Usually the New Year holidays are deathly quiet in Joburg with the city's residents decamping to the coast to party and relax. That is all set to change in 2017 however with the arrival of the first Afropunk festival, taking place at the South African heritage landmark Constitution Hill over the New Year weekend.

With a world class lineup of the hottest names in black alternative music Afropunk Joburg 2017 promises to be one of the most exciting music events that Joburg has hosted in recent years. International headline acts include Solange, Anderson Paak and Laura Mvula, while representing South Africa are some of the biggest names in the local alternative music scene such as The Brother Moves On, Spoek Mathambo, Nakhane, Thandiswa Mazwai, Black Motion and Urban Village.

Joburg takes a coveted spot alongside New York, London, Paris and Atlanta as one of the cities hosting Afropunk in 2017, a cult alternative festival which has been described by the New York Times as “the most multicultural festival in the US”.

Afropunk founders Matthew Morgan and Jocelyn Cooper say on the Constitution Hill blog that they chose South Africa, and particularly Constitution Hill, as the first African Afropunk venue because of “the Constitution, the possibilities, the beauty, the creativity” adding that “activism is central to Afropunk, which is why Constitution Hill is so paramount.”

The lineup for the two day festival runs as follows (with more acts still to be announced):

Sat Dec 30:
Performing live - Anderson Paak & The Free Nationals, Spoek Mathambo, Okzharp & Manthe Ribane, Blitz The Ambassador, Azagaia, TCIYF, Dookoom, and Gods Sons and Daughter.
DJs: Black Motion, DJ LAG & Special Guests, Kid Fonque, DJ Doowap, The Alvhinator and Tha Cutt.

Sun Dec 31:
Performing live - Solange, King Tha vs Blk Jks, Laura Mvula, Petite Noir, Nakhane, Urban Village, Nonku Phiri and Radio 123.
DJs - Theo Parrish, DJ Kenzhero, DJ Anaïs B, JustThemba, Themba Lunacy and Pussy Party.