The festival dates and times are as follows; 26 - 28 MAY 2023
Friday: 4pm – 3am
Saturday: 10am – 3:30am
Sunday: 10am – 12am

The Bushfire

The All Out Africa Campsite is opening on the Thursday before the festival. Campers can check in from 11 am on 25th May.
The check-in desk opening times for 2023 are:

• Thursday 11 am until midnight
• Friday 09:00 until 06:00
• Saturday 06:00 until midnight

Arrivals outside of check in desk times will need to remain in the car park until gates re-open.

Applications are now open, please visit the ARTISTS page for full details on how to apply. Applicants must ensure that they fill out all necessary forms to be eligible.

Please visit our press accreditation page

Submit your application form during the trader application period on our website. Applications open towards the end of the current year, for the following year. Only successful applicants will be contacted and will then be required to pay the stall fee to secure a space at the festival. Late applications will not be considered.

A wide variety of food and alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic beverages will be available for the duration of the event, supplied by various vendors at the festival.

PLEASE NOTE: You are not permitted to bring your own food or beverages into the festival arena.

Yes, you’ll be able to get your fill of all kinds of tasty foods from the Global Food Village suitable for all types of diets.

The Bushfire festival is a cashless environment. To purchase any product you will need to have a festival wristband/pass, which you can preload before the festival from the Howler website [https://mtnbushfire.howler.co.za/events/mtn-bushfire-2021-digital-series-b69f] or load units from our cashless Top-Up stalls at the festival. Credit and debit cards will also be accepted by the majority of vendors in the Marketplace.

Yes, however it’s suggested that attendees come prepared to avoid any inconvenience or disappointment due to technical issues or queuing.

Yes, First Aid services are available on site. Please alert any member of staff immediately if you require emergency medical services.

Mobile charging stations are catered for in the main festival arena as well as official Bushfire festival campsites.

No. Only people with camping wristbands will be allowed into the campsite.

Festival, Camping and Glamping tickets are currently available online: Tickets may be purchased here 

MTN Bushfire tickets are currently only available online. Ticket outlets will be opened in 2023.

Here are the 2023 prices:

Buy Tickets

Golden Lounge tickets offer comfortable seated areas, with prime viewing of the Main Stage, complete with a private bar, dedicated table service and exclusive access to Malandela’s restaurant. Covered and open-air areas, with heaters and upgraded bathroom facilities make this higher ticket price worth every cent.
The Main Arena ticket option provides access to the MTN Bushfire main festival arena with standing room in front of the main stage. Enjoy the variety of offerings for all ticket holders including performances from the festival’s various stages, explore the Marketplace and sample world cuisine from our Global Food Village.

No, but children up to 12 years old are only allowed into the Golden Lounge if they are in the company of an adult who has a Golden Lounge pass. Children up to 12 years old must be accompanied at all times.

Only Full Festival tickets are available.

A full festival (3-day) pass is a single wristband that is worn for the entire weekend.

No. Tickets sell out every year in advance, so we encourage you to purchase online while stocks last.

There are no refunds on purchased tickets.

Yes. You may assign your e-ticket via email to a different holder. Simply go to your Howler account, click on the three dots, select the Transfer Ticket option and follow the prompts. For assistance, please contact support@howler.co.za.

The QR code is a security measure that validates your ticket. The first person to use that QR code to enter the festival will be considered the valid ticket holder, so if someone copies or photographs your QR code, you could become a victim of fraud.

A platform which uses NFC technology on your wristband, to transact at the festival. You simply load money (via cash or credit card) onto your wristband at various top-up points and then you simply tap and go at all food and beverage stands.

Yes. Visit www.howler.co.za and click on “Wallet” tab. Pre-loading your wristband becomes available as soon as tickets go on sale.

Either pre-load online or Find a Top Up station at the Festival to load cash onto your wristband.

Tap your wristband against any trader’s mobile device, at any of the Festival’s bars, merchandisers, or traders to instantly complete your transaction. Your cashless balance will reflect on the trader’s mobile device once the transaction is complete.

No. These services are available to you for free.

You can choose to Tap Out instead of cashing out by going to the boMake Rural Projects Tap Out stall at the festival exit. Any money left on your wristband will then be donated towards their rural community development projects focused on High School Student Bursaries, women’s socio-economic empowerment as well as potable water and sanitation solutions to over 20,000 people in rural areas of Eswatini.

No worries, you can cash out online on to your bank account. Sign up at www.howler.co.za and click Cash-out within the “Wallet” tab. You will be able pair your wristband using the number printed on the back so make sure you keep your wristband after the festival.

It can take up to 14 days to process the cash-outs.

All Out Africa are delighted to announce the new home for the Bushfire Campsite. Still on the site of the Bushfire Festival at Malandela’s Farm, the site is moving a short distance to a new position offering more space for campers. Some new features include:

• Bigger BYO zone
• BYO In The Forest zone (offering shaded BYO camping)
• A larger category of tent in Canvas Camp – for those who want a little more space
• A new Camper Car Zone – for specialist camping vehicles only
• Organised wellness activities in the mornings (guided runs, walks, mountain biking as well as yoga sessions)
• Improved food options for campers

The All Out Africa Bushfire Campsite is opening on the Thursday before the festival. Campers can check in from 11 am on 25th May.
The check-in desk opening times for 2023 are:

• Thursday 11 am until midnight
• Friday 09:00 until 06:00
• Saturday 06:00 until midnight

Arrivals outside of check in desk times will need to remain in the car park until gates re-open.

Groups will need to pre-arrange a set up and arrival date and time with the AOA team. Vehicle access for groups will only be allowed from Monday at 10:00 until Wednesday at 16:00 before the festival to set up camp. No groups will be able to set up on Thursday morning or late in the evenings, for logistical reasons.

The onsite café will open from midday on Thursday until 11 am on Monday.

The campsite closes on Monday 29 May at midday.

It is not possible to park your car next to your tent. Once campers check in they can park, at no cost, in the official campsite car park which is 10 mins walk from the campsite itself. There are two limited exceptions: one is the option to park your car in the Family Camping zone and the other is the new Camper Car Zone. See the “Add-on” section on the ticketing page.

There is lighting in each section of the All Out Africa Campsite, but we do recommend that you bring a torch with you, especially if you are staying in the Forest Zones.

There are no plug-in electricity points on site. However, if you want to charge your phone or camera you can do so for a small fee at the All Out Africa Information Desk which is situated next to the Campsite Café.

No generators are not permitted in any sections of the Bushfire Campsite. The campsite is lit in key areas after dark and cell phone charging service is offered at the Info Desk. Generators make considerable noise and give off fumes so impact negatively on fellow campers.

Yes, security is vital to us. The campsite, car park, main access points and gates will all be manned by security. Each zone is assigned a specific wrist band to ensure that only those campers that are eligible to can access each zone.

This year we will be using electronic wristbands in our camping zones meaning that only those who have booked and paid will have access to specific areas as this information is pre-programmed onto the wrist bands.

In terms of personal items, we recommend that you bring only the items you really need. Please keep your valuables with you. If you would like to store your valuable items in a safe and secure place there are lockers available for hire at the information desk.

Bushfire promotes peace and tolerance - anyone who displays aggressive behaviour towards other campers or staff will be asked to leave the campsite and have both their campsite and festival wristbands removed.

Yes the campsite has access to hot water showers and flush toilets. This is at the old toilet and shower block which is 5mins walk from the centre of the campsite. All Out Africa were in the process of building a brand-new toilet and shower block in 2020 when the pandemic arrived. This halted the completion of this new block so campers will use the old block (which is still fantastic but a bit further to walk to) in 2022. There will also be a number of well serviced, pit latrines spread around the campsite, as well as a cold water shower option for those who don’t want to queue for a hot shower.

Yes, braai is an important part of the Bushfire camping experience, and we are happy for you to bring your own barbeque or braai stand if you are staying in the BYO Camping or Family Camping zones. Please note that braais are not permitted in the ready erected tent zones – Tent Village, Forest Fire and Canvas Camp.

NB: Fires/braais lit on the ground are not permitted for safety reasons. Please bring your own braai/fire stand with you.

Yes, you can bring alcohol into the All Out Africa campsite but please note that you are not permitted to take any liquids from the campsite into the festival arena.

The All Out Africa Campsite Café is open 24/7 from the Friday at midday until the Monday morning at 11:00. The café serves teas, coffee and juices 24/7. Muffins, brownies, breakfast baps are available before midday and savoury wraps and BBQ chicken and pap are available from midday onwards. In 2022 we are also going to be offering a healthy choice breakfast. We are also going to run a fruit and vegetable stall supplied by the sellers from our local community market, Mahlanya, meaning you can add fresh produce to your braai or breakfast.

There is a large food court in the main Bushfire Festival site where you will be able to purchase a range of food to satisfy any hunger!

The transferring of tickets is not ideal as it often leads to confusion on check in. However, it is permissible on the Howler site. To avoid confusion on arrival, please ensure that if you do transfer your ticket that the person you sell to knows your details. If you are buying a ticket from someone else via the online ticketing system then please ensure you know the name of the person that initially purchased the ticket. The Howler team will help you with this.

No. When you buy a Camping Travel Package the seat on the bus, mattress in a tent and festival ticket are assigned to an individual. You are not permitted to give away any of the elements of the package to someone else. If you do so, the whole ticket will be invalidated.

Absolutely, however we do have a maximum capacity for groups and applying for a group space is essential. This year groups of 20+ will be offered a zone where they can camp alongside other groups – and for the first time we are running an application process due to the sheer number of requests that we received.

A separate group pack will be available in due course setting out the parameters such as permitted tent sizes, the use of kitchens and gazebos as well as what constitutes a group. Please note that all groups over 20pax must contact tours@allouafrica.com to apply for a group pass.

Absolutely! We welcome families and have set up a Family Camping Zone which is exclusively for families with children under 12 years of age. The zone is manned 24/7 and we monitor who can move in and out of the zone. Children are eligible for cheaper camping tickets too!
If you don’t have your own camping equipment and want to bring your family with you, many families like the Canvas Camp and Forest Fire zones as they are usually more quiet.

Note: if you purchased a Family Camping children ticket in 2020 you will have noticed that the age limit was 16 years. All 2020 Family Campsite children tickets will be honoured even if the child is above 12 years

Camping tickets are only available to purchase through the Bushfire website. Groups over 20 pax should contact tours@alloutafrica.com to make their arrangements. Traders and Artists should speak to their relevant contact person in the Bushfire Festival team to discuss their arrangements. Sponsors should ensure that any arrangements regarding camping have been confirmed with All Out Africa well in advance of the festival.
It is anticipated that all camping spots will sell out in advance of the festival and therefore no camping tickets will be available for purchase during the festival so please book early to secure your spot.

Both your Camping and Festival wristbands must be obtained from the All Out Africa Bushfire Campsite Check-In Desk. Please bring your tickets in a printed format to the check-in desk. Once in the campsite please ensure that you go to the correct zone as you will not be able to check in to different zones.

We ask festival goers to be patient at Check In and to ensure that they are clear about their tickets. If a ticket is scanned a duplicate ticket cannot be issued.

Your wristband is your responsibility and it is not possible to replace lost wristbands. Please take good care of your wristband.

MTN Bushfire will not issue a call-out for traders this year, due to COVID limitations. Normally, we would issue a call-out on our social media platforms, so stay tuned for next year!

Yes. All festival staff and guests are required to provide valid proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 to enter the festival grounds. Negative PCR tests will not be accepted as substitutes.

Yes, security will be available from the beginning of the festival week. We are committed to safe-guarding property. We have long-standing partnerships with private security guard firms, which patrol regularly. MTN Bushfire is not liable for any loss or damage to your property.

There will be a skip behind the stalls where traders can dispose of waste and a designated area to dispose of ash.

Yes, please do! Please make use of the designated recycling bins available for plastics, metals and organic waste.

Yes, there are sinks situated behind the food stalls for traders to wash your utensils.

Accredited delivery vehicles will be able to deliver your stock to the trader parking lot, from there you will have to use your vehicle that has access inside the festival with your trader parking sticker, to bring your stock to your stall. Due to high traffic volume, each trader vehicle has a maximum of 20 mins to unload before having to return to the trader parking lot. Please use the access roads. Do not drive across the Main Arena.

If you need more trader tickets than we allocate, you will be required to purchase ordinary festival tickets.

All our beverages including water are supplied by authorized suppliers; therefore, individual traders are not permitted to sell beverages.

The MTN Bushfire Global Food Village has around 20+ food stalls.

Yes, all traders are required to use the cashless system. A commission will be charged on turnover. Traders found trading in cash will be fined and closed down.