ULTRA South Africa’s Groove Room Puts African Dance Music on the World Stage

ByAsanda Mbayimbayi

Mar 12, 2026

ULTRA South Africa’s Groove Room. Picture: Supplied

ULTRA South Africa is back, shining a global spotlight on African dance music with the return of its iconic Groove Room stage for the 2026 edition in Johannesburg.

Celebrating the beats that are moving dance floors across the continent, The Groove Room turns the festival into a high-energy hub for Amapiano, Afro-house, Gqom, and next-level electronic fusion. This year, the stage brings together a star-studded lineup of artists who are redefining African dance music, including Liquideep, Scorpion Kings, DBN Gogo, Dlala Thukzin, Oscar Mbo, DJ Lag x Que DJ, Sun-El Musician, 2Shoes, Lelowhatsgood, and Slow Poison.

African beats reach a global audience online

Taking the Groove Room experience beyond the festival grounds, ULTRA South Africa has launched its official Groove Room YouTube Channel—a digital home for exclusive performances, live sets, and handpicked content. In just its first week, the channel racked up over 300,000 views, and it has now crossed the one-million mark, proving there’s a huge global appetite for authentic African electronic music.

Amapiano and Afro Beats go global

African electronic dance music is taking the world by storm, with Amapiano leading the charge as one of the fastest-growing genres on the planet. According to Spotify’s 2025 Wrapped and the IFPI Global Music Report 2025, Amapiano has exploded internationally, while South African artists raked in hundreds of millions of rands in streaming royalties last year alone. Gqom and Afro-house are also dominating global playlists, major festivals, and even the Billboard charts, with trailblazers like DJ Lag, DBN Gogo, and Sun-El Musician making waves worldwide through viral hits, high-profile collaborations, and festival bookings. The Groove Room is at the heart of this surge, turning South Africa’s homegrown beats into a full-blown global movement.

The Groove Room: Africa’s sound, worldwide

Shaun Duwe, organiser of ULTRA South Africa and CEO of The Unit, shared his thoughts:

“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,” said Shaun.

Tickets now available

ULTRA South Africa is back for its 11th edition, hitting Johannesburg on Saturday, 25 April at the Expo Centre at Nasrec, and Cape Town on Sunday, 26 April at The Ostrich. Tickets are now on sale.

•   General Access: From R995 (limited availability)
•   VIP: From R2,000 (limited availability)
•   VVIP (Johannesburg only): From R4,500

2026 lineup

Meet the ULTRA South Africa 2026 Lineup:

Headliners:

AFROJACK B2B R3HAB
AXWELL
DENNIS FERRER
DJ SNAKE
JOHN SUMMIT
SHIMZA

Support:

APASHE
CAIIRO B3B ENOO B3B DA CAPO
DBN GOGO
KITTY AMOR
KYLE WATSON
MAJOR LEAGUE DJZ

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ONE?: EXCLUSIVE: ProVerb Opens Up About Earning His MBA and Surprising Us Again

By Asanda Mbayimbayi

Asanda Mbayimbayi is a multi-award-winning journalist, Lifestyle & Entertainment News Editor, and accomplished storyteller whose work spans digital lifestyle, entertainment, and hard news journalism. Recognised with the prestigious Galliova People's Hero Award in both 2025 and 2026, she has established a distinctive presence in the media landscape through authentic storytelling, editorial excellence, and an ability to connect compelling narratives with the audiences they serve. With a keen instinct for identifying stories that matter and a deep understanding of the relationship between media, culture, and audience engagement, Asanda approaches journalism with a commitment to substance, accuracy, and impact. Her editorial perspective combines the curiosity of an investigative mind with the sensitivity of a storyteller, bringing clarity to complex subjects and depth to stories that shape conversations. Beyond the newsroom, Asanda's expertise extends across research, content creation, production, book editing, and motivational speaking. A qualified Bible teacher, she also draws on her faith and spiritual insight to encourage reflection, personal growth, and meaningful transformation through words. Multifaceted by experience and purpose-driven by conviction, Asanda continues to explore the power of storytelling across platforms and disciplines. Whether shaping editorial narratives, developing compelling content, researching ideas, or inspiring audiences, her work reflects a commitment to thoughtful communication, creative excellence, and stories that leave a lasting impression. At the heart of her work is a belief that storytelling is more than the art of communicating information; it is a powerful tool for informing perspectives, amplifying voices, and creating meaningful connections.

Entertainment