Ngoma Choir Festival set to make its debut in Kimberley
The Ngoma Choir Festival debuts in Kimberley from 20 to 22 February 2026, offering young singers free choral training, expert guidance from Hamilton “Chillies” Motloung, and a mass choir performance, celebrating youth, music, and community.
Image: Supplied
KIMBERLEY will welcome a vibrant new addition to its cultural scene with the launch of the Ngoma Choir Festival, running from 20 to 22 February 2026. Designed as an annual event, the festival celebrates youth, music, and community, bringing young voices together for a unique choral experience.
The festival is aimed at singers aged 13 to 25, including Grade 7 learners, and participation is completely free, ensuring accessibility for all aspiring young performers from Kimberley and surrounding areas. Over three days, participants will engage in structured rehearsals and choral development sessions, focusing on vocal technique, ensemble skills, discipline, and musical expression. Organisers hope to unite around 300 young singers in a mass choir, creating a powerful collective performance.
Guiding the festival is guest conductor Hamilton “Chillies” Motloung, a renowned theatre and music director, composer, conductor, producer, and writer. With training from the Federated Union of Black Arts (FUBA), Hamilton brings extensive expertise in vocal coaching, music theory, production, and choral direction and has made lasting contributions to theatre and music education in South Africa.
The Ngoma Choir Festival is presented by the Marcato Arts Foundation, a Kimberley-based non-profit dedicated to arts education and youth development. The foundation focuses on creating inclusive opportunities for young people, particularly in underserved communities, to engage meaningfully in music and the performing arts.
The public can experience the festival’s grand finale at a final concert on Sunday, 22 February 2026, at 15:00 at the Northern Cape Theatre. Tickets are available via Quicket.
Registration for the festival remains open. Interested participants can sign up online at https://forms.gle/nyW9cyhuHYKMbtM8A. For further information or inquiries, organisers can be contacted by email at ngoma@marcatoartsfoundation.co.za or via WhatsApp at 060 163 8609.
With its focus on youth, accessibility, and musical excellence, the Ngoma Choir Festival promises to be an inspiring platform for young voices and a cornerstone for future choral events in the Northern Cape.