra Music Festival's worldwide expansion, which is now present in twenty countries.
Ultra South Africa is a single-day event taking place in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and organisers say it will definitely be a tale of two cities. Having debuted in 2014, Ultra South Africa is one of the longest-standing world editions of the festival. The eighth edition of the event is taking place at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg and the Hollywood Bets Kenilworth Racecourse.
Recently added to the already stellar main stage line-up is returning future house superstar Oliver Heldens, home-grown heroes Goldfish, and very recent Grammy winner and home-grown legend Zakes Bantwini.
They will join none other than global icon Alesso, Australian firecracker Fisher and the dynamic Timmy Trumpet for the first time on SA soil. Local heroes set to wow the fans are Sun-El Musician, Kyle Cassim, Timo ODV, Max Hurrell and New Hero.
Bantwini promised he would bring his unmistakable energy to thrill festival goers.
“I’ll be performing a lot of fan favourites as well as some unknown gems in my set. I always try to incorporate new material in my sets. I’ve got a new album titled Abantu coming out later this year, so I just might tease some new music from the album for my fans,” he said.
This year marks Bantwini’s first participation in the global showcase event.
“I’m really looking forward to playing at Ultra for the first time. It’s a very significant and important festival on the calendar, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to be part of it. 2023 has already been such an incredible year, and we’re only three months in. I’m looking forward to launching Abantu, which will be my final album, and I’m also looking forward to the inaugural Abantu concert at DHL Stadium in a few months. There’s a lot more that we’ll be announcing soon,” Bantwini added.
Asked about how he creates his music, the SA mega-star said: “It depends what the mood and vibe is at the time. Music is a very spiritual experience for me, and I think my fans can hear it when they listen to anything I’m involved in. There’s no exact science or formula to it. I let the music and the energy in any given moment lead me. Every song has its own unique journey and story,” he concluded.
The super duo of Goldfish, who are from the Mother City, said what they would be bringing would be hot.
“We have been working to put together a high-energy set list to match the energy a festival like Ultra brings. We’ll be dropping some brand new material, some remixes and mash-ups and some old-school GoldFish,” the duo said.
Dominic Peters and David Poole are, of course, no strangers to the Ultra stage and have played at Ultra events in Miami, Croatia, Buenos Aires and here at home.
“Ultra is unique in that it really is like a musical family that travels the globe, and we are lucky to have been a part of it in some shape or form for so many years. It’s always awesome to be invited to play Ultra. Whenever we play at this festival around the world, the energy is unmatched. It’s been a big part of dance music’s story over the years and a huge launch pad for so many artists, including us,” said the pair.
Goldfish is completing their sixth full length album, which will be released later this year.
“Super excited to share it with our fans who have followed us since the beginning as well as new fans just discovering the GoldFish sound. We draw inspiration from so many different places. Life experiences, other music we love and nature. It’s about finding ways to communicate what can’t be communicated with words. That’s what good music does,” the dynamic duo concluded.