ULTRA South Africa 2026 Groove Room Lineup Celebrates Amapiano and African Dance Music
ULTRA South Africa 2026 Groove Room Lineup Celebrates Amapiano and African Dance Music
Johannesburg, 12 March 2026 — ULTRA South Africa is once again placing African dance music firmly in the international spotlight with the return of its dedicated stage, The Groove Room, for the 2026 edition in Johannesburg.
Designed to celebrate and elevate the sounds dominating dance floors across the continent, The Groove Room transforms the festival into a high-energy celebration of Amapiano, Afro-house, Gqom and cutting-edge electronic fusion.
Returning in 2026, the stage will showcase a powerhouse lineup of African dance music stars including Liquideep, Major League DJz (Scorpion Kings), DBN Gogo, Dlala Thukzin, Oscar Mbo, DJ Lag x Que DJ, Sun-El Musician, 2Shoes, Lelowhatsgood and Slow Poison.
Groove Room Launches Official YouTube Channel
To expand the Groove Room experience beyond the festival grounds, ULTRA South Africa has launched the official Groove Room YouTube Channel, a permanent digital home for exclusive live sets, performances and curated electronic music content.
The channel has already demonstrated massive global interest:
- 300,000 views within its first week
- Over 1 million views to date
The rapid growth highlights the global appetite for authentic African electronic dance music.
African Dance Music’s Global Rise
African electronic music is currently experiencing unprecedented international growth, with Amapiano leading the charge as one of the fastest-growing music genres globally.
According to Spotify’s 2025 Wrapped data and the IFPI Global Music Report 2025:
- Amapiano has seen explosive global growth
- South African artists generated hundreds of millions of rands in streaming royalties in 2025
- Genres such as Gqom and Afro-house are dominating international playlists and festival lineups
Pioneering artists like DJ Lag, DBN Gogo, and Sun-El Musician have helped bring African electronic music into the global mainstream through viral hits, collaborations and festival performances.
The Groove Room stage plays a key role in accelerating this momentum, turning local innovation into a worldwide movement.
ULTRA South Africa Organiser Speaks
According to Shaun Duwe, organiser of ULTRA South Africa and CEO of The Unit:
“The Groove Room is more than just a stage, it’s an African dance music movement. We created this platform to give African dance artists the world-class showcase they deserve, right here on home soil.
The incredible response to our new YouTube channel in just one week proves that the world is finally ready to listen. 2026 is going to be our biggest celebration of African sound yet, and we can’t wait to share it with fans both at the festival and around the globe.”
ULTRA South Africa 2026 Dates and Locations
The 11th edition of ULTRA South Africa will take place in two major cities:
Johannesburg
Expo Centre at Nasrec
Saturday, 25 April 2026
Cape Town
The Ostrich
Sunday, 26 April 2026
Known for world-class production, cutting-edge sound systems and global talent, the festival continues to cement its reputation as one of Africa’s premier electronic music festivals.
ULTRA South Africa 2026 Ticket Prices
Tickets are now on sale at ultrasouthafrica.com.
Ticket Options
- General Access: From R995 (limited availability)
- VIP: From R2,000 (limited availability)
- VVIP (Johannesburg only): From R4,500
For those wanting a premium experience with an exclusive VVIP table, email:
ULTRA South Africa 2026 Lineup
Headliners (A–Z)
- Afrojack B2B R3HAB
- Axwell
- Dennis Ferrer
- DJ Snake
- John Summit
- Shimza
Support
- Apashe
- Caiiro B3B Enoo Napa B3B Da Capo
- DBN Gogo
- Kitty Amor
- Kyle Watson
- Major League DJz
Additional Support
2Shoes
Aidin Caye
Baby Whitz
Chunda Munki
Cinimin
Connie
Dean Fuel
DJ Kent
DJ Lag x Que DJ
Dlala Thukzin
Dwson
Headroom B2B Geometric Flux
Indigo
Jevan Binder
Kid Fonque
Kurt April
Lelowhatsgood
Liquideep
Mia
Mila-Rose
Mpho.Wav
Niskerone B2B Dakota
Oscar Mbo
Roz
Skelm
Slow Poison
Sun-El Musician
Threemanweave
Timo ODV B2B Kyle Cassim
Vimo
About ULTRA South Africa
ULTRA South Africa forms part of the Ultra Music Festival Worldwide family, one of the largest international music festival brands in the world.
The brand hosts events across all six inhabited continents, with its flagship festival taking place annually in Miami, USA.
Ultra is globally recognised for delivering:
- Top-tier electronic music talent
- Cutting-edge stage technology
- Large-scale festival productions
FAQ – ULTRA South Africa 2026
What is ULTRA South Africa?
ULTRA South Africa is one of Africa’s largest electronic music festivals and part of the global Ultra Music Festival brand. The event brings together international DJs and top African electronic music artists for large-scale performances in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
When is ULTRA South Africa 2026?
ULTRA South Africa 2026 will take place on two dates:
- 25 April 2026 – Expo Centre at Nasrec
- 26 April 2026 – The Ostrich
How much are ULTRA South Africa 2026 tickets?
Ticket prices for ULTRA South Africa 2026 start from:
- General Access: From R995
- VIP: From R2,000
- VVIP (Johannesburg only): From R4,500
Tickets are available online via the official ULTRA South Africa website.
What is The Groove Room at ULTRA South Africa?
The Groove Room is a dedicated stage at ULTRA South Africa that celebrates African electronic music genres such as Amapiano, Afro-house, and Gqom. It features leading African artists and aims to showcase the continent’s dance music culture on a global platform.
Which artists are performing at ULTRA South Africa 2026?
The festival will feature a mix of global and African artists including:
- Afrojack
- R3HAB
- Axwell
- DJ Snake
- John Summit
- Shimza
- DBN Gogo
- Major League DJz
- Sun-El Musician
Many additional artists are also scheduled to perform across multiple stages.
Where can I watch Groove Room performances online?
ULTRA South Africa has launched the official Groove Room YouTube channel, which features exclusive performances, DJ sets and festival highlights from African electronic music artists.
Why is Amapiano becoming globally popular?
Genres like Amapiano have seen massive global growth due to streaming platforms such as Spotify and viral social media trends. According to the IFPI Global Music Report 2025, South African artists generated hundreds of millions of rands in streaming royalties, showing the worldwide demand for African dance music.
