Award-winning Maskandi artist Khuzani Mpungose has confirmed that his recent show at Carnival City in Johannesburg will be his last at the venue.
The “Ijele” hitmaker made the announcement during the Blue Nation Music Festival, which he hosted on Saturday. Popularly known as “Khuba,” Khuzani revealed that the next edition of the Blue Nation event will take place at the Durban International Convention Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
While the festival drew strong support from fans, several high-profile artists failed to attend. Among those absent were Amafikizolo, Limit Nala, Menzi, and Quality Biyela.
Addressing the crowd, Khuzani expressed gratitude to his supporters:
“First of all, we would like to thank all of you in the Blue Nation for supporting your own. The love and dedication you showed during this event are amazing. You have made it clear that this is not just a momentary event but a long-standing one; we are a big family that grows day by day.”
He explained that the artists who could not attend had communicated their challenges, which included travel delays and last-minute flight cancellations. Some reportedly arrived at the venue as the event was ending, while others were still en route.
Khuzani also cited venue limitations as a key reason for the move away from Carnival City.
“We have seen that we need a major change. We wish to find a venue that will allow us to continue until dawn, as forcing people to leave at midnight does not align with our vision of providing full entertainment. We also ask that the venues we hire cooperate with us so we can grow the event properly,” he said.
He further noted that many fans remained outside the venue from the beginning until the end, hoping to gain entry.
Khuzani concluded by thanking everyone involved in making the event a success, including artists, instrumentalists, security teams, media, venue staff, the Nyathi Foundation, and supporters.
“This is just the beginning. The work continues, and the vision is much bigger than what we have already seen. No matter what, there is still a long way to go,” he said.