Joburg switched on to Arts Alive last night when Executive Mayor Amos Masondo welcomed several hundred guests in Mary Fitzgerald Square and officially opened the month-long arts festival.

Joburg switched on is the theme of this year’s Arts Alive, the 17th such event in the city. Music, theatre, comedy, dance, visual arts, film, and poetry will reverberate around the streets of the city in September.

International artists join the best talent from South Africa and Joburg to perform on stages and large outdoor spaces in Newtown, the Joburg Theatre, and the Wits campus, from Friday, 4 September through to Sunday, 27 September.

Mayor Amos Masondo bops to the divas' beat

After the mayor’s welcoming, the opening night was given over to children and women.

The ceremony began with a mass choir of 250 children from Joburg schools. They had the audience bopping to several songs, the falsetto voices of six-year-olds contrasting with the booming bass voices of high school adolescents. They sang the Arts Alive theme song, Let your sparkle fly, children of the heavens. It was a spirited performance.

The high school junior city council from each region presented moving and evocative poetry.

The evening’s guest singer was 74-year-old Dorothy Masuku, who belted out several numbers. She was joined on stage by other great Joburg divas – Sibongile Khumalo, Gloria Bosman and Abigail Kubeka. The speakers throbbed to their joint sounds, with Sephuma very convincingly taking off a charmed Masuku, with the audience beaming broadly.

Joburgers will be able to chill to the best of the Grahamstown Festival, in the 969 Festival, or jol at Zoo Lake during the free Jazz on the Lake concert. You can also catch movies offered by the Shared History Festival – or go classical with Carmen or Giselle. And if this isn’t enough, try the Nine Nine Festival, where you’re sure to laugh till you cry. Catch the full programme here.