Mahindra Fusion Fest – the groundbreaking celebration of art, fashion, and music that has left a lasting impact – will make its return in 2026.
The announcement was made today at the Festival of Motoring, where Nomuzi ‘Moozlie’ Mabena took the stage to share the exciting news in front of VIP guests and media during the opening day.
Moozlie, who featured in the 2025 Fusion Fest, has since partnered with Mahindra as an ambassador across several of the company’s projects. The inaugural event in 2025 successfully elevated the profiles of emerging talent in music, fashion, and sculpture, placing them alongside household names such as Cassper Nyovest, K.O., Matthew Mole, Mi Casa, Kamo Mphela, and Aymos.
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- Over 7 000 fans attended the inaugural festival, enjoying music, art, and fashion.
- Rising stars shared the stage with icons like Cassper Nyovest, K.O., Mi Casa, Kamo Mphela, and Aymos.
- The Mahindra XUV 3XO Thula Sindi Edition stole the spotlight as a fusion of style and innovation.
For its 2026 edition, Mahindra has confirmed the date as 7 March. Earlier this year, the festival drew more than 7 000 fans who enjoyed hours of live music and artistic showcases by some of South Africa’s best-known performers.
“The Mahindra Fusion Fest was conceptualised to celebrate South Africa’s youthful energy where its many different peoples and cultures have created a unique, and dare we say unmatched, creative scene. The Fusion Fest was also a gift from us to our more than 100 000 owners who have journeyed with us over the past two decades. We entered our third decade in South Africa with Fusion Fest to celebrate the youthful, dynamic rainbow nation and will continue to do the same in 2026 too. Fusion Fest 2026 will be bigger, and we should also have built up roadshows in Durban and Cape Town,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
In line with this vision, Mahindra will host smaller Fusion Fest events in Durban and Cape Town later this year. These roadshows will not only bring the festival spirit to new audiences but also serve as a platform to scout rising musicians and artists, some of whom will earn spots on the main stage next March.
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Mahindra’s line-up of SUVs also continues to play a central role in the festival experience. At the 2025 edition, the spotlight was on the Mahindra XUV 3XO, showcased in a custom design created by fashion icon Thula Sindi. The exclusive XUV 3XO Thula Sindi Edition was also unveiled at the Festival of Motoring, where customers could place orders through Mahindra’s extensive network of nearly 100 dealerships.
“Since our show in February, Mahindra has set a new growth trajectory. It ended its financial year as the fastest growing brand in the country, and it has kept that pace since. It is also a firm part of the Top 10 best-selling vehicle brands in the country. We see our growth as confirmation that South Africa has truly made the Mahindra brand part of its landscape, and we look forward to growing further, with Mzansi as our home outside India,” says Rajesh.
With the official announcement made and the countdown now underway, preparations for Mahindra Fusion Fest 2026 have begun in earnest.
In the months ahead, Mahindra will reveal the first wave of artists set to perform at the festival, along with details of competitions for fans and opportunities for young creatives to join the Fusion Fest journey.
