Mbabane will host a major theatre gathering from October 1 to 3, 2026, as the October International Theatre Festival (OITF), in collaboration with GENESIS Ekucaleni Media, brings together performers, facilitators and creatives from across Southern Africa.
The festival was created to revive theatre in Eswatini, provide local artists with performance opportunities and open new avenues within the country’s wider creative sector.
OITF will be built around five key areas, namely the Theatre Festival, Murals, Schools Festival, Creative Arts Masterclass Workshops and the Dzeliwe Street Festival. 
The three day programme is expected to feature more than 15 theatre productions and about 20 workshops at five venues in Mbabane. These include Alliance Française, the Eswatini Theatre Club Auditorium, Candlelight Room, American Embassy Corner and Yini Loku Gallery.
Artists and facilitators from Eswatini, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana are expected to participate, creating opportunities for cultural exchange and collaboration through African storytelling.
The festival comes after a lengthy absence of a theatre festival of a similar scale in Eswatini. The last comparable event was the Matiwane Manana Arts Festival in the late 1990s, which was founded by Khethabahle Mthethwa at the Eswatini Theatre Club, with the late Prince Masitsela serving as patron.
International partnerships have also been secured to expand the festival programme. Through the Zambezi Cross initiative and support from South Africa’s Mzansi Golden Economy, touring productions including Amagrootman, Woza Albert and performances by Stevovo the Puppeteer are expected to reach Eswatini audiences.
Experts supported through a partnership with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation will also conduct exchange workshops during the festival.
Local theatre practitioners will form an important part of the programme, with productions from COYI Theatre and The Big Kraal Theatre among those scheduled to take part.
The Big Kraal Theatre will present The Ants, a production that explores social issues through the experiences and perspective of a destitute person.
Organisers say the festival is intended to contribute to the wider creative economy rather than focus solely on stage performances. Theatre combines drama, music, dance and storytelling, while the event will also create opportunities in areas such as artist management, stage management, design, workshop coordination, safety, branding, film, video production and content creation.
More than 100 creatives are expected to be involved in different aspects of the festival, while approximately 750 participants are projected to benefit from the workshops.
The organisers intend to develop OITF into an annual event, supported by activities throughout the year aimed at developing artists, growing audiences and contributing to Eswatini’s creative economy.
Creatives, schools, exhibitors and street festival stallholders have been invited to register for participation. Tickets are available through MojaTicket, while members of the public can follow the October International Theatre Festival on social media for further information.
Festival launch
The official launch of the October International Theatre Festival is scheduled for September 10, 2026, at the Eswatini Theatre Club in Mbabane.
The launch will run from 6:30pm to 7:30pm and guests are required to RSVP with Festival Operations representative Nomalungelo Dladla on +268 7654 0168.
The launch invitation is non transferable and admits one person.
The festival itself will run from October 1 to 3, 2026.
For festival enquiries, Festival Director Larry Mhlanga can be contacted on +268 7820 6155, Festival Coordinator Nothando Khabako Mhlanga on +268 7604 1757, Festival Operations representative Nomalungelo Dladla on +268 7654 0168, and Media and PR representative Adekunle Owolabi on +268 7659 3027.
