A choral thunderstorm as Drakies meet Eastern Cape children’s brightest voices.

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The Mandela Bay Theatre Complex will host a musical phenomenon from 1-2 August 2025, unlike anything the Eastern Cape has seen, a spellbinding collaboration between South Africa’s iconic Drakensberg Boys Choir and the rising stars of the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir, conducted under the visionary leadership of Marlise van Rooyen.

From 1 to 2 August 2025, the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex becomes the beating heart of a musical awakening, a rare and electrifying union of choral titans as the world-renowned Drakensberg Boys Choir shares the stage with the luminous Eastern Cape Children’s Choir. In a collaboration poised to stir the soul and shake the rafters, this once-in-a-generation performance.

The unrivalled collaboration will summon a storm of harmony, heritage, and youthful brilliance. This is not just a concert, it is a cultural crescendo the Eastern Cape has never witnessed before.

 Monde Ngonyama, CEO of the MBTC, ever the maestro of bold artistic encounters, promises nothing less than transcendence. “This is sure to be a musical tour de force,” he declares. “Drakies and the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir will set hearts aflutter. We are not just hosting a concert, we are creating a cultural moment. A choral thunderstorm is coming to Mandela Bay, and the collaboration is poised to make sure the Eastern Cape's spirit sings louder, deeper, and prouder than ever.”

Set across two nights, this performance is a poetic collision of tradition and innovation, innocence and experience, mountain and ocean. Expect soaring harmonies, indigenous rhythms, and orchestral finesse as the Drakensberg Boys Choir, known for its global excellence, blends seamlessly with the youthful vibrance of the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir, whose voice rises from the heartland of choral heritage.

Elanza Joubert, tour coordinator for the event, invites all generations to come: “It’s a family affair. The purists and the younger crowd will be catered for. The programme is a veritable feast of sound, classical, contemporary, and proudly African.”

The excitement is palpable among the singers themselves. Marlise van Rooyen, director of the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir, beams with pride, “We are thrilled to share the stage with the Drakensberg Boys Choir. Our 20-minute programme will be unforgettable. We will not disappoint the people of Gqeberha and surrounds, this is our time to shine.”

“With this concert, MBTC transforms the stage into a sanctuary, not just for music, but for identity, excellence, and intergenerational harmony. The thunder rises from the mountains, but in Mandela Bay, it will roar from the Eastern Cape’s own. This is more than a concert. It’s a celebration. A proclamation. A promise kept in harmony. Don’t miss it. 1–2 August. Mandela Bay Theatre Complex. The voices of the future are here and they sing in unison” concluded Ngonyama.

Get your ticket - HERE!