By 
MACUFE is back! Residents of the Free State will be glad to hear that their favourite festival is back, a festival that hosts a number of activities and brings with it opportunities for up-coming artists and small businesses.
The Free State Provincial Government headed by Premier Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae and the Free State Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation headed by MEC Ms Ntombizanele Sifuba will on 1 August launch MACUFE at the Weslyan Church, Waaihoek in Bloemfontein.
Keeping to her word during the State of the Province Address (SOPA), Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae said. “This year, in collaboration with the private sector, we will host MACUFE! We will use this festival to celebrate our talent and ignite economic growth.”
The festival has over the years seen an influx of people across the country coming to attend the festival. This boosted the hospitality and tourism sector, small businesses benefited from the spin-offs; aspirant artists also got to show case their talents and made some money while at it.
MACUFE has economic benefits for the province. This year it will face some competition from Lemo Fest, a festival that closed the gap during the absence of MACUFE festival. Lemo Fest has enjoyed significant success with a huge attendance, also having shows similar to that of MACUFE, including comedy and gospel shows.
Partnering with the private sector, we might see a MACUFE festival on steroids, however, the challenge remains, there is a new kid on the block, and there will be serious contention for the market, for the audience, as the festivals seemingly will take place within a short space of time of each other.
The launch will officially pronounce the contents of the 2025 MACUFE programme by the Free State Provincial Government. The launch will take place at 11: 00.
The MACUFE festival will take place from 3 to 7 September 2025.
