Durban South Africa New Year’s Day 2027: Afrotainment Festival at Greyville With Nasty C and Sjava

SOUTH AFRICA · FESTIVALS

Durban New Year’s Day 2027 will be marked by a new 12-hour music festival in South Africa’s third-largest city. DJ Tira’s label Afrotainment will stage Day One Fest at Greyville Racecourse on Friday 1 January, from midday to midnight.

The first line-up, announced on 18 September, includes Nasty C, Sjava, Ami Faku, Elaine, Zee Nxumalo and Young Stunna. DJ Fresh, Feza, Professor and Morda complete the first ten names, MDNtv reported.

Greyville Racecourse, venue of Day One Fest on 1 January 2027, is the green track at top right, close to Durban’s city centre and harbour. File photo from 2007. Photo: Esther Dyson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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What Afrotainment has announced

Day One Fest runs for 12 hours, from 12:00 midday to midnight, South Africa Standard Time (UTC+2). Gates open at 10 a.m., according to the event page on Ticketpro, the official ticket seller.

The ticket page names Afrotainment Project Management as the organiser. Afrotainment is the label founded by DJ Tira, born Mthokozisi Khathi, and known for gqom and kwaito, two South African dance styles.

Who is on the first line-up

Nasty C, a rapper raised in Durban, signed a joint-venture deal with the US label Def Jam in 2020. Sjava, from Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal province, won the BET Award for Best New International Act in 2018.

Ami Faku, Elaine, Zee Nxumalo and Young Stunna add soul, R&B and amapiano, the piano-led South African house style. SlikourOnLife reported that the first phase is only the beginning, so the final bill is not yet known.

Sjava ends his tenth-anniversary tour on 23 October. Day One Fest brings him back to his home province of KwaZulu-Natal ten weeks later.

Why a New Year’s Day festival now

For more than a decade, one of Durban’s best-known holiday concerts was Fact Durban Rocks, which DJ Tira co-founded in 2011. It ran twice a year, usually from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., the Sunday Tribune reported.

Its 30th and final edition, on New Year’s Eve 2025, ran from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. instead. The partners said they would put the brand and its trademarks up for sale in January 2026, Briefly News reported.

In June, DJ Tira also skipped his usual marquee at the Durban July horse race, saying sponsors had not funded it. He said he had moved on from Fact Durban Rocks to new events, starting with Durban Hotbox, IOL reported.

Durban New Year’s Day 2027: tickets and prices

General admission costs R200 (about US$12) until 15 October and R250 (US$15) until 15 November, Ticketpro lists. It then rises to R300 (US$18) until 15 December and R350 (US$21) from 16 December.

VIP tickets cost R850 (US$52) until 15 December and R950 (US$58) from 16 December. The dollar figures use 16.41 rand to the dollar on 30 September.

The price steps follow fixed dates published in advance, not live demand. The ticket page does not yet say what the VIP area includes.

Rules at the gate

The festival is for ages 18 and over, so carry a passport or South African ID that shows your age. Pass-outs are not allowed, which means you cannot leave and come back in on the same ticket.

Alcohol, bottles, food, cameras, drones, recording equipment, weapons and illegal substances are on the prohibited list. The venue has on-site parking and is listed as disabled-friendly.

January is midsummer in Durban, with average highs of about 28 °C (82 °F) and warm, humid nights. The ticket page does not yet list food or drink stalls, a detail worth checking closer to the date.

Getting to Greyville Racecourse

Greyville Racecourse sits at 150 Avondale Road, in the suburb of Greyville beside Durban’s city centre. It is best known as the home of the Durban July, a horse race first run in 1897.

King Shaka International Airport lies about 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of the city centre. Taxis booked through ride-hailing apps are the simplest way to reach the gate, and on-site parking suits those who drive.

Midday in Durban is 10 a.m. in London and 5 a.m. in New York on 1 January. As at any large crowd, keep valuables out of sight and agree on a meeting point with friends in advance.

What comes next

Afrotainment has promised more artists, and set times have not been published. The next price step, to R250 (US$15), takes effect on 16 October.

Organisers present Day One Fest as a brand-new festival. It joins a South African summer calendar that already includes Oskido’s Big Day Out in Johannesburg on 28 November.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Day One Fest?

Day One Fest is a new 12-hour music festival by Afrotainment, the record label founded by DJ Tira. It takes place at Greyville Racecourse in Durban, South Africa, on Friday 1 January 2027, from midday to midnight.

How much are tickets and where can I buy them?

Tickets are sold through Ticketpro. General admission costs R200 (about US$12) until 15 October, then R250 (US$15), R300 (US$18) and R350 (US$21) from 16 December. VIP costs R850 (US$52) until 15 December and R950 (US$58) after that.

Can people under 18 attend?

No. The ticket page lists the festival as 18-plus, so carry a passport or ID that shows your age.

How do I get to Greyville Racecourse?

The racecourse is at 150 Avondale Road, next to Durban’s city centre, and has on-site parking. Ride-hailing taxis are the simplest option, and King Shaka International Airport is about 35 kilometres (22 miles) to the north.

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