Red Bull Symphonic 2026: One Orchestra, Two Headliners, a Genre-Defining First For South African Music
For the first time in Red Bull Symphonic’s history, two headliners will share one stage. On 13 June, House visionary […]
Black News 
For the first time in Red Bull Symphonic’s history, two headliners will share one stage. On 13 June, House visionary Sun-El Musician and powerhouse Dlala Thukzin will perform their catalogues reimagined with a full-scale symphonic orchestra under the baton of conductor Chad Hendricks at an outdoor show at Montecasino, Johannesburg.
The 2026 edition, titled Afro House, Our Home, follows from Amapiano to honour the role house music has played in South Africa’s sonic identity. House music birthed multiple sub genres, kwaito, qhom, amapiano and the emerging 3-Step wave, and this year’s Red Bull Symphonic celebrates that lineage by pairing two artists who are influenced by the past and present and are shaping the future.
Sun-El Musician has built a reputation as one of the country’s most distinctive DJ & producer. His platinum-certified debut Africa to the World reached Apple Music’s Top 200 Electronic Albums Worldwide. Songs like “Akanamali” and “Ubomi Abumanga” have become generational anthems, with the latter reaching a seven-week number one on the South African radio airplay chart.
“I’m happy to be part of this year’s Red Bull Symphonic,” he says. “It’s always special to be in spaces that truly celebrate the music. It feels like the right space for where I am right now, and I’m looking forward to sharing something real for the people to feel.”
If Sun-El represents the transcendent side of house, Dlala Thukzin is its raw voltage. The Lamontville, Durban native has been commanding dance floors since the age of 12, forging a Gqom-rooted, genre-fusing sound that has produced gold-certified tracks in “Phuze Remix” and “iPlan”, collaborating with the likes of Babes Wodumo, DJ Tira, and Def Jam Africa. With 368 million streams, 1.8 million monthly Spotify listeners, and 9.9 million Shazams, Thukzin’s reach Cements his reputation as one of SA’s most electrifying live performers.
“It’s very inspiring to be a part of this year’s Red Bull Symphonic,” commented Thukzin. “Sun El and I have created beautiful music respectively and coming together to produce this show is quite exciting. We aim to put up a great show for everyone,” he concluded.
Tasked with weaving both worlds into a single orchestral performance is Chad Hendricks, resident Conductor of the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic, Music Director of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and the youngest winner of South Africa’s national Conductors Competition. His cross-genre fluency, which was seen when he conducted for Andrea Bocelli one night and collaborated with Thandiswa Mazwai and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse the next, makes him the natural choice for a show that refuses to recognise boundaries.
“Red Bull Symphonic brings together musical worlds that I simultaneously live in,” says Hendricks. “I can’t wait to create something that is uniquely and proudly South African.”
Red Bull Symphonic 2026 Afro House, Our Home
DATE: 13 June 2026
DOORS OPEN: 16h00
SHOW STARTS: 18h00
VENUE: Montecasino, Johannesburg (Outdoor)
TICKETS: www.redbull.com/symphonicza
In partnership with Visa, Cell C, Engen
