๐ฆ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎโ๐ #๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น
Creative Expression. Authenticity. Diversity. This was the foundation of the epic Ballantineโs and MTN Bushfire festival collaboration, which took place from the 27th to the 29th of May 2022.
The mind-blowing 3-day festival united like-minded people from across the globe and eSwatini for a weekend of world-class performances, global food, art and of course, #TrueMusic – plus, everyoneโs favourite whisky, Ballantineโs!
But Ballantineโs also wanted to treat a few fans to an experience that they would truly never forget: which is why they ran a VIP, all-expenses-paid True Music Competition for a few lucky fans PLUS their mates. The winners hailed from Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, eSwatini, South Africa and Namibia, uniting people from many different cultures and walks of life. The result? An unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for 42 people from 7 countries.
The Ballantineโs Firefly Stage and the Ballantineโs Bar acted as the collective meeting points for meaningful connections, unapologetic celebration, and raw, boundless creativity.
The Ballantineโs Firefly stage reignited the fire of the eSwatini festival with explosive, energetic performances – giving only the best emerging talent a platform to shine, while turning the vibes up to 150% within the crowd. The line-up included Zambiaโs Ms Selfie, South Africaโs Fosta and Aux Womdantso as well as South African queen of the decks, DBN Gogo! eSwatiniโs !Sooks & DJ Njebza, Coco Em from Kenya, Mozambiqueโs DJ Dilson, Botswanaโs DJ Boogie Sid, DJs Alu and Musketeer from Namibia and many others – and boy, did they deliver!
In the end, Ballantineโs and MTN Bushfire did what they set out to do: they united in the name of breaking boundaries, in their quest for authenticity and creativity. They represented and celebrated True Music communities and the people that make them thrive. They gave a stage to the most exciting emerging talent, plus a safe space for everyone to enjoy it in a socially responsible way.
And most importantly: they showed the Ballantineโs, MTN Bushfire and global community that #TheresNoWrongWay to #BringYourFire.