Ultra South Africa 2025 - Artist Announcment

The 10th anniversary of Ultra South Africa is almost upon us the line-ups have just been announced! Welcoming back the biggest dance music festival on the continent see's the likes of the biggest names in the industry, starting off with Dutch legend Armin van Buuren, the multi-award winning artist has served the dance music industry for decades and is part of the reason for the global trance movement, he will be joined on stage by fellow Dutchman Martin Garrix who is no stranger to South Africa has he's headlined numerous Ultras before. 

Also performing on the main stage as headliners are Californian music producer ISOXO, and electro-house DJ sensation KSHMR. This would be their first appearances at Ultra South Africa and they are bound to get the crowd going with their energetic stage presence and electrifying sets. 

RESISTANCE returns for both the Cape Town and Johannesburg legs of Ultra South Africa, headliners for the resistance stage include Mind Against, Massano, Fio Kraft and Culoe De Song. They will also be joined by local acts, for Cape Town, Ryan Murgatroyd, Talia Zaken, Mila Rose, Kong, Amy Mauritz and for Johannesburg, Sona, Abby Nurock and Natsa. You can find  the full line-ups in the pictures on the post. Tickets are still on sale for the event, so don't delay and get yours now from www.ultrasouthafrica.com

BOOMTOWN Presented by Heineken 2023

 

The Hollywoodbets Durban July is a celebration of fashion, lifestyle, the best in marquee hospitality, and the most anticipated day on the horse racing calendar. This year the event will again attract the country’s most sociable personalities for a day of non-stop entertainment.

BOOMTOWN presented by HEINEKEN® is back for the 13TH year at the Hollywoodbets Durban July, 2023. This Marquee is widely recognised for consistently providing the ultimate in expert hospitality, and world class stage & lighting complimented by Mzansi’s top musical artists. BOOMTOWN Presented by Heineken® will be changing the game in 2022 and raising the bar to bring you an unforgettable Hollywoodbets Durban July experience. This year’s Marquee welcomes new exciting experiential attractions, and all the who’s who of the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Join the #1 Marquee experience as we celebrate BOOMTOWN Presented by Heineken® 2023.

Pricing is as follows: 

GENERAL

Your one way ticket for general access into BOOMTOWN Presented by Heineken®, and a memorable Hollywoodbets Durban July experience.

• Entrance into BOOMTOWN Presented by Heineken®
• General marquee access
• Cocktail style seating
• Cash bar facilities
• Food vendors
• Plasma screens with live feed of the horseracing
• Tote betting facilities

VIP

This VIP raised deck offers you a premium hospitality experience including a complimentary lunch & dinner buffet, as well as a complimentary bar offering from 11am – 5pm.

• Access to exclusive VIP Lounge
• Bespoke bar facilities with complimentary offering from 11am - 5pm
• *Spirits, wines, beers, ciders, and soft drinks are complimentary
• (Premium spirits, shooters and Champagne on sale)
• Complimentary buffet lunch 1pm - 5pm
• Complimentary buffet dinner 6pm - 9pm
• VIP restaurant
• Tote betting facilities
• Plasma screens with live feed of the horseracing
• Trailer toilets
• *Please note the entrance ticket to the Greyville racecourse must be
• purchased separately to the BOOMTOWN marquee ticket.
• For groups of 25 people or more a private VIP lounge can be arranged.

VVIP

This VVIP raised deck offers you a premium hospitality experience including a complimentary lunch & dinner buffet, as well as a complimentary bar offering from 11am – 10pm. Event closes at 11pm.

• Access to exclusive VVIP Lounge
• Bespoke bar facilities with complimentary offering from 11am - 10pm
• *Spirits, wines, beers, ciders, and soft drinks are complimentary. (Premium spirits, shooters
• and Champagne on sale)
• Complimentary buffet lunch 1pm - 5pm
• Complimentary buffet dinner 6pm - 9pm
• VVIP restaurant
• Tote betting facilities
• Plasma screens with live feed of the horseracing
• Trailer toilets
• *Please note the entrance ticket to the Greyville racecourse must be
• purchased separately to the BOOMTOWN marquee ticket.
• For groups of 50 people or more a private VIP lounge can be arranged.

VVIP Private Tables of 10 or 20

Includes all of the VVIP ticket benefits as well as the following private table benefits:

• Greyville Racecourse entry ticket valued at R230
• Private booth table
• 1 waiter to assist with bottle service
• The following complimentary drinks will be given to your table on arrival:
• 1 x Bottle of French Champagne, 1 x Bottle of Gold Label,
• 1 x Bottle of Ciroc Vodka, 10 x Heineken®, 5 x Red Bull,
• Soft Drinks & Mineral Water
• *Please note that any additional bottles will be for purchase.

*Please note the entrance ticket to the Greyville racecourse must be purchased separately to the BOOMTOWN marquee ticket.

Corona Sunsets Festival - Johannesburg

 

Corona Sunsets Festival returns to Johannesburg on the 29th of October. With a brand new home in the picturesque grounds of Huddle Park in the centre of Linksfield, JHB, the 2022 Corona Sunsets Festival will bring the magic of the sunset to the middle of the city.

Nothing beats the refreshing taste of an ice cold Corona with a wedge of lime as we celebrate the magic of the setting sun at another world class event. 

From exploring our crafter food stalls, signing up for mixology sessions or dancing to the beat of your crew getting involved in a drum circle - this is what happens when friends come together and create unforgettable moments!

Join us to relive the magic with incredible local and international artists and all of the beauty and brilliance that this event always brings.

COMPETITION: Durban Street Food Festival

Anyone from Durban or visiting the city will know that it is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, let alone South Africa. In a city which doesn't get the global limelight it deserves, locals know what makes it great and it's part of the reason we chose to stay here and make this city even greater. With such a diverse population and a mixture of cultures, comes many talents that shine through, whether it be in food, business, song, dance or fashion, with this in mind, the Durban Street Food Festival was born. After a successful event in 2015, the Street Food Festival is back and promises to be bigger, better and at a new convenient location  

Taking place at the Pavilion Shopping Center, from the 22nd to the 25th of September, this years 3 day Durban Street Food Festival is set to have 40 Street Food vendors with authentic flavours from around the world, 10 Craft Vendors, Live Durban Bands, Live Stand-Up Comedy by local comedians, Craft & Gin Beer Garden, Local Artists, Durban DJ's, Short Film Screenings, Food Demo's, Info Sessions, Jazz Expressions and Food Blogging. 

The Durban Street Food Festival provides a venue to build appreciation for Durban's diversity. The Festival celebrates the global culture and ethnic diversity of Durban through culinary arts, music, performance art and social connection. The Festival proudly welcomes people from all across the spectrum yearly, to share with us their cultural traditions with another another, it also serves as a vehicle to promote cultural understanding and appreciation in our community. In addition to all of this, the Durban Street Food Festival also creates a platform for local Durban talent to perform and showcase themselves as well as provide a unique opportunity for corporate sponsors to receive highly visible and concentrated recognition which includes the likes of large-scale signage at the event and advertisements in the regional media.

The Durban Street Food Festival in conjunction with the Bucket is giving two lucky readers the chance to win tickets for them and two friends to the Festival. And you can enter either on Facebook or Instagram...or both to double your chances!

Facebook:

All you have to do is like the Durban Street Food Festival Facebook Page as well as the Bucket Facebook Page, share this blog post and tag the two friends you would like to take with to the Festival. 

Instagram:

Follow @DurbanStreetFoodFestival and @theBucketza on Instagram, like the post about the Durban Street Food Festival and in the comments, tag the two friends you would like to take with to the Festival later this month. 

The competition will run for 2 weeks, with entries closing on the 20th and the winners will be announced later that day. So good luck! If you aren't any of the lucky readers to win, you could always buy tickets for the festival on the day or via the website: durbanstreetfoodfestival.co.za

Kings & Queens of Comedy - Bigger & Funnier than ever!

Durban, get ready to laugh your way into 2017 with some of the best comedians in the country! This February see's the Kings and Queens of comedy franchise return to the East Coast, and it is guaranteed to be a show of hysterical proportions, with a bigger and funnier stellar line up than before. It will be the show to kick off the world tour of the Kings and Queens of Comedy and it all goes down on the 11th of February 2017 and the Durban ICC. 

Taking to the stage with their comical armour and witty swords are Marc Lottering, Tumi Morake, Loyiso Gola, Celeste Ntuli, Leeanda Reddy, Krijay Govender, Schalk Bezuidenhout, Joey Rasdien, Tol AssMo, Khanyisa Bunu and Rory Petzer. Leading the evenings proceedings is Durban's favourite comedian, Darren Maule with a special guest appearance by Morgan Beatbox. 

Kings and Queens of Comedy began in 2012 in Johannesburg and has since grown to be one of the leading comedy brands in South Africa, promoting and showcasing local talent from around the country. Don't miss out on all the laughter by getting your tickets today to the funniest show in town. Tickets range from R185 and are now available through Computicket online and leading outlets. 

The show details again:

Date: Saturday, 11th February 2017

Time: 20h00 (Doors open at 19h00)

Venue; Durban ICC, 45 Bram Fischer Road, Durban. 

Tickets: www,computicket.com

Mo Magic Live at Sibaya!

From a young age I was always fond of magic and illusions but like many it left me in disbelief and wondering how they did it but it never went further than that. Mo Magic of Durban took it a step further and went on to study magic, as it was a passion of his and even though he has a qualification in Electrical Engineering he's following his dreams of being a magician. 

The first time I bumped into Mo was outside a local restaurant where he was there having meals with some of his friends but a few people present recognised him and of course asked if he could show them a trick. Being the kind of guy he is, Mo went on to show them what till this day is my favourite trick of his. He pulled out a bunch of R50 notes, proceeded to fold the notes in half, then flipped them and when he unfolded them, they turned into R100 notes! Thereafter folding them again and changing them to R200 notes! No camera tricks, no special lighting, no props, just him, in the moment in a regular place. 

Since then Mo has gone on to tour the country showcasing his talent and of recent had his very own TV show on SABC3 titled "Magic with Mo" on weekly prime TV. In the show he left many of his guests of whom most were celebrities, personalities and members of the public, just as astonished, amazed and entertained. The TVSA blog reported "Magic with Mo has pulled out an ace for SABC3 with a whopping increase in viewership since its premiere" adding "Not an easy feat on a Saturday night. This growth is a good example of a show slowly building by being engaging or entertaining. Well done, Mo". Having watch a few episodes myself, I have to add that besides what was said before, it's great to see local talent and ideas on the TV, we often find ourselves falling for these reality TV shows where idea's were brought on from abroad and implemented on our screens, so besides being entertaining, it is rather refreshing at the same time. 

Having already toured Durban in February, which saw a multiple of sellout performances, Mo Magic is back by popular demand to entertain and astonish crowds once again which forms part of his South African Theatre Tour. Mo will be performing at the iZulu theatre located at Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom from 29-31 July 2016. It's hard to believe that his is his 14th yer with the art of magic, audiences can expect to see some of the magic, mentalism (mind reading magic) and stunts as seen on the TV show, and other routines saved especially for the 90 minute theatre show. Hwill also have you in stitches with his clean comedy and witty ad-libs. Mo added, "I'm ecstatic that Durban audiences enjoyed the theatre show in February and am humbled by the support and call for the show to return to Durban."

Apart from entertaining crowds, Mo Magic is also the brand ambassador for "Child Welfare Durban & District", he will be using the tour to spread awareness into the contribution made by the organisation towards "giving childhood back to children" and has combined a message with an illusion in the show to spread the news.

Tickets for the show are available through Computicket and bookings are now open. 

Those important details again:

Venue: iZulu Theatre, Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom, 1 Sibaya Drive, Umhlanga Rocks

Dates & Times: Friday 29th July 2016, 8pm, 

                          Saturday 30th July 2016, 8pm

                          Sunday 31st July 2016, 8pm.

Running Time: 1h 30 min

Ticket prices: R100, R120, R140*

*No under 6s & No Admittance After Start of Performance

COMPETITION: The Greatest Show Unearthed

I'm not the greatest lover of wine, that many can attest to but thankfully majority don't share the same sentiments and taste as me. Being a South African, we have some of the best wine farms in the world which produce some of the finest wines on the planet, from award Merlot to Malbec, Pinoit Noir to Pinotage, we have it all and what better way to celebrate such than with a wine show with a difference?

Taking place at Sibaya Casino from the 2nd till 4th of June, The Tops Wine Show 2016 returns and said to be bold, dramatic and entertaining as it brings with it a new exciting theme; The Greatest Show Unearthed. The show channels a vintage burlesque experience while expertly blending hundreds of fine wine exhibitors, edu-training activities, food and festivity. 

Things not to be missed at the show are East Coast Radio's Wine Theater which presents a series of interactive tasting talks hosted by industry experts, personalities and wine makers. Also at the show, visitors can vote for their favourite wine producer in the "People's Choice Awards" and voting enters you into a chance to win a mixed case of wine and olive oil from Morgenster.

Tickets for this Wine extravaganza can be purchased pre-show for R120 from www.itickets.co,za or at the door for R140. Price includes a tasting glass, all tastings, access to the East Coast Radio Wine Theatre and a map to help navigate the show. 

Show Details:

Date: Thursday June 2nd, - Saturday June 4th 2016

Time: 17h00 - 21h00 (Thursday & Friday), 12h00-21h00 (Saturday)

Venue: Sibaya, Durban

COMPETITION TIME! Stand a chance to WIN with #theBucket and The Greatest Show Unearthed! There are two methods of entering, via Twitter or Facebook. 

Twitter: All you have to do to stand a chance to win is follow @TheWineShowZA and @AMG133 on twitter and tweet "I want to win with the Bucket and @TheWineShowZA #winetime2016"

Facebook:  LIKE The Wine Show and The Bucket Facebook Page and  comment below this post on Facebook "I want to win with the Bucket and  #winetime2016"

Entries close at 3pm on Wednesday, 1st June

       

Never Ending Comedy Tour with Darren Maule

Tonight see's one of Durban's most loved radio personalities hit the stage as part of his Never Ending Comedy Tour. Darren Maule is no stranger to South African comedy, having first met him 4 years ago on a different comedy tour at Sibaya Casino, at the time he was still residing in Joburg but it was clearly evident that Darren loved Durban and not long after that he moved to Durban to start a career on the local Radio station ECR hosting the East Coast Breakfast show. 

The Never Ending Comedy Tour with Darren Maule features  him as the MC together with a different line-up each month of 3 to 4 local and national comedians on stage for one night only in different venues around KZN. After performing at the Wild Coast not long ago, tonight sees the show return to the Durban Country club and features Magic Man, Martin Jonas, Rory Petzer and Logie Naidoo.

"The idea is to take quality comedy to different venues all over KZN to people who want a good night out at a good price. Not everybody can, or wants to, travel far to see a show, but everybody does want a laugh and comedians love what they do - so we've put the two together!" say Maule

KZN in general is lagging behind in the comedy scene with it seeing some ups but many downs over the years and this is the perfect platform to kick start the local comedy scene. We've generated some top talent in stand up, the likes of John Vlismis, Simmi Areff, Angel Campey and Robbie Williams to name a few, so with this Tour it will give opportunities to local comedians to shine and Maule's business manager Claire Clark had this to add "Another exciting part of this initiative is that on 'open mic' spot per venue will give an aspiring local comic the chance to perform on stage as part of the line up"

Tonight's show takes place at the Waterman Bar at the Durban Country Club on Isaiah Ntshangase Road, Durban. Tickets are R100 and are available on Computicket, show starts at 8pm so don't be late!

Those details again:

Date: Wednesday, 25th May

Venue: Waterman Bar, Durban Country Club, Isaiah Ntshangase Road, Durban

Time: 8pm

Tickets: R100 available at Computicket

A night with Johnnie Walker Green Label

I've been to many a whisky tasting over the years and whilst I do enjoy them, most of them are sort of the same. An introduction to the whisky, story behind the distilling process and manufacturing, history behind the brand and so on which is fine but sometimes some whisky's deserve more than that and that's what the folks down at Johnnie Walker thought so as well. So in re-introducing their famed Green Label to South Africa, instead of the norm, they've opted to take their guests on a tasteful journey, that not only gave guest to opportunity to taste their single malt blend but a food paring to go along with it. 

Last week Thursday I was fortunate enough to partake in this journey, the venue, the magnificent Zimbali Fairmont Hotel. Tucked away in the lush five star estate lies the Fairmont hotel which over looks the Indian Ocean, it provides a tranquil getaway for those who want to relax and spoil themselves with the best that is on offer on the East Coast, it made the perfect setting to enjoy one of the finer whiskies available on the market. 

Johnnie Walker Green Label is a single malt blended whisky and needs no introduction for some of the older drinkers as it was available in South Africa before the brand opted to discontinue sales of it for various reasons in most part of the world. The only markets who kept it were in the America's and China but with the ever growing demand for single malt whisky, Johnnie Walker decided to re-introduce it to the market.

The night kicked off with welcome drinks at 31 degrees with a delightful cocktail which consisted of Johnnie Walker Gold Label with herbs and bitters. Quite a twist on a whisky which proved to be quite refreshing on the palette and set the mood for the rest of the evening. We were then greeted by KZN Reserve Brand Ambassador Haroon Haffajee, who gave us a short introduction to JW Green Label and it's re-introduction to the market, followed by a brief on what was to be expected on the evening.  We were broken into 3 groups and each assigned a colour, for we were going to experience the 3 different restaurants at the hotel for the 3 different courses. All the food which was served on the night was made to compliment the JW Green Label, and with it brought out the flavours in both the food and the whisky. 

For starters we headed over to Bite, which is the hotel's poolside deli. Set at the edge of the picturesque pool overlooking the hotel, with the dining table laid out open to the star filled sky, it truly an awesome setting to get the night going. Starters was a creamy corn chowder, served with a biltong breadstick, ostrich carpaccio and feta dip served with a shot of Green Label on the side, unlike other single malt whiskies, JW Green label contains a blend of single malts, so it offers a variety of flavours depending on the food you're having. With the chowder one got a touch of the walnut and that long spicy finish to warm you up on the cold winter night. 

Moving onto the next course, we made our way to OSA, a vibrant new offering at the hotel which specialises in Indian Cuisine. I know being an indian, I must be pretty used to curry but it is my favourite culinary option, as I find there is so many ways to make a curry and the variety of spices on offer to change a meal is endless witch each offering something special to enhance the flavours. For the mains we were served a tandoori chicken skewer which sat on top of a garlic naan bread, with sour milk sauce, fresh coriander and pomegranate seeds. I thought the spices and flavours of the meal would have been a bit over powering for the whisky but it blended quite well. It brought out a sweetness and oak from the whisky which worked perfectly with it. 

Ayoba which is located at the Beach Club at Zimbali Fairmont was the venue for our 3rd and final course of the night, desert. The restaurant is a fusion of Central America and Africa with more of a Mexican twist so with that being said, desert was none other than Churros served with a chili chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream. The light cripsy churro's and sauce brought our the coffee notes of the JW Green and bitter chocolate and espresso was evident with every sip. 

After our tasteful journey, it was time to reconvene at 31 Degrees for the conclusion of the night. we toasted the night with one more drink of the JW Green accompanied with cheese platters and a selection of sweets from the hotel's tea box. Speaking to Haroon thereafter about Johnnie Walkers reasoning to re-introduce this 15 year old single malt blend into the market again, it was interesting to note that their pricing for such a bottle is quite reasonable when compared to some of it's competitors. The average pricing would be around the R500 mark which is cheap in my opinion for a whisky of this caliber. On the whole it was a perfect night which fused great whisky with great dining and offered a range of tastes that played lovely on ones palette. It was certainly a night to remember. 

Mystic India comes to Durban - Competition

                  

After entertaining audiences around the world with electrifying and mind blowing performances to sold out shows, the much anticipated Mystic India in association with Zee TV makes it way to South African shores, to leave local audiences spell bound with brilliant dancers, breathtaking acrobats, renowned musicians, extravagant sets and stunning visual effects. 

Mystic India has been seen by over half a million people in it's world wide performances and tours. Critics have only spoken of high praise for the show which features a cast of 22 talented performers in a show that takes you through the journey of India and it's dance. This production intertwines a mesmerizing combo: Traditional India meets the urban streets of Mumbai and New York. The audience will be taken through a cultural expose' of the various dance forms through the many states in India, from Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat as well the evolution of Bollywood films via a visual display that fuses dance, theatre and special effects. 

It's like a Bollywood spectacular but live on stage, with 750 lavish costume changes, and a celebratory production which is directed and choreographed by the prominent choreographer and production master, Amit Shah, and produced by US-based AATMA Performing Arts, of which Shah is the founder and creative director.  Shah is no stranger to such productions as he has been known to have a critical eye and creative disposition with his many years of experience in the world of dance, theatre and media as well as working on Bollywood film sets and choregrpahing stage productions with top actor and former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra. 

"If you have ever wanted to visit India, this production is your direct flight there. Mystic Indian will blow you all the way to the small villages of India to the fast-paced streets of Mumbai and New York. Audiences will get it all!" - said Shah about Mystic India.

South African audiences can look forward to this spectacular on stage performance that features a female lead of Kruti Shah, an internationally distinguished dancer and choreographer who shot to fame as a Top 10 finalist on the dance reality show, Just Dance. She's trained in modern forms of movement, such as ballet, pointe, tap, hip-hop, jazz and modern. Kruti also developed an interest in more ancient Indian forms of dance, particularly Bharatnyatam and Kathak. 

This larger than life Bollywood extravaganza will be visiting Durban on the 23rd of April at Durban's ICC and then moves on to Johannesburg for 3 nights at The Teatro Monecasino from the 29th of April till the 1st of May 2016. Tickets range between R185 and R485 and will be available through Computicket and its various retail outlets. Bookings are now open so make sure you get your tickets now! for more information visit their website: www.mysticindiatheshow.com

Competition time! the Bucket in association with Mystic India is giving away a set of double tickets to one lucky reader for the Durban show on the 23rd of April 2016. All you have to do is Tweet me @AMG133 "I want to win with #MysticIndia and #theBucket". Competition closes on the 12th of April and winners will be notified by Twitter. 

The J&B Met with Flipside

If you're looking at attending the hottest calendar event in Cape Towns social scene, that is the J&B Met this year, then theres no other place to go to than the Lifestyle Village in the race course's inner field hosted by Flipside events. Them along with MegaPro and Chattels are hosting the ever popular lifestyle village, the organisers are said to have made it bigger and better than before ensuring that your day at the races is a great one.

The artist line up that will be performing live during the day features the likes of Anthea Scholtz, Thank Me Later, Chris de Vos from Sexy Groovy Love, Ryan Murgatroyd, Strange Loving, Tomorrows Will and Brett Aitken.

The venue will have two fully stocked bars, a food court area with food trucks to satisfy any a palate, a cocktail and lounge area to chill at, for when your feet need a rest from all that dancing or to just sit back and sip on some bubbly. There will be TV's and viewing points for the races and also tote facillities so you can try your luck on some of the horses, who knows, it could be your lucky day!

As always with the Met, there is a dress code for you to follow, this years theme is "A Rare Blend", so get those creative juices flowing as this is the ideal opportunity to express your individuality ad creativity at one of the countries biggest social events.

Once the sun goes down, it's time for the after party and the same people that brought you the Lifestyle Village are also responsible for the Office J&B Met After Party. If you thought the days entertainment looked good, wait till you see what's in store for the evening. It's no doubt going to be the after party to be at.

Performing on the mainstage at the after party include Dean FUEL ft. George Sax, Timo ODV, Goodluck, DJ Mixi, Pascal & Pearce and Niskerone to name a few. With a line up like that, featuring some of the hottests acts in SA, it will be an after party thats pretty hard to beat. The venue will include two fully stocked bars, food outlets, a massie dance floor and the entire venue is highly secured, ensuring you have a fun and safe night out.

Tickets for both, the Lifestyle Fest and the After Party are available at Computicket, and are selling from R495 for the full day and night pass that includes all of the above, all day long and well into the after party, or R250 for just the after party. Tickets include 3 free whiskys plus mixers per person

For more info, visit their Flipside Event's Page on Facebook