Mzansi displays uncertainty as Hey Neighbour festival moves to December

by Zintle Mdaka

What was a highly anticipated event, with people from other provinces making accommodation bookings for proximity, has now been plagued with uncertainty and concerns as it has been postponed to December.

Initially, the Hey Neighbour Festival was going to take place on August 30, with a fire line-up that included DJ Lochive, Elaine, Akio, DJ Nkosh, Black Coffee, Khuli Chana, Holly Rey, Nia Pearl, Sun El Musician, DJ Lag, Lulo Cafe and Doja Cat among others.

In an unexpected turn of events, The Neighbourhood took to their X (formerly Twitter) page to issue a statement citing the reasons behind the move to December.

“The organisers have made the strategic decision to reschedule the festival in order to ensure its continued success and sustainability,” read the statement.

CEO of Hey Neighbour festival, Glen Netshipise said: “As CEO of Hey Neighbour festival I want to acknowledge the disappointment caused by the postponement of the 2025 event. We understand the impact this has on our loyal festival goers, sponsors and artists. We also recognise that our communication around the challenges we have faced hasn’t been as clear as should have been, and for that we sincerely apologise.”

He further committed to improving their transparency and communication going forward. This will ensure that everyone is kept in the loop.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our sponsors, artists and attendees. Their faith in us is helping to ensure that we can deliver the best possible event experience,” added the festival’s CEO.

 

X users weighed in:

 

Also see: The Homecoming! Doja Cat revealed as Hey Neighbour’s 2025 headliner