Monday Choon: John Summit - SHADOWS (feat. LAVINIA)

 

With Ultra South Africa around corner, we got one of the headliner acts, John Summit this week with one of his latest tracks, "Shadows". The track has been out for 3 weeks now but fans of the man would have heard him drop it in sets for the last month and half now. It's another high energy, fast paced electronic track that has the vocals spot on by Lavinia. The man can do wrong when it comes to his music ability and to cement his name in the trace music folklore, he has just been confirmed to play a face-to-face set with Armin van Buuren at ASOT Poland in June this year. 

Ultra SA 2026 - Artist Line Up

Big news for all ultranauts dropped yesterday with Ultra SA giving us the full artist line-up for this years event taking place on the 25th of April in Johannesburg and the 26th of April in Cape Town. Unlike previous years where we had a phased artist announcement, this year they decided to just drop the entire line-up which in my opinion is better rather than playing the waiting game to see if your fav's are coming. 

The international mainstage headliners did not disappoint with sets from Afrojack playing back-to-back with R3hab, Axwell, DJ Snake whom all have played in the country before but making his debut and being the main headline act is John Summit. We're a big fan of what John has been doing and we can guarantee you he will be bringing that energy to the SA crowds come April. 

Resistance stage is back with Dennis Ferrer and SA's very on Shimza who's been creating "fire" on dance floors across the world headling that. Loads of support artists for the event is made up with some of the best local acts, such as Dean Fuel, Aidin Caye, Liquideep, Timo ODV, DJ Kent, Baby Whitz and many more. Tickets are still availabe at www.ultrasouthafrica.com 

Ultra South Africa 2026 - Tickets on sale

 

Ultra South Africa 2026 tickets have gone on sale but only if you have registered on the website for ticket sales. As usual, Ultra will be held in two cities next year, namely Johannesburg and Cape Town with the first show taking place in the city of Gold on the 25th of April 2026 at the Nasrec Expo Center, Cape Town's show will take place on the next day, 26th of April 2026 at the Ostrich venue. No artists have been confirmed as yet but that hasn't stopped the Ultranauts from snapping up the Tier 1 general access tickets in record time yesterday. 

Tickets for the various shows and pricing are as follows:

ULTRA SOUTH AFRICA 2026 TICKET PRICING
Ticket Category	Johannesburg - 25 April 2026	Cape Town - 26 April 2026
General Access Tier 1	R895	R795
General Access Tier 2	R995	R895
General Access Tier 3	R1095	R995
General Access Tier 4	R1195	R1095
VIP Tier 1	R1500	R1500
VIP Tier 2	R2000	R2000
VIP Tier 3	R2500	R2500
VIP Tier 4	R3000	R3000
VVIP Tier 2	R4500	Not Available
VVIP TIer 3	R5500	Not Available

Tickets available from the Howler Website for Johannesburg and Cape Town

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

Monday Choon: Afroki - Everything You Do (ft. Aviella)

Afroki see's the collaboration between two heavy weight DJ's and Producers in the EDM world. Dutch DJ Afrojack teams up with American DJ Steve Aoki to form the formidable Afroki. Making their on stage debut at EDC Orlando last November, South African audiences got a taste of it a couple of weeks ago at Ultra South Africa. The high energy set with bespoke tracks combining the best of both styles proves to be a festival winner. Their track "Everything You Do" encapsulates that, with a mixture of trance, house and big room techno sound. The song features the vocals of Aviella that transitions well with the production, the bass line has a progression through out the track from the first part to the second part and not repetitive like you'd normally be used to on most tracks. I thought this was brilliantly done and gives the song a better sound. It's the first of what will be many from the duo, one which I'm looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves for the future. 

ULTRA SA 2024 - Phase 1 Line up

 

ULTRA South Africa this morning released their phase one line-up for next years festival. The biggest dance music festival just got bigger with some major head lining acts confirmed for 2024. Dutch DJ Afrojack returns to the stages of Ultra SA, the last time present he had the crowds jumping with his classics and live set mashups and remixes. Steve Aoki also returns and be sure to be standing front line if you want to get caked by man himself. Ultra is bringing the big room sound back with the addition of W&W who are undoubtedly one of the hottest acts at the moment, the energy these two have on stage and the ability to get the crowd going is remarkable. A first time appearance at Ultra South Africa for Paraguayan DJ Vintage Culture and another return of see's Skrillex coming back to the country, he's a man who has re-inspired his sound and has been making major waves world over with his collaborations, mainly with Fred Again and Four Tet, definitely not going to be missing his high energy set next year. 

Support acts include Major League and Shimza, with more to be announced in the Phase 2 line-up which is due to drop soon. 

Ultra South Africa 2024

Ultra South Africa, the country's premier electronic dance music festival, will return in 2024. Ultra South Africa 2023 broke attendance records and is now set to welcome back tens of thousands of electronic music lovers in March 2024 for two more events in Cape Town and Johannesburg. 

Ultra South Africa 2024 will take place on Friday 1 March in Cape Town at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse, and on Saturday 2 March in Johannesburg at the Expo Centre at Nasrec. 

Ultra South Africa is anticipating a huge demand for tickets for its 2024 edition, and has unveiled a ticket registration prior to its official on-sale launch. With registration, fans will receive the chance to buy limited Tier 1 tickets at launch-phase pricing – the most affordable tickets available. Attendees can register for tickets at www.UltraSouthAfrica.com/Tickets before Tier 1 tickets officially go on sale on Tuesday 1 August.

General Access tickets are from R695.

VIP tickets are from R1,500.

VVIP (Johannesburg only) tickets are from R3,500.

Ticket prices are all-inclusive, with no additional or hidden fees. 

With nearly 500,000 attendees over Ultra South Africa’s eight-year history, the 2024 edition will sustain the festival’s storied legacy by bringing the event to new heights with elevated, top-shelf production and musical talent. 

Stay connected with ULTRA South Africa on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for additional updates and lineup announcements.

Ultra South Africa 2023: Phase 1 Line Up

ULTRA South Africa, the continent’s largest electronic music festival, will return in March 2023 with an incredible lineup of world-class talent. 

The last ULTRA South Africa in 2020 brought 50,000 ecstatic partygoers together for gold-standard performances, pyrotechnics and party moments - the memories of which have lasted until today. But now it’s time to make some new ones. 

Friday, 10th March 2023 will host ULTRA South Africa’s first show at its brand-new Cape Town home. The well-known, well-situated and beautifully designed Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse. Home to some of Cape Town’s most iconic events, the ULTRA South Africa organisers will transform this space into a fantastic festival fantasy-land. From the iconic and jaw-dropping Main Stage set-up, to the mesmeric RESISTANCE experience, this venue is the perfect setting for an expansive outdoor festival like ULTRA South Africa.

On Saturday 11th March, 2023, ULTRA South Africa will take over the historic Expo Centre at Nasrec in Johannesburg for the 8th time since the festival’s inception. Maximizing the vast space of the venue, ULTRA will host the best international and local talent with unparalleled production.

Are you ready to go big at ULTRA South Africa 2023? If so, you’ll be in good company with the following incredible Phase 1 international headline artists. 

MAIN STAGE LINEUP

Fisher

Australian DJ Fisher, AKA Paul Nicholas Fisher, is known for his undeniably electric presence and party tech-house style. He’s a crowd favourite, and knows how to get a party started better than anyone, as he’s proven over his 10 year career with tracks like You Little Beauty, Losing It and Ya Kidding. 

Black Coffee

South African DJ, producer and songwriter Black Coffee is a legend in the industry. His long list of hits, including Turn Me On, Never Gonna Forget, and Ready For You has won him a massive following. He has bagged major awards along the way, becoming the first African to win a Grammy. 

Alesso 

Swedish DJ Alesso is a bonafide superstar, known for his progressive music hits and collaborating with acts like One Republic and Calvin Harris. He’s developed a global following thanks to his ubiquitous hits like Falling, I Wanna Know and Sweet Escape.

Chris Lake 

Blackbook Records boss Chris Lake will bring his dynamic brand of house music to ULTRA South Africa’s Main stage for an invigorating performance. The British producer and DJ skyrocketed to fame over the past decade with chart-topping releases such as Turn Off The Lights, Boneless, and Deceiver. 

Timmy Trumpet

Australian multi-platinum artist Timmy Trumpet is known around the world for his unique blend of electronic music with tracks like Oracle, Mad World and Call Me. His infectious stage presence makes for an unforgettable headlining performance as he incorporates live trumpet and jazz elements.

RESISTANCE LINEUP

Adam Beyer 

Swedish DJ Adam Beyer is heralded as a techno titan, having founded his own tastemaking Drumcode Records imprint and curating Drumcode Radio Live which reaches nearly 11 million listeners weekly. His iconic discography includes timeless tracks like “Your Mind,” “Going Down” and “Teach Me” and his legendary performances make him one of the most sought after techno acts. 

Joris Voorn

Joris Voorn’ sits at the epicenter of the Dutch electronic music scene, celebrated as one the most renowned and instantly recognisable underground artists from Holland. For the last 20 years, he’s been a favourite in the festival circuit, wowing audiences to his hits like “Ringo,” “Transmission” and “Safe.” 

Kölsch

Danish DJ Kölsch is known for his otherworldly productions, concocting melodic, emotional dubplates and selling millions of records worldwide. His body of work, including tracks like “Grey,” “Loreley,” and “All That Matters” have made an indelible mark on the techno landscape.

Tickets are on sale now at https://ultrasouthafrica.com/. 

Stay connected with ULTRA South Africa on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for additional updates and phase 2 lineup announcement. 

Ultra South Africa 2023

After close to a three year absence, South Africa's biggest dance music festival returns in 2023! Yes, Ultra South Africa is back to hit the African continent in March next year, bringing you the biggest names in the electronic dance music industry to perform live, in our backyard. Interesting to note that South Africa was the only country to host an Ultra festival in 2020 prior to the world going into lockdown and while the world has slowly opened up and eased restrictions since March this year, most of the festivals in the Americas and Europe had us suffering with major FOMO while we sat and watched them on the live streams so you can only imagine how much us locals are raring to go! 

Ultra SA 2023 in its 8th edition will be hosted in the two host cities as normal, starting with Cape Town on the 10th of March 2023, at a new venue of Kenilworth Racecourse and the following day, March 11th in Johannesburg at the Expo Centre in Nasrec. Tickets are on sale now, via the official website, www.ultrasouthafrica.com with tier 1 tickets selling out fast for both venues! So avoid disappointment and register for your Ultra Passport now!

Ultra South Africa 2020 - Recap

This past weekend saw the largest dance music festival on the continent take place over two days in two cities. Over 50,000 Ultranauts descended upon both Cape Town's Ostrich Ranch and Nasrec  in Johannesburg. Having attended the Johannesburg leg of the event, I can say this years one superseeds the previous ones in terms of crowds, stages and line-ups. All four stages had packed out crowds with a range of International and local artists performing their hits. People were spoiled for choice, with a stage offering something for everyone. The Ultra App was a must this year, to help you keep tabs on who is playing where and at what time, making sure you didn't miss anything. Organisers have learnt well from the past and this years Ultra was one of the smoothest and seamless I've been to in the past years, massive props to the organizers and sponsors for pulling this off. 

The main stage as ever was spectacular and came alive during the dark, International acts such as Dash Berlin, Steve Aoki, Afrojack and DJ Snake were highlights from there but South Africa's very own Black Coffee stole the show for me. It was his first time playing on the main stage and he really showed us why he is world renowned and so in demand. Resistance stage set up was amazing, with the over heard LED grid as well as the large visuals on the stage, couple that with some of the best deep house music by both local and international acts. Da Capo, Camelphat, Luciano were just some of the many who had party goers on their feet. 

Ultra South Africa have already confirmed dates for next year, with Feb 26th and 27th being secured for the 2021 shows. If this years was anything to go by, you do not want to miss out on next years event!

Ultra South Africa 2020 - Set Times

Just 2 more sleeps till Ultra South Africa 2020 kicks off in Cape Town at the Ostrich Farm followed by the Johannesburg leg at Ultra. Many Ultranauts cannot wait for this weekends events and probably itching to see their favourite artists, the best way to make sure you don't miss any is to take note of the official set times and plan your time at Ultra SA with the official App! It's been the saving grace for many over the years and if you are attending, it's the best thing to have! You can schedule the DJ's sets you want to see so you can plan in advance to make sure you make the most out of your Ultra experience.

Download the app: ultrasouthafrica.com/app

Cape Town

Johannesburg

Ultra South Africa: Park & Ride

Planning on going to Ultra South Africa next week? Why bother driving and risk sitting in traffic or trying to find parking, because the Ultra Family have your back with exclusive park and ride facilities at minimal costs! Ultra SA have teamed up with Zeelo to provide shuttle services between the venue and designated parking areas in and around the city, most of them being shopping malls. It's the easier and less stressful way of getting to Ultra SA and you can sit back, get the party going on your trip there for just R200 for Zeelo or R160 for Park and Ride.

Ultra SA Johannesburg also has a new opening time, gates will officially open at 12pm for the very first time, so 2020 party goers can start the festivities earlier and avoid the long queuing process that many have been plagued with in the past. All early entrants will receive a free Budweiser on arrival (while stocks last), also parking at NASREC will be free for all early arrivals. This is just one of a few ways organizers are doing to curb the traffic nightmares. 

Ultra South Africa 2020 - Final Line-Up

With under a month left to the first show, Ultra South Africa have dropped their final artist announcement. The line-up includes a host of SA's best that will make up the supporting acts for the event. With the main head liners already been announced in phases one and two, festival goers can now see which one of their favourite South African acts they can catch at Ultra South Africa 2020. In this announcement, stages were announced to, In Cape Town you can look forward to the Main Stage and Resistance while in Johannesburg you have the choice of four stages! 

Yes, that's right, four stages for the event taking place at Nasrec Expo Center on the 29th of February. Johannesburg audiences can choose from the main stage, Resistance, BUDX and the 5fm Stage. Catch international artists DJ Snake, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, The Return of Dash Berling and Black Coffee on the Main Stage, over at Resistance, international headliners include Jamie Jones, Luciano and Camelphat. Tickets are still available from the website, www.ultrasouthafrica.com with Tier 2 General access going for R650 in Cape Town and R800 for Johannesburg. There's not many Tier 2 tickets left with Tier 3 coming into effect soon, so purchase yours now! VIP and VVIP tickets are available as well, starting from R1250 a ticket for CT and R1000 for JHB. 

Ultra South Africa 2020 - Phase 2 Line Up

Last week saw the release of the second phase artist line-up for Ultra 2020. Additions to the already star studded list include Chilean-Swiss DJ Luciano who will be touring the country for the first time. His music is strongly influenced by Latin American Music and his sets in Ibiza are world renowned. Another International headliner announced was the Dutch DJ duo of Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano who are legends of Ultra Miami. Their music style is progressive and their stage presence is second to none, they will also be making their Ultra SA debut and no doubt will be a strong favourite with the crowds as well. Last but certainly not least is the introduction of Camelphat as another of the support act, the British duo need no introduction to South African audiences as their hit single featuring Elderbrook "Cola" was played in full force around the country during its release. Since then the pair have made a number of hits as well as remixed some great tracks along the way, definitely one not to be missed come Feb next year. Tickets are on sale from the WEBSITE so get yours now before its too late! Phase 3 artist line-up to drop soon so keep an eye out! 

Ultra South Africa 2020 - Phase 1 Line Up Announced!

In case you missed it yesterday, Ultra South Africa dropped their phase one artist line-up announcing some big name headliners to grace the 2020 event!  Ultra SA 2020 see's the return of some greats and the first time appearances of some new international acts, returning to our shores are DJ Snake, Afrojack and Dash Berlin. Making his first Ultra SA appearance none other than the time-traveling DJ global superstar Steve Aoki! Steve is no stranger to South Africa having toured the country before, his performances were high energy and full of entertainment with some lucky fans getting their face smashed with some cake. Aoki is ranked as one of the DJ Mag's top 10 DJ's in the world and local Ultranauts are in for a treat with his thunderous performance.

Confirmed for 2020 is Ultra's award winning underground music stage, Resistance, it returns with local and global superstar Black Coffee headlining along with Jamie Jones who will be making his debut in SA, the hot creations label-head and respected taste-maker will undoubtedly mesmerize audiences with his melodic brand of house and techno.  Them along with others who will be joining the line-up will be providing the crowd with groovy house and techno vibes to take them into the night. 

Dash Berlin

Tickets for Ultra South Africa 2020 are on sale with most of the Tier 1 tickets sold out, Tier 2 tickets go on sale too. More announcements regarding ticket sales, artists, the brand-new BudX stage and many other expansion plans for 2020 coming soon! Visit www.ultrasouthafrica.com for more

Jamie Jones

Ultra South Africa 2020

Registration for South Africa's biggest Dance Music Festival is open for 2020! Yes, Ultra South Africa returns for its 7th installment and promises to be bigger and better than before. Taking place in February 2020, on the 28th at Cape Town's Ostrich Farm and in Johannesburg on the 29th of February at the Expo Centre in Nasrec. Registration for ticket purchases closes on Monday 12th August at 11:59pm and tickets go on sale from the 14th of August. Prices are as follows.

For the loyal Ultra SA goers who attended from the very beginning, you would have been notified if you qualify for legacy tickets, these tickets will be priced at Tier 1 value and will be preloaded with R100 on your wristband to use at the event.

Monday Choon: ilan Bluestone feat. EL Waves - Mama Africa

Above & Beyond opened their set at ASOT 900 in Utrecht with this track and ever since I couldn't get it out of my head so its only natural that I have it featured. It's yet another stellar production by UK DJ Ilan Bluestone along with EL Waves and pays a nice tribute to the African continent. The song is essentially about Africa being the mother of the world and the significance of it to the world. It would have been fitting if Above & Beyond opened their sets at Ultra SA with this one but I suppose they wanted to give the local crowds as much of their own music in the short space of time. Mama Africa is one of those tracks that just gets you in that right mood. 

Bucket Babe: Pasha dos Santos

 

It's hard to believe March is almost over, but with the current state of affairs in our country, months that are flying by is the least of our concerns. As it is I'm doing this post by candlelight with 4 hamsters powering up my computer due to load shedding....don't worry, the hamsters are well fed and hydrated. Moving on to the top of today's post, I've had the opportunity to interview some damn inspiring woman over the years and today's is another that just shows you what we can achieve with  the right attitude, perseverance and determination. Our model hails from a small town in the Eastern Cape but has made Cape Town her home, she's a star in the making with her being an avid dancer and qualified in fine arts. She's performed on stage, both locally and abroad, and also has her own business. She's goal driven and makes a bomb-ass toastie which I want verify for myself some time. She was also part of the Ultra Angel crew at the Cape Town leg of Ultra South Africa, okay okay, enough from me, here's...

Pasha dos Santos

BIO

Hello, Iam Pasha dos Santos, a 26 year old Cape Tonian who grew up in a small town in the Eastern Cape.

With an excellent school grounding in classical music, dance, drama and fine art it was difficult to choose a career path. Because I always wanted to be a performer I elected to study in Pretoria - a Diploma in Performing Arts, majoring in Dance. 

Moving to Cape Town on my own and events in my life, both happy and positive with lots of harsh and negative thrown in, has shaped my career so far. I have had to learn to be tough, to have perseverance, to always keep my end goal in sight and to make the best of the opportunities that have come my way. I have had to learn what makes me me - personally I like to be settled and stable but my other artistic side pulls me in the opposite direction. I have learnt to balance my life.

I run my own Pilates business (Pasha Pilates) and am investigating what social media can offer a modern woman life myself. My Instagram page has grown to almost 20,000 followers. 

I have an agent for modelling and have been booked for commercials. I have danced for corporate functions, gigs, stage shows both here and abroad. I have sung in Europe, danced in the Seychelles, been a DHL Stormers dance and this year was an Ultra Angel. 

Goals are important to me and I have many, I want to be on the cover of a magazine in a swimsuit shoot, run a performing arts academy, to travel the world, to choreograph dances and to showcase what dance can mean to each different person. But at the end - I want what we all want - to be healthy and happy and fulfilled woman with my own family.

LINKS

Q&A

1. Hot girls and hot cars go hand in hand, what ride would you like to  see yourself in?

• Mustang GT or Lamborghini.

2. What sandwich are you most likely to make for me? and will it be toasted or plain?

• The classic toasted cheese sandwich and I'm not even going to lie, I make a bomb-ass toastie!

3. Everyone loves popcorn (well I think they do) what is your topping/ sprinkle of choice?

• Butter salt for the win!

4. Dream cover shoot?

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.

5. If given a choice, full time model or full time executive, what would you choose?

• Tough, because I enjoy both but I had to choose then Executive.

6. Growing up you must have had someone you aspired to be, so who is your role model?

• My mother <3 .="" i="">

7. Anyone holding that hand yet? or is it available?

• Available ;)

8. Obviously being a female you would love fashion. Favourite label/ designer?

• Alexander McQueen.

9. What type of music gets your booty shaking?

• EDM, deep house and hip-hop.

10. Which city is your dream party destination?

• Ibiza )just because it has the 'Pacha' night club ;)