2026 Marula Festival cancelled, funds redirected towards infrastructure rehabilitation

Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba said cancellations of the upcoming Marula Festival is because government efforts are now firmly focused on relief, rebuilding infrastructures and restoring dignity to families whose lives were disrupted by recent floods in the province.

The decision was taken after the Limpopo Provincial Government assessed the devastating impacts of recent floods, which left many families homeless’ and caused extensive damage to roads and infrastructure across several parts of the province, most notably the Vhembe and Mopani Districts.

Recent floods dating back to the festive seasons of 2025 saw Limpopo losing 27 lives alone and this includes Phalaborwa where Marula Festival is headed to.

Phalaborwa, the intended host, has faced significant challenges with key routes leading into the area severely compromised.

Key transport routes such as the R40 near Maseke Game Reserve, the R71 between Gravelotte and Phalaborwa, the R36 between Ofcolaco and The Oaks, including R527 in Hoedspruit have incurred extensive damage.

The Marula Festival is one of Limpopo’s cultural and tourism events, attracting thousands of visitors annually with the potential to boost the economy of Phalaborwa, however Dr. Ramathuba stressed that the wellbeing of affected communities must take precedence over festivities.

Premier Dr. Ramathuba stressed that the circumstances made it impossible for the province to proceed with a celebratory event while communities were in distress.

“We can’t be celebrating a music festival while people are in serious need of help after being badly affected by the floods. For this reason, we have taken a decision to cancel the festival and redirect the funds allocated for it towards road reconstruction, infrastructure rehabilitation and the restoration of essential services to support community recovery. I can’t imagine myself dancing and smiling on stage, pretending that everything is okay, while deep down I know that people’s houses and roads are badly damaged in my own province. As a result, we have made the difficult yet necessary decision to postpone the build-up activities for the Marula Festival, including the main open-air music festival. We have decided to take all the resources and funds that were aimed at supporting this festival should be re-directed towards rebuilding Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. This will be in addition to other funds that we anticipate from the National Disaster Management Centre. Dr. Ramathuba said