Social Link Music Festival Returns to Shongweni Club Hillcrest

DJ Bongz brings the Social Link Music Festival back to Shongweni Club on Saturday 31 October 2026, with the music running from 13:00 until 02:00 on Sunday 1 November. The venue sits at 480 Kassier Rd in Hillcrest, in Durban’s Upper Highway, and the event is billed as the biggest music gathering in that part of KwaZulu-Natal. Tickets are on sale now through Webtickets, priced from R100 to R6500.

• Date: Saturday 31 October 2026, 13:00, through to 02:00 on Sunday 1 November
• Venue: Shongweni Club, 480 Kassier Rd, Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal
• Lineup: DJ Bongz hosts and performs, Sykes confirmed for the Sunday programme, full bill still to be announced
• Tickets: R100 to R6500, on sale now, no sell-out reported
• Where to buy: Webtickets online, or via WhatsApp on +27 76 752 0126

Who’s playing and what to expect

Sykes is the strongest confirmed name so far, locked in for the 1 November side of the weekend. He’s built his following on the overlap between afrotech, gqom and amapiano, and his booking points to a dancefloor-first Sunday. DJ Bongz, the organizer, is expected behind the decks as well, as he has been at previous editions.

The full 2026 roster hasn’t been published yet. The listing promises top DJs and live performances across gqom, Afro house and maskandi, plus food and drink stalls and dancing under open sky. Last year’s edition pulled names like Zee Nxumalo, General C’mamane and Stanky DeeJay, which gives a fair sense of the booking range. For the same gqom circuit earlier in the season, our Gqomland night in Durban covers it, and maskandi heads can check our Maskandi Fest in Kroonstad listing too.

Tickets and how to buy

Nothing suggests a sell-out. Webtickets carries the full R100 to R6500 range, though the tier breakdown isn’t broken out on the listing page yet. You can order online or through the festival’s WhatsApp line, and Webtickets also takes payments at Pick n Pay and Boxer stores. The organizer’s announcement posts claim tickets are flying, but every tier remains open, so the cheaper options should still be there if you move soon.

• Platform: Webtickets, buy online
• Price: R100 to R6500 depending on tier
• WhatsApp orders: +27 76 752 0126
• In-store payments: Pick n Pay and Boxer stores
• Status: on sale now, no sell-out reported

The venue and getting there

Shongweni Club is KwaZulu-Natal’s premier equestrian facility, and its open grounds give the festival plenty of room to spread. The site is used to big weekend crowds, since the same fields host the Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market every Saturday morning. Expect an outdoor setup with food and drink vendors running through the night.

Doors details beyond the 13:00 start and the age policy haven’t been specified on the listings, so check the ticket page closer to the date if you’re bringing younger family. Parking is typically on site at the club, and the venue is a short drive from Hillcrest village off the M13.

Anyone in the Upper Highway or greater Durban who wants to open the summer season on a dancefloor should have this one circled. Grab tickets on Webtickets while the lower tiers last, then keep an eye on the organizer’s pages for the full lineup announcement.