Scorpion Kings Music Runs to 23:30 at FNB Stadium

SOUTH AFRICA · MUSIC

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The Scorpion Kings FNB Stadium concert takes Africa’s largest ground for a whole Saturday. Once you are inside, the gate does not let you back in.

The gates of FNB Stadium open at noon on Saturday 19 September 2026, and the music runs to 23:30. The Scorpion Kings FNB Stadium show is a day, not an evening.

A day that starts at noon

DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small perform together as the Scorpion Kings. They headline a one-day concert at FNB Stadium in Nasrec, southern Johannesburg.

Webtickets opens the gates at 12:00. A pre-show runs from 14:00 to 18:00, and the main show from 18:00 to 23:30.

Organisers have called the event A Family Affair. South African outlets put the expected crowd above 70,000 people.

A line-up published in early September names more than fifty performers. Nasty C, Blxckie, Focalistic, Young Stunna, Lady Du, Busiswa and Mr JazziQ are among them.

Set times for individual acts have not been published. You find out who is playing when you hear them.

From Gauteng parties to a 94,736-seat bowl

Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa are producers and disc jockeys from South Africa. Local media describe them as amapiano pioneers.

They are credited with carrying the sound from neighbourhood parties to global streaming playlists. Their joint shows have grown venue by venue.

In 2025 they filled Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, reported at more than 50,000 people. FNB Stadium is the next step up.

The ground holds 94,736 seats and is the largest in the country. It staged the 2010 World Cup final and Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in 2013.

So the scale is the point, even for someone who has never heard a note. This is a mainstream national event, not a niche club night.

Amapiano in plain words

Amapiano is a South African style of house music. It grew out of townships in Gauteng, the province that holds Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The name means the pianos. Airy keyboard chords sit on top of slow, deep drums.

Its signature is the log drum, a bouncing bass note that drives the groove. Tempos sit below most European dance music, so the feel is loose rather than frantic.

Knowing the songs is not the entry requirement. The crowd sings and dances to almost everything.

What a ticket costs, and what went in a week

Tickets are sold through Webtickets, with counters inside Pick n Pay and Boxer stores. Buying online is easiest with a card that works in South Africa.

Field tickets run R990 to R1,500 (about US$61 to US$93). Field means standing on the pitch, closest to the stage.

Seated tickets run from R500 on Level 5 to R950 on Level 1 (about US$31 to US$59). The higher the level number, the cheaper and the further away.

Parking is a separate ticket at R220 to R300 (about US$14 to US$19). Conversions here use the 13 September 2026 rate of 16.14 rand to the US dollar.

The first release sold more than 70,000 tickets in seven days, The Citizen reported in May. Organisers then applied to put another 10,000 on sale.

Getting to Nasrec, and getting away again

FNB Stadium stands at Nasrec, on the south-western edge of Johannesburg. Most people drive, and the grounds hold parking for thousands of cars.

Webtickets also sells an official Park and Ride ticket. You leave the car at a shopping centre and take a bus straight to the stadium.

Pick-up points include Gold Reef City, Cresta, Montecasino, Mall of Africa and Menlyn Park. Prices run R225 to R325 (about US$14 to US$20) a person.

Those buses start at 12:00 and the last one leaves at 15:00. Return buses depart as they fill, with the final ones about an hour after the show ends.

Gautrain, the region’s fast commuter line, does not reach Nasrec. It runs to Park Station, where event-day shuttle buses carry ticket holders on.

Sun at 1,750 metres, and a gate that only works once

Gates at 12:00 and music until 23:30 make this a full day outdoors. The stadium is an open bowl, and most seats have no roof above them.

Johannesburg sits roughly 1,750 metres above sea level on the Highveld plateau. Sun at that height is strong, so a hat and sunscreen matter.

Spring evenings up here cool off fast once the light goes. A jacket you carry all afternoon is worth the nuisance.

No outside food or drink comes through the gates. Plan to buy inside, and expect the queues to lengthen as the main show approaches.

There are also no pass-outs. Step out for air or to fetch something from the car, and your night is over.

Rules at the turnstile

Nobody under 14 is admitted, and identity documents are checked at the gate. Minors have to be accompanied by an adult.

There is no entry after 21:30. Traffic on the way in can cost you the headline set entirely.

No refunds are offered, and weapons, drugs and water pipes are banned. Bag checks at the gate are normal at South African stadium events.

Otherwise treat it like a big concert anywhere. Keep your phone out of sight in a crowd, agree a meeting point, and use a licensed taxi or ride app.

Crime is a fair question for a visitor, and the national picture is more mixed than headlines suggest. We have covered what the latest crime figures mean for foreigners and what it costs to settle in South Africa.

Before the Saturday

Webtickets still lists every seating category, with no sold-out marker against any of them. Seven days emptied the first release, so that can change quickly.

The Scorpion Kings FNB Stadium listing is the one place where the times, the prices and the house rules sit together. Read it once more before you set off.

More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What time do the Scorpion Kings start at FNB Stadium?

Gates open at 12:00, the pre-show runs from 14:00 to 18:00, and the main show goes from 18:00 to 23:30.

How much are Scorpion Kings tickets?

The Webtickets listing runs from R500 to R1,500 (about US$31 to US$93), plus R220 to R300 (about US$14 to US$19) for parking.

How do I get to FNB Stadium in Johannesburg?

Drive and buy a parking ticket, or book the official Park and Ride bus from a shopping centre. Gautrain reaches Park Station, where event-day shuttle buses continue.

What is amapiano?

It is a South African style of house music from the townships of Gauteng. It is built on piano chords, slow beats and a bouncing log drum bass.

Sources: Webtickets, Bona, The Citizen, LAMAG.AFRICA, Gauteng Tourism (Gautrain match day guide); see https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1594173143 and https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1594653275 and https://www.bona.co.za/entertainment/scorpion-kings-live-unveils-massive-lineup-of-entertainers-for-september-show/ and https://www.citizen.co.za/lifestyle/entertainment/scorpion-kings-fnb-concert-tickets-sell-out-in-a-record-breaking-seven-days/ and https://www.gauteng.net/whats-on-g/gautrain-match-day-guide/

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