French Institute of South Africa

15/06/2026

🔥Fête de la Musique returns to Victoria Yards for its 15th edition on Saturday, 20 June 2026, bringing with it a vibrant celebration of musical expression, community, and cultural exchange.

We are proud to partner with RedCircle by TEDxJohannesburg, where members of the public will be invited to share their one-minute ideas on music and catch special appearances by poets and musicians.

Attendance is free, with tickets for the Johannesburg edition available through Webtickets. 3000 tickets are available for advance booking, while 1000 places will be allocated to walk-in attendees on the day of the event.

👉Book your spot ASAP to avoid missing out: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1596316330

THE REDCIRCLE: THE SONGS I RETURN TO

Some songs feel like home.

Some feel like unfinished conversations.

Some wait patiently for our return.

The RedCircle by TEDxJohannesburg is coming to Fête de la Musique 2026 at Victoria Yards.

This edition’s theme is: “The Songs I Return To.”

From 1pm to 7pm on Saturday, 20 June, the circle opens for anyone with a one-minute idea, memory, reflection, confession, question, or story about music.

What’s the song you return to when the world becomes too loud?

What music still carries the shape of a person, a place, a season, a younger version of yourself?

What track has stayed with you across heartbreak, healing, joy, distance, love, loss, or becoming?

Alongside spontaneous contributions from the audience, the stage will also feature selected poets and musicians across the day.

No panels. No gatekeeping. No perfect answers.

Just people, stories, music, and a red circle in the middle of Johannesburg.

Come listen. Come speak. Come return to the songs that made you.

Victoria Yards
20 June 2026
1–7pm
Free Entry

11/06/2026

For Zamokuhle “Zama” Madinana, poetry has become far more than a creative outlet. It is a way of exploring the complexities of love, confronting social realities and giving voice to the stories that shape South African life. His thoughtful and often deeply personal work has earned recognition both at home and abroad, appearing in respected literary publications including The Shallow Tales, Kalahari Review, Efiko, Libretto, Brittle Paper and Olney.

His growing reputation saw him named one of three finalists for the Sol Plaatje EU Poetry Award, while a nomination for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in 2022 further cemented his place among a new generation of influential African literary voices.

That success has continued to build in recent years. His debut full-length collection, ’94, was longlisted for the South African Literary Award in 2024, introducing readers to a body of work that reflects on identity, history and contemporary South Africa.

Beyond the page, Zama has become a familiar presence on stages across the country, sharing his poetry with audiences from Johannesburg to communities further afield. His performances have also crossed borders, taking him to Botswana, Mozambique and Lesotho, where his words have connected with audiences through the shared language of storytelling, reflection and human experience.

Recently, Zama started hosting monthly poetry readings at Dibukafé, a living library curated by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), and he will also perform at this year’s Fête de la Musique on 20 June at Victoria Yards.

Read the full article here: https://www.goodthingsguy.com/ifas-zama-madinana/

10/06/2026

Join the French Institute and Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi for Restitution: Community Reappropriations and New Narratives, a panel discussion held in the presence of H.E. David Martinon, Ambassador of France to South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.

The conversation will explore how communities reclaim and reinterpret cultural heritage, and how new narratives emerge through artistic practice, activism, museum conservation and video game creation.

Participants will also have the opportunity to try Relooted 🎮, the award-winning video game developed by Nyamakop.

Attendance is free, but registration is required before 16 June:
🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7bIRx87oWTGlYyfa29jcqakMmRfeQvxPNqCUexcUsb-NGlQ/viewform

09/06/2026

📚 Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un événement littéraire exceptionnel : le lancement du livre « Sangoma, le guérisseur » de l’auteur Hichem Ben Azzouz, qui vient de recevoir le prestigieux Prix littéraire Comar d’Or 2026 lors d’une cérémonie organisée à l’Opéra de la Cité de la Culture à Tunis, le 24 mai 2026.

Publié par Hkeyet Éditions en 2025, « Sangoma, le guérisseur » est un roman qui, au-delà de la fiction, explore nos divisions et notre résilience en tant qu’êtres humains et aidants.

📅 Date: mercredi 10 juin
🕧 Heure: 18h00
📍Lieu: Alliance Française Johannesburg, 17 Lower Park Drive, Parkview

RSVP 🔗 https://forms.gle/J6Ag2C275vhUn2rS8

09/06/2026

Meet the poets performing at this year’s Fête de la Musique Johannesburg 2026:

🎤 Zama Madinana
🎤 SheisMitch
🎤 Xtremepoet

These poets will join the 15th edition of Fête de la Musique Johannesburg on Saturday, 20 June 2026 at Victoria Yards.

Organised by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and co-produced by Bassline, the festival is committed to supporting emerging and established artists through free live performances open to all.

Full programme coming soon.

Tickets are going quickly, so get yours now!! https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1596316330

08/06/2026

✨🎉✨ Meet the jury behind Création Africa South Africa, Lesotho & Malawi. Tasked with selecting this year’s finalists, the panel identified entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries ready to benefit from expert mentorship and business incubation. ✨🎉✨

08/06/2026

📢 Call for Submissions: SA at Annecy Booklet 2026

Open Window and Animation South Africa are compiling the South African Projects in Development Booklet and Company Directory for distribution at Annecy 2026.

All South African animation studios, VFX companies, game developers, creative studios, and independent creators are invited to submit their company details and projects in development for inclusion.

📅 Deadline: 12 June 2026

Company Directory submissions: us.list-manage.com/yDx71YZiWFw?e=4fc23e21f5&c2id=1ee4f8336c2d003005118fef10031095

Project Directory submission: us.list-manage.com/18Fr_NG6__U?e=4fc23e21f5&c2id=1ee4f8336c2d003005118fef10031095

08/06/2026

Take a piece of Fête de la Musique Johannesburg home 🎶

The official FDLM merchandise collection is now available for pre-order. From t-shirts and tote bags to caps, each item celebrates Johannesburg's annual gathering of musicians, audiences and communities through the shared language of live music.

‼️Pre-orders close on 12 June. Place an order before the deadline to avoid missing out.

Shop the collection: https://shopmerchbase.com/collections/fete-de-la-musique

05/06/2026

📣Applications are now open for Truth Lab 2026.

This Franco-German initiative brings together journalists, artists, Wikipedians, fact-checkers, researchers and digital creators to explore misinformation, media literacy, open knowledge and creative storytelling.

💻 Online training: 3-13 August 2026
📍 Johannesburg studio: 14-18 September 2026
🇿🇦 🇱🇸 🇸🇿 Open to applicants from South Africa, Lesotho and eSwatini

Deadline: 21 June 2026

More information here 🔗 https://frenchinstitute.org.za/arts-and-creative-industries/creative-industries/call-for-applications-truth-lab-2026/

04/06/2026

Marjane Satrapi, French-Iranian writer, illustrator and filmmaker passed away today. She was the author of Persepolis a famous graphic novel first published in French in 2000 and later translated into English and dozens of other languages.

Persepolis is widely regarded as one of the most influential graphic novels of the 21st century. Through the eyes of a young girl growing up in Tehran, Satrapi recounts her experience of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and its aftermath, offering a deeply personal perspective on the establishment of the new regime and its successful attempt to hijack the ideals of the revolution for repressive purposes.