KUGOMPO CITY- Quigney’s House 87 will host the Eastern Cape’s only official International Jazz Day event on Thursday, 30 April 2026 in a UNESCO-endorsed celebration of live jazz and local culture.
The event, taking place in Quigney will feature the Mlungisi Gegana Sextet. Doors open at 19:00 and tickets cost R150 through Computicket.
House 87 founder and CEO Thando Thomas said hosting the event marked a significant milestone for the venue and the broader KuGompo area.
“It is a major honour for House 87 and for KuGompo City. It confirms that internationally recognised cultural experiences can happen in spaces that are deeply community rooted,” Thomas said.
He said the decision to host International Jazz Day in Quigney was deliberate, aimed at challenging what he described as cultural centralisation.
“We wanted KuGompo to be part of a global cultural conversation,” he said, adding that the Eastern Cape’s musical heritage is often under-recognised.
Thomas emphasised that, the event forms part of a broader ambition to position Buffalo City as a cultural destination, with Quigney envisioned as a developing cultural precinct within Buffalo City.
He said despite challenges faced by independent venues, such initiatives were necessary to demonstrate what is possible through collaboration and community backing.
“These challenges make initiatives like this even more important because they prove what is possible through collaboration, vision and community support,” Thomas added.
The programme will include live performances and communal experiences aligned to International Jazz Day’s values of unity, dialogue and cultural exchange. The lineup includes Mlungisi Gegana, Sakhile Simani, Geoff Lottering, Anthony Drake, Vuyo Mjindi and Kyle Du Preez.
House 87 plans to make International Jazz Day an annual fixture under its House of Legends Live Music programme, with expansion plans including workshops, youth-focused initiatives and wider city activations.
Thomas said the R150 ticket price was deliberately kept accessible.
“At House 87, everyone is VIP because the experience is designed to feel personal and intimate for every guest,” he said.
Photographs: Supplied
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