The 12th edition of the festival achieves impressive attendance numbers
The 2025 DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival Powered by LottoStar once again proved why it’s one of South Africa’s most loved events, blending world-class performances, culinary excellence, and tangible socio-economic impact. More than 29,000 festivalgoers attended this year’s event, reinforcing its position as a must-attend experience on the entertainment calendar. In addition to the fans, the festival generated significant job creation, with over 4,800 crew members working on site on Saturday and more than 5,100 on Sunday — a testament to the scale of operations and the event’s contribution to local employment.
Over two days of brilliant stage performances, 76 international and 266 local artists — figures that comprise both the talent, their management teams and dancers — brought their creative energy to the festival. Headliners Don Toliverand the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill were joined by a diverse mix of performers who showcased their artistry to a sizeable audience of music lovers, all contributing to the cultural exchange, support of local enterprise, and sustainable development that underpin the occasion.
The festival continues to serve as a vibrant platform for small business growth and had 75 SMMEs participate through the Delicious Festival Trader Academy Powered by FoodBev SETA, as well as 37 food traders and 26 non-food traders. For the first time, 11 graduates from the Academy’s previous cohort of 100 SMMEs were invited to trade on-site, forming part of the Proudly South African Delicious Mile. Collectively, these 11 graduates generated nearly R700,000 in turnover across the weekend, with several selling out – clear evidence of strong consumer demand and commercial viability.
Along with providing entrepreneurs hands-on exposure in event trading, the festival has left a lasting economic impact through job creation. If only one person had to work on the festival, they would work an estimated total of 30,000+ days, as the event employed thousands of crew, vendors and contractors, driving significant skills exposure within the City of Johannesburg and Gauteng. The ripple effects across the accommodation, transport, food and tourism sectors were also felt, in tandem with the festival’s learning and development initiatives which included 2 student interns assisting the production team and 32 student performers from the Khutlo-Tharo School of Specialisation Choir.
The operational aspects of the DStv Delicious Festival Powered by LottoStar were also impressive. Behind the scenes a logistics operation supported international and local artists with 19 drivers, 14 protectors, 4 team leaders, 161 shifts worked, 15,500 km travelled, 23 Mercedes-Benz vehicles, 32 Uber trips, and 1 police escort.
These efforts were all in the aim of promoting meaningful cultural exchange, which was also achieved through the sale of632 international tickets, including 478 from other African countries. This underscores the growing regional and global appeal of the DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival Powered by LottoStar for both talent and audiences.
Behind the scenes, the DStv Delicious Festival was a remarkable feat of engineering, logistics, and creativity. The production brought 34.5 kilometres of cabling onto site, supported by 1,380 signage boards and 400 tons of scaffolding — in addition to the 100 tons used for the main stage alone. The festival was powered by 22 generators, including three massive 300KVa units dedicated to the main stage, while 284 square metres of LED screensilluminated performances across the venue. To keep operations running seamlessly, the team served 6,330 crew meals, issued 57 types of accreditation, and distributed 16,200 VIP silk wristbands — all part of the immense effort that brought the festival to life.
Appreciating the importance of environmental health, this year Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa partnered with Petco to help drive positive environmental action. Together they created activations across three Coca-Cola-sponsored hydration stations that gave festival-goers the opportunity to learn how recycling can be made simple and effective.
And while the festival continues to celebrate food, music and cultural diversity, it just as importantly remains a catalyst for youth empowerment and social responsibility. “The Festival has always been about more than just food and music,” says Tom Pearson-Adams, Founder and CEO of DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival Powered by LottoStar “It’s about creating a platform that celebrates South African talent and supports the entrepreneurs and communities that make this country special. Each year, we see the ripple effects of that commitment in the jobs created, businesses launched and life-changing stories. That’s the true heart of Delicious.”
The proud success of this year’s DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival, Powered by LottoStar was brought to you by the following partners: DStv, LottoStar, Telkom, Mercedes-Benz, Coke Studio, Channel O, Proudly South African, Flight Centre, African Bank, Sensodyne, Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts & Culture, South African Tourism, Gauteng Tourism, 702, 947, Stella Artois, City of Joburg, Gautrain and Delicious Festival Trader Academy.
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