The Festival of Lights at the Johannesburg Zoo is still on, and there are plenty of experiences to marvel over, including great performances by award-winning vocalist Brenda Mtambo and musician Bongi Mthombeni.
“Festival-goers will get to unwrap festive joy at the live open-air concerts in the spectacular surroundings of the Joburg Zoo,” says JT Communication Solutions, the festival promoter.
The Festival of Lights first illuminated Upper Park Drive in Parkview on Thursday, 25 November 2021 and is set to switch off on Sunday, 2 January 2022.
Apart from being treated to world-class entertainment, every night, members of the public are welcomed by the zoo to experience a tunnel of lights packed with life-sized as well as giant light statues of animals and more. The week of Christmas is no exception, and visitors can expect even better.
If you missed the Sempre Orchestra and the Mzansi Youth Choir on Wednesday, 22 December, make sure you do not miss unwrapping the festive joy on Sunday, 26 December when they take over the stage once again.
The Sempre Opera ensemble will exalt festivalgoers with an open-air concert rendition of Gloria in Excelsis Deo, along with all your Christmas sing-along favourites. Sempre Opera is a professional, non-profit opera company committed to producing full-length opera productions of the highest artistic calibre.
Sharing the stage with the Sempre Opera is the internationally acclaimed Mzansi Youth Choir, which is billed to perform on Friday, 24 December and Monday, 27 December. The Mzansi Youth Choir is known for its pinpoint choreography, extraordinary vocals, and breath-taking wardrobe.
Other local artists on the festival bill include award-winning vocalist Brenda Mtambo, who will wrap up the Festival of Lights on a musical high between Tuesday, 28 December, and the New Year.
Brenda Mtambo’s incredible and one-of-a-kind ability to tell stories through music allows her audience to travel with her in the narrative when listening to the Afro-soul powerhouse. Brenda Mtambo is without a doubt one of the most powerful and soulful voices around, having belted out notes from the tender age of 5 and spending her adolescent years singing choral music.
Tembisa-born pianist, music arranger, sound engineer, and producer, Bongi Mthombeni, will perform alongside Mtambo. The former idols contestant’s passion for music is expected to ignite the Festival of Lights stage on his performance days.
“Patrons are encouraged to bring along their camping chairs and picnic blankets to sit on as they listen to and enjoy entertainment under Joburg’s starry night sky. The festival will adhere to lockdown Covid-19 protocols, and patrons are urged to observe these,” JT Communication Solutions stresses.
All performances take place between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and visitors are encouraged to arrive early to allow for Covid-19 screening to be done before entering the zoo. Tickets are priced at R75 for kids between 3 and 12 years, R90 for pensioners, and R150 for adults and kids older than 12. Kids under the age of 3 enter for free.
Tickets are available through www.joburgtheatre.com.
Written by Sascha-Lee Joseph
24/12/2021