House producers Sun-El Musician and Dlala Thukzin will headline the 2026 edition of Red Bull Symphonic in Johannesburg.
The event takes place on 13 June at Montecasino. It will feature both artists’ catalogues reworked with a full orchestra under conductor Chad Hendricks.
It is the first time the show will feature two headliners on one stage.
The 2026 edition is titled Afro House, Our Home. Organisers say it focuses on the role of house music in shaping South Africa’s music landscape, including subgenres such as kwaito, gqom, amapiano and 3-step.
Speaking to The Citizen, Sun-El Musician said he had long wanted to work with the brand.
“I’ve always wanted to be part of Red Bull as a whole and work with them,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to make an orchestra with my music.”
Creative collaboration
He said collaborating with Dlala Thukzin presents a new creative challenge that he is excited about.
“I’ve always used virtual instruments when I’m trying to achieve a string section of a song. This time it’s going to be a live thing.
“Having those sounds and planning where we’re going to share moments is the tricky part that I’m looking forward to,” he said.
Dlala Thukzin said the collaboration brings together different musical approaches.
“Sun-El and I have created beautiful music respectively and coming together to produce this show is quite exciting,” he said.
Conductor Chad Hendricks said the project creates new artistic possibilities.
“The exciting bit is the amount of new possibilities,” he said.
“The challenge is to find how to collaborate these two worlds, acoustic versus electronic.”
He added that he hopes the production encourages experimentation in music.
“I would really like for people to look at this as new possibilities in terms of creativity and use it as a tool,” he said. “Let’s Africanise it and create something new.”
The show will take place on 13 June 2026. Tickets are sold out.
