MBABANE - The Eswatini Theatre Club has launched Performance Week Mbabane, a new performance arts event set to take place from December 4 to 6 this year.
Spearheaded by the club’s new committee, the initiative aims to establish a dynamic platform that celebrates the diversity and creativity of Eswatini’s performing arts scene.
The inaugural edition of Performance Week Mbabane will feature an engaging programme of theatre and music, alongside workshops, discussions and industry dialogues. The event will bring together performance artists and professionals in and around Mbabane to share insights, foster collaboration and promote artistic exchange.
Performance Week Mbabane is an addition to Eswatini Theatre Club’s calendar, designed to strengthen Mbabane as a city of culture. Through its programming, the event seeks not only to entertain, but also to educate audiences and practitioners, providing a platform that supports knowledge sharing, mentorship and skill development across disciplines.
Eswatini Theatre Club’s Sizo Hlophe said this initiative marks a new chapter for Eswatini’s performance arts. “We envision Performance Week Mbabane as a platform that connects artists, inspires creativity and contributes meaningfully to the country’s cultural ecosystem,” he said.
As one of Eswatini’s oldest cultural organisations, the Eswatini Theatre Club remains committed to expanding and enriching the country’s artistic life. Performance Week Mbabane embodies this ongoing mission, serving both as a showcase and a strategic intervention to nurture the performing arts sector in the capital. Eswatini Theatre Club welcomes interested partners, sponsors and collaborators to join in shaping and supporting this initiative.
The new move by Eswatini Theatre Club aligns with other international venues that recently launched similar initiatives. The Lagos International Theatre Festival (LITF), recognised as Africa’s flagship theatre festival, recently announced its performance week for 2025.
The week-long event runs from November 10 – 16, 2025 and will include 20 productions across five stages, featuring talent from Nigeria, South Africa, the United States and other countries.
The festival aims to unite global talent and Nigerian creativity, offering a variety of events from red-carpet galas to street theatre. Another recent launch is the John Kani Performing Arts Academy’s new home in Johannesburg, which aims to develop the next generation of South African storytellers.
The Eswatini Theatre Club was recently revamped and it’s now ready to host members and artists. Eswatini Theatre Club Committee Vice Chairperson Sizo Hlophe. (Courtesy pics)