JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience
JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience is South Africa’s longest-running and most celebrated contemporary dance festival. Hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, the festival is based in Durban and attracts top choreographers, dancers, scholars, and audiences from across Africa and the world. Renowned for its bold programming and global partnerships, JOMBA! is a leading platform for African contemporary dance, promoting connection, collaboration, and transformation through the power of movement.
25 August to 6 September 2026
Digital JOMBA!
JOMBA! @ The Market Theatre
8 - 12 September 2026
TO CELEBRATE our fourth year of partnership, JOMBA! is delighted to continue to work with the Market Theatre to collaborate in sharing a smaller and carefully curated ‘JOMBA! @ THE MARKET’ following the Durban festival. Four selected local and international dance companies will travel to Johannesburg’s Market Theatre to feature in a week-long celebration of some of the world’s most profound and provoking dance makers and dance companies. Gauteng and The Market Theatre audiences will have an opportunity to revel in the performance excellence of this curated contemporary dance platform.
Festival Offerings
Beyond Performances
JOMBA! goes beyond the stage to offer a rich programme of free workshops, residencies, and critical dialogues. These activities create space for learning, collaboration, and deeper engagement with contemporary dance.
Led by local and international artists, the workshops provide access to training and skill development for dancers at all levels. Residency opportunities support the creation of new work and foster cross-cultural exchange.
The online JOMBA! Masihambisane Dialogues offer a platform for Southern-based dance scholarship, encouraging conversations around identity, politics, and performance. These offerings reflect JOMBA!’s commitment to inclusivity, education, and the growth of dance as a socially relevant art form.
The Curators
JOMBA! is curated by Dr Lliane Loots, founding Artistic Director, whose vision and leadership over 26 years have shaped the festival into a globally respected platform for contemporary dance. Her work centers artistic excellence, social justice, and human dignity. She is supported by Thobile Maphanga, Assistant Curator and Project Manager, whose dedication to Southern cultural narratives and community engagement keeps the festival connected and relevant.
Dr Lliane Loots
Thobile Maphanga
2022 JOMBA! Khuluma Digital
Lifetime Achievement Award for Durban Publicist, Sharlene Versfeld.
JOMBA! Digital and Live Open Horizons Pick of the Platform Awards
JOMBA! Bonus events Talks, Forging Futures Panel & Khuluma Blog
FREE Workshops at JOMBA!
Blackness and Floods – Choreographies of Survival in SPANISH FOCUS @JOMBA!
