Press Icons was invited amongst the official Media collaborators for the 2025 DSTV Delicious Festival, and incase you missed the Beat, we have all the details on this years’s grand spectacle.

The Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit turned into the most delicious place on earth across 20–21 September as the DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival (powered by LottoStar) served up two days of full-throttle flavour and music that had Joburg buzzing. From global stars to kasi anthems, runway moments to gourmet bites, Delicious 2025 felt like a love letter to South African culture — and everyone wanted a page. 

The Hottest MC Duo

MC’d by SA’s most loved duo— Pamela Mtanga and Smash Afrika. The two brought their signature charisma to the DStv Delicious stage as the official presenters of the weekend. Effortlessly blending style, wit, and crowd-teasing energy, the duo kept the audience engaged between sets, hyped up performances, and made sure the flow of the festival never missed a beat. Their chemistry on stage added an extra layer of entertainment, proving why they are two of the most dynamic hosts in South Africa’s entertainment scene.

Lineup highlights

If the lineup was your reason to go (and it was for many), it delivered. International names rubbed shoulders with local giants: Don Toliver brought his chart energy, and kept the crowd engaged with his fire chart-topping songs. Kwesta repped Kasi vibes at peak intensity, and Inkabi Zezwe (Sjava & Big Zulu) gave the crowd full-on township swagger. On the nostalgic and soulful side, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean were billed as headline moments too — a cross-generational treat that pulled audiences from every corner.

The Channel O Dance Stage amplified the party with a stacked DJ roster — Oscar Mbo, Kings of Tomorrow’s Sandy Rivera, Kamo Mphela, DJ Tira, Lulo Café and more kept the tempo switching from amapiano to soulful house and everything in between. 

Food, drink and the Delicious Mile: the festival’s soul

Delicious isn’t just a concert — it’s a full sensory food village. Think sizzling street-food counters, chef-driven gourmet stalls, and a Proudly South African Delicious Mile that put local flavours front and centre. The FoodBev SETA–backed Trader Academy and long-standing food partners meant the food offering doubled as discovery: emerging vendors alongside well-known staples, with plenty of Instagram-worthy plates and long queues that only proved how well the menu hit the mark. 

All about the Activations

Beyond stages and stalls, Delicious 2025 leaned into premium moments and brand worlds. The AMG Experience and multiple hospitality lounges (think Injabulo Luxury Lounge and Delicious Lounge) offered panoramic views and curated comforts, while brand activations — from Proudly South African showcases to LottoStar and Coke Studio pop-ups — turned the festival footprint into an interactive playground. Art Meets Fashion (AMF) returned, blending runway, live art and performance and ensuring the festival’s style moments trended long after the headliners had finished. 

Crowd energy & production — festival scale with festival heart

Organisers leaned into Kyalami’s wide-open circuit layout to craft a spacious festival flow — clear stage sightlines, cash-less payment systems, and dedicated hospitality zones that kept the two-day experience smooth even as the crowd swelled. Social feeds were full of highlights — surprise guest cameos, set mashups, and those viral dance-floor moments that make a festival feel like the city’s biggest block party. 

Our Highlights

• Don Toliver’s headline energy mixed with local flavour moments that made for feel-good collision sets.
  
• Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and YG Marley takeover delivered the kind of crowd call-and-response that defines SA live music.
  
• Channel O Dance Stage DJs kept transitions seamless — from soulful house to amapiano peaks — giving festivalgoers non-stop reasons to stay.
  

Delicious 2025 reminded us why the festival is a Heritage-weekend go-to: it’s not only about the headliners, it’s about the cultural confluence — food that tells stories, fashion that pushes identity, and music that stitches local and global into one sweaty, smiling crowd. Sponsors and partners leaned in hard this year, and the result was a tightly produced two-day event that felt celebratory, safe, and very, very shareable. 

If you missed the weekend, check the festival’s official channels for set clips, vendor roundups and the best user-generated highlights — the social feeds are still serving recaps and clips that’ll bring you right into the mosh (or the queue for the next plate). Catch the replays, save the recipes, and mark your calendar: Delicious keeps getting bigger — and you’re going to want a piece next year. 

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