Ultra Festival in South Africa Sells Out First Tickets

ULTRA South Africa 2027 plays Cape Town on Friday 30 April and Johannesburg on Saturday 1 May. The first Afterglow tickets, from R795 (about US$48), are already sold out.

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ULTRA South Africa, the local edition of the global Ultra dance music festival, returns to South Africa in 2027 with two dates. The first ticket tier for both cities has sold out on Howler, the official seller.

ULTRA South Africa 2027: Cape Town First, Then Johannesburg

ULTRA South Africa returns for its 12th edition in 2027, with one night in each of the country’s two largest cities. Cape Town opens on Friday 30 April, and Johannesburg follows on Saturday 1 May.

The Cape Town night takes place at The Ostrich, a ranch venue on Van Schoorsdrif Road near Philadelphia. This is a small farming village beside the main highway north to Malmesbury.

The Johannesburg night takes place at the Nasrec Expo Centre, on the corner of Rand Show Road and Nasrec Road. Nasrec is an exhibition district in the south-west of the city, close to Soweto.

Saturday 1 May is Workers’ Day, a public holiday in South Africa. Howler lists both nights from 2 p.m. until 2 a.m. the next morning.

Afterglow Ticket Prices in Rand and Dollars

Afterglow is the name the festival gives its first release of tickets. It was offered before any 2027 artist was announced. Time Out reported pre-sale registration open on 28 April 2026.

In Cape Town, the Afterglow general access ticket cost R795 (about US$48). In Johannesburg, the same ticket cost R895 (about US$55).

Howler shows the Afterglow tier as sold out for both cities, and no other ticket type is on sale yet. Dollar figures use 16.42 rand to the US dollar, the close on 28 September 2026.

Howler adds a booking fee at checkout, which it says covers bank charges, payment gateways and commissions. The listed prices do not show that fee.

How the Prices Compare With 2026

The Cape Town price has not moved. For the 2026 edition, Time Out Cape Town reported first-tier general access at R795 (about US$48) and second-tier at R895 (about US$55).

The same report listed Cape Town VIP at R1,500 (about US$91) in the first tier and R2,000 (about US$122) in the second. The festival has not yet confirmed VIP prices for 2027.

In Johannesburg, general sales for 2026 opened in late October 2025. By then, Time Out Johannesburg reported that the early tier had sold out and Tier 2 cost R995 (about US$61).

The pattern is familiar for large festivals. The cheapest tickets go first, and prices rise in steps as the date approaches.

A Festival With More Than a Decade of History

ULTRA South Africa first took place in February 2014, in Cape Town and then Johannesburg. It is part of Ultra Worldwide, the global network that grew out of Miami’s Ultra Music Festival.

The South African festival was founded by promoters Shaun Duvet and Tony Feldman. Attendance grew from about 40,000 in 2014 to about 55,000 by 2025, according to Wikipedia’s festival history.

The 2026 edition took place in late April, with Johannesburg on 25 April and Cape Town on 26 April. Headliners included DJ Snake, Afrojack, Axwell and John Summit.

South African artists also play a large part. In 2026 Scorpion Kings and DBN Gogo led the amapiano stage, and Shimza played a surprise set with Afrojack.

Getting There: Practical Tips for Foreigners

The Ostrich is reached by car. The organisers’ traffic plan allows access only via the Cape Farms Access Road, off the main highway to Malmesbury. Ride-hailing cars such as Uber use one set drop-off zone.

In Johannesburg, the last edition’s plan charged R50 (about US$3) per car to park at the venue. It also ran Park and Ride buses from malls such as Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton and Menlyn Park in Pretoria.

Gates opened at 2 p.m. at both venues, and the organisers advised arriving before 4 p.m. in Cape Town and 4.30 p.m. in Johannesburg. These plans are from 2026 and may change for 2027.

Foreign visitors should carry their passport as proof of age, since entry is strictly for over-18s. Late April is autumn in South Africa, and nights can turn cool.

What Is Not Yet Known

No artist has been announced for 2027, and the festival’s lineup page is still empty. The date of the general sale and the next price tiers are also not public.

VIP and any higher-tier prices for 2027 have not been published. The festival sells through Howler, which is linked from its official website, and both carry the current prices.

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