POPULAR EVENT: Crowds pack Gidana Stadium in Port Alfred as thousands attend the ECawa Music Festival on December 24, featuring national and local artists during an all-night live music showcase. Picture: SUPPLIED
Port Alfred hosted the 7th edition of the ECawa Music Festival at Mamityi Gidana Stadium on Wednesday, December 24. What was planned as a festive celebration turned into a music marathon that stretched into the early hours of the morning, with attendees calling for more performances long after sunrise.
Organised by Siyabulela ‘Ivy’ Madyo, the festival featured structured event operations, including security, stage management and designated family-friendly areas. The VIP section was expanded this year, with a larger marquee and additional seating lounges. According to the organiser, the VIP tickets were sold out, with more than 700 guests accommodated.
Big-name performers including Scotts Maphuma, Mawhoo, Emtee, Naledi Aphiwe and Mapphorisa delivered back-to-back performances, while 16 local DJs and artists from the Ndlambe area shared the stage, earning enthusiastic support from the crowd.
Madyo said this year’s event had attracted an estimated 12 400 attendees, including 700 VIP guests and 11 700 general access ticket holders, with visitors travelling from across the Eastern Cape, as well as Johannesburg, Cape Town, North West and other regions. Madyo said the influx had provided a significant boost to the local economy.
“B&Bs and hotels were fully booked, and retailers, garages and restaurants reported increased business. Around 35 local food vendors sold out on the night,” Madyo said.
According to Madyo, the festival created around 220 temporary jobs, including roles for car guards, cleaners, promoters, marshals, ushers and bartenders, with a strong focus on youth employment. “Our goal was to create jobs, give local artists a platform, boost the local economy and ensure small businesses benefit and we achieved that,” he said.
The festival was supported by key sponsors, including Ndlambe Municipality (R700 000), the Department of Arts and Culture via the Guild Theatre (R500 000), Sarah Baartman District Municipality (R200 000) and Castle Lite, which provided infrastructure support. Funds were used for staging, sound and lighting, artist fees, security, marketing, logistics, accommodation, and support for local SMMEs, Madyo said.
With no major obstacles reported during preparations and growing attendance each year Madyo said, “Accomodation is becoming a problem now in Port Alfred because of this event. So local people especially in Port Alfred should look into accomodation businesses.”
This article was first published in Talk of the Town, January 8, 2026. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays
