Back to the City Festival 2026

Back to the City returns to Mary Fitzgerald Square for a landmark 20th-anniversary celebration of hip-hop and youth culture. The 2026 festival will bring together approximately 100 artists, 30 DJs, 40 graffiti artists, MC and DJ battles, skateboarding, basketball, gaming, street fashion, food stalls, and independent clothing brands. This year’s gathering also commemorates 50 years since the June 16 Youth Uprising and 140 years of Johannesburg, connecting the city’s history of youth resistance with the generations that built South African hip-hop from the streets up. The complete artist line-up will be announced closer to the festival.Date: Saturday, 10 October 2026Time: From 12:00Venue: Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, JohannesburgCost: General admission tickets currently from R400, with group and VIP packages also availableBook and follow line-up announcements through the official Back to the City Festival website.