Absa Takes the Lead as Headline Sponsor of Delicious Festival 2027

South Africans have never really needed much convincing to gather around good food, good music and good company. Now, one of the country’s biggest lifestyle festivals is entering a new chapter with Absa stepping in as its headline sponsor.

The Absa Delicious Festival in partnership with SABC will return to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on 10 and 11 April 2027, bringing together the combination that has made Delicious such a fixture on South Africa’s cultural calendar: music, food, creativity and plenty of reasons to spend a weekend with friends and family.

For Absa, the partnership is about more than putting its name on a festival. The bank says it sees Delicious as an opportunity to connect with the people and experiences that matter to its customers, while creating a platform for South African talent and culture.

“South Africans have a remarkable way of turning moments into memories and memories into stories,” says Candice Thurston, Managing Executive for Brand and Marketing at Absa Group. “Whether it is the song that takes you back, the meal shared with people you love, or the thrill of discovering a new artist, these are the moments that stay with us.”

That sentiment sits neatly alongside Absa’s ‘Your Story Matters’ brand positioning, with the bank describing the partnership as an investment in the stories, people and experiences that make South Africa what it is.

The 2027 festival is expected to offer a weekend of international and South African entertainment, food and cultural experiences, with Absa also promising exclusive customer benefits and new ways for its customers to engage with the event. Artist announcements, ticketing details and further customer experiences are expected to follow in the months ahead.

Giving African Stories a Bigger Stage

Delicious has spent years establishing itself as more than a music festival. Its appeal lies in the combination of food and entertainment, but the event has also become a platform for the wider creative economy, bringing artists, chefs, entrepreneurs, designers and other creators into the same space. The new partnership intends to build on that.

“Delicious has always been about bringing people together through the universal languages of food and music,” says Tom Pearson-Adams, CEO and Founder of Delicious Festival. “We are thrilled to welcome Absa to the Delicious family at such a defining moment in the festival’s journey.”

The festival has previously hosted an impressive list of international and local performers, from Ms Lauryn Hill, Jamiroquai and Maxwell to Tems, Jill Scott, Burna Boy, Black Coffee and Femi Kuti. Alongside the headline acts, however, Delicious has consistently created space for South African artists and the broader cultural voices surrounding them. That focus appears set to continue as the festival moves into its next era.

“Absa understands that culture is not simply something we consume; it is something we create, share and pass on,” Pearson-Adams adds. “With its support, the Absa Delicious Festival in partnership with SABC can build on what people already love while creating more opportunity for African talent, businesses and stories to flourish.”

Taking Delicious Beyond Kyalami

The partnership also gives Delicious a larger broadcast footprint through the SABC, which is continuing as the festival's official broadcast partner. For audiences who cannot make it to Kyalami, the SABC plans to take elements of the festival beyond the event itself through its television, radio and digital platforms, including SABC+.

“The SABC is proud to partner with Delicious Festival as the official broadcast partner of one of South Africa’s most exciting celebrations of food, music, and culture,” says Themba Gwejela, Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Marketing at the SABC.

The broadcaster sees the partnership as an opportunity to bring the festival experience into homes across the country while supporting its wider mandate of connecting audiences with local culture and creative talent.

That could make the 2027 festival feel considerably bigger than the two days spent at Kyalami. With Absa behind the event and the SABC extending its reach, Delicious is positioning itself not only as a destination festival, but as a broader cultural platform.

A Growing Culture Portfolio for Absa

The Delicious partnership also fits into Absa’s existing investment in lifestyle, culture and creative platforms.

The bank’s portfolio already includes the Absa Champagne in Africa Festival, Absa Jazz Sessions at Marble, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series and the Absa L’Atelier Art Competition, among other initiatives.

For Absa, the common thread is the opportunity to create experiences around passions rather than traditional financial services conversations.

“The Absa Delicious Festival in partnership with SABC is a natural extension of our commitment to enabling the possibilities within people’s lives,” says Mbhele. “It gives us an opportunity to celebrate African excellence, connect people to the passions that inspire them and ensure that more stories are given the audience they deserve.”

With the 2027 edition still some months away, the biggest pieces of the puzzle are yet to be revealed. The artist line-up, ticket details and additional festival experiences will ultimately determine what the next chapter of Delicious looks like.

What is already clear, however, is that Absa is betting on something South Africans have long understood: food and music have a remarkable ability to bring people together. And when 10 and 11 April 2027 arrive, Kyalami is likely to be doing exactly that.