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10 hottest cultural events in 2017

Johannesburg - The new year has kicked off and it looks as though there are many great cultural events to look forward to. #Trending rounds up those you should put in your diary.

1. The Biebs hits SA

Justin Bieber’s Purpose World Tour will be hitting Joburg and Cape Town on 14 and 17 May, respectively. Tickets are selling out fast, but those lucky Beliebers who get their hands on some will be seeing the heart-throb live on stage.

Other international acts coming to our side of the world include folk band The Lumineers and teen pop rockers The Vamps.

2. A massive big-name artist collaboration

Playwright and actor Khayelihle Dominique Gumede, performer Lebogang Mashile, dancer and choreographer Gregory Maqoma and artist William Kentridge will come together with more than 60 other art-world practitioners in the form of actors, dancers, poets, writers, composers, musicians, visual artists, film makers and (even) boxers to create a series of “collisions”, consisting of workshops and inner-city interventions, in the fabulously named Centre for the Less Good Idea. Their websites and social media launch in the coming week so be sure to follow their movements. It might be the most important art event of 2017.

3. Ultra Music Festival

Dance enthusiasts can look forward to the return of the massive EDM, House and dance music festival Ultra. Taking place on 24 and 25 February at the Cape Town Stadium and Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, respectively, it features headliners DJ Snake, David Guetta, Martin Garrix and local legend Black Coffee.

4. K.O’s clothing line

Kasi rapper K.O has launched his own clothing line called DustNKompany Clothing by K.O. Themed after K.O himself, print designs taken from the animated versions of the Zulu rapper will appear on the apparel. The rapper has promised that T-shirts will be available this week, with details following soon.

5. South Africa gets a major contemporary museum

This is massive. Africa’s first major museum of contemporary art will be opening soon, and it’s going to be in South Africa. The architecturally stunning Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa will be located at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and is scheduled to open in September.

6. AKA’s new album

Supa Mega, who just released a single with Anatii, recently tweeted that his new album will drop in 2017. There is no title or official release date yet, but the artist said in December that he’s already got seven tracks done.

Other artists who have promised to release new albums this year include rapper and hitmaker L-Tido and pop star Toya Delazy.

AKA

7.A new Pirates of the Caribbean movie

Fans of Captain Jack Sparrow will look forward to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, hitting our screens on 26 May. After six years, the Disney phenomenon makes its long-awaited return with this fifth instalment.

Other hotly anticipated releases in the first half of this year include Fifty Shades Darker (10 February), Beauty and the Beast (17 March), The Fate of the Furious (14 April), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. (5 May), Wonder Woman (2 June), Despicable Me 3 (30 June) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (7 July).

8. Queen B’s book

TV personality and megastar Bonang Matheba revealed that her first book will be released in April this year. We can’t wait to read about her rise, and maybe all the dirt too?

Bonang Matheba

9. All African jazz opera King Kong gets revived

One of the most exciting theatre productions happening this year has got to be the revival of King Kong, the seminal jazz opera that opened in South Africa almost 60 years ago and starred Miriam Makeba. Audiences can see the iconic musical some time in July at The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, and it will be directed by Jonathan Munby and produced by Eric Abraham.

Other must-see productions happening this year include West Side Story at The Joburg Theatre from January 24 and The House of Truth written by Siphiwo Mahala, which opened at The Market theatre this week, sees actor Sello Maake Ka-Ncube paying tribute to the late great Can Themba. In February wacky performance artists Blue Man Group hits our shores and, later, audiences can catch Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer’s Hamlet, Into The Woods by Steven Sondheim, The Joburg Ballet’s La Traviata and a production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

10. Lady Skollie goes to London

Cape Town-based visual artist Laura Windvogel, AKA Lady Skollie, is getting her own solo exhibition in London. Centred on Skollie’s favourite topics of sex and gender, Lust Politics will be at the renowned Tyburn Gallery from 19 January to 4 March. We’ve been appreciating Lady Skollie’s work for years, so it’s good to see it getting recognised overseas. Closer to home, art enthusiasts can look forward to Joburg-based writer and performance artist Bogosi Sekhukhuni’s first solo exhibition with Stevenson. Running from 2 February 2 to 3 March, Simunye Summit 2010 will be a series of videos and objects set in a parallel futuristic South African past.

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