Next: 28–30 May 2027 · Where: House on Fire, Malkerns Valley, Eswatini · Tickets: bush-fire.com · Since: 2007
Bushfire is a three-day music and arts festival held every May at House on Fire, a gallery and performance venue on a farm in the Malkerns Valley in central Eswatini. The 2027 edition will be its 20th. Its line-up hasn’t been announced yet, so the acts below are from 2026.
[Two or three sentences on what it feels like to be there: the crowd, the setting, the range of the line-up. Write it from the trip, not from the press release.]
Line-up 2026
- Uncle Waffles
- Jupiter & Okwess
- Kabelo Mabalane
- Hope Masike
- Lindigo
- Anna Sato
- Fillas de Cassandra
- Buhlebendalo
- Xolisa Dlamini
- Zawadi Yamungu
Last time
The 19th edition ran from 29 to 31 May 2026 under the theme “Juncture of Hum”. According to Swazi24, it drew more than 23,000 people from over 55 countries, with 378 artists in 96 acts from 20 countries. The bill put Eswatini-born DJ Uncle Waffles and Swati artists alongside acts from Congo, Zimbabwe, Réunion and Spain.
The day before, the EU Bushfire Schools Festival was held at the same venue on 28 May.
[The highlights, from the trip.]
How it started
Bushfire was started by Jiggs Thorne (Music In Africa), who is still its festival director. The Malandela farm where it is held is owned by Thorne and his two brothers (Wikipedia). The first festival was in 2007.
[What the first edition looked like, and how it grew. Confirm with the organisers.]
Getting there
House on Fire is on the MR27 road at Malkerns, in the Manzini region. [Nearest airport and flights; driving times from Johannesburg and Maputo; border crossings; any festival shuttles.]
Where to stay
[Camping on site, lodges in the valley, or a base in Manzini or Mbabane. Rough prices, and how early people book.]
Know before you go
- Tickets — Capacity is limited, and tickets have to be bought in advance. [When 2027 tickets go on sale, the tiers, and whether there are day passes.]
- Money — [Cash or card on site, and which currencies are taken. Confirm with the organisers.]
- Weather — [What the valley is like at the end of May, by day and at night, and what to pack.]
- Getting in — [Visa and entry notes for visitors from the region, the rest of Africa and further away.]
[A short closing paragraph: why it is worth the trip.]
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q135234281
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=-26.4981&mlon=31.2181#map=15/-26.4981/31.2181