Name: Now Now Festival 2026
Start: 2026-05-09T12:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-09T20:30:00+02:00
Location: Marks Park, Orange Road, Emmarentia, Randburg

NOW NOW FESTIVAL
In Association with HOT 102.7FM
Date: Saturday, 9 May 2026
Time: 12:30 – 20:30
Venue: Marks Park
Address: Orange Road, Emmarentia, Randburg, Johannesburg
Line-up: The Human League (UK), Blancmange (UK), and more
Tickets from R795 excl fees.
Ticket link: https://webtickets.queue-fair.net/nownowfestival2026
BreakOut Events proudly announces that legendary British synth-pop pioneers The Human League will be heading to South Africa this May for performances in Johannesburg and Cape Town. They will be joined by special guests Blancmange and are set to perform at the inaugural Now Now Festival at Marks Park in Johannesburg on Saturday 9 May, a brand-new live music experience celebrating the iconic sounds, style, and spirit of the classic hits. The Human League and Blancmange will then be live in Cape Town on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, at the Grand Arena in GrandWest.
Few bands have shaped modern pop music like The Human League. Formed in Sheffield in the late 1970s, the group became one of the most influential acts of the synth-pop movement, blending futuristic electronic sounds with sharp pop songwriting and striking visual identity.
Their 1981 album “Dare” became a global phenomenon and remains one of the most influential records of the decade, spawning timeless hits such as “Don’t You Want Me”, “Love Action (I Believe in Love)”, and “Open Your Heart.” “Don’t You Want Me” reached No.1 in both the UK and the US, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Over the decades, The Human League have continued to evolve while maintaining their unmistakable sound, delivering further classics like “Human,” “Fascination,” “Mirror Man,” and “Tell Me When.” With multiple Brit Awards, millions of albums sold worldwide, and a catalogue that continues to influence generations of artists, The Human League remains one of the most celebrated and enduring acts in pop history.
Their return to South Africa promises a euphoric, hit-packed live experience that will transport fans straight back to the golden era of synth-driven pop.
Joining them are fellow UK electronic icons Blancmange, who first formed in the post-punk days of 1979, creating tape loops and experimental sounds with kitchen utensils, before developing into one of the definitive chart-topping British electronic pop acts. Fusing an inspiring mix of synthesizers and surrealism, they created groundbreaking singles such as “Feel Me”, “Living on the Ceiling”, “Blind Vision”, and “Don’t Tell Me”.
After a long hiatus – over 25 years in fact – Blancmange returned to the studio in 2011 and has shown a passion for change and new styles within their electronic framework ever since, including the critically acclaimed Private View album which was released by London Records in 2022. In fact Neil Arthur has not only recorded over a dozen Blancmange albums in the last 14 years, he’s also started new projects which share Blancmange’s flair for experimentation and seamless pop melodies – The Remainder (with Finlay Shakespeare); Fader (with Benge); Near Future (with Jez Bernholz) and a new collaboration with Benge and Vince Clarke (Erasure/Yazoo/Depeche Mode).
Here’s a strong, clean outro that ties the legacy, the festival launch, and the urgency together, while keeping the press-ready tone:
With two unmissable South African dates, including the inaugural Now Now Festival, which marks the beginning of a new era for live music fans who grew up on and still live for the iconic classic hits. From chart-defining anthems to cutting-edge electronic pop, The Human League and Blancmange promise an unforgettable celebration of synth-driven classics, style and nostalgia.