Phenomenal reception in Scotland ahead of further international tour dates
From 6 to 30 August, the Ndlovu Youth Choir cemented their reputation as one of South Africa’s premier arts export with a hugely successful debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As they have done all around the world, the Choir immediately charmed audiences in the city’s famous Assembly Hall, with critics just as enthusiastic in their assessment. The Scotsman, The List, One4Review, Edinburgh Festival and MiniTravellers all rewarded performance with five-star reviews for the “A Celebration of Africa” show presented by leading South African promoter, Showtime Management in association with Edinburgh venue, Assembly. As festival first-timers, this is an incredible achievement.
“Our first Edinburgh Fringe was an extraordinary experience for the Ndlovu Youth Choir, both on and off stage” says Ralf Schmitt, the Choir’s founder and conductor. “We absolutely loved performing the show and from the very beginning, the reaction from audiences was beyond anything we could ave anticipated. There was a remarkable atmosphere in the room each day, and we were deeply moved by the response.”
The Choir has long been known for their explosive energy, vocal brilliance and powerful storytelling. The fusion of contemporary global music and proud African heritage has captivated millions, both on massive television platforms including America’s Got Talent Season 14, on which they became the first choir to reach the finals, and America’s Got Talent: All-Stars, in which they placed second.
The cosmopolitan crowds in Edinburgh were open in their admiration. After virtually every performance, audience members would wait to speak to the Choir, sharing how the show had affected them. People regularly walked out visibly emotional, making extraordinary comments. Numerous audience members who had been attending the Edinburgh Fringe for many years informed the Choir that theirs was the best show they had ever seen at the festival, while others commented that it was the best show they had seen at the 2026 Fringe.
“For us,” says Schmitt, “that was perhaps the greatest success of the entire experience. We came to Edinburgh wanting to share the spirit, energy and story of the Ndlovu Youth Choir with audiences from around the world, and to see people responding so emotionally to the music was incredibly rewarding. We were equally stunned by the critical response. Receiving multiple five-star reviews during our first Edinburgh Fringe was something we never expected, and the warmth and enthusiasm of both critics and audiences gave the entire company an enormous sense of pride.”
“A Celebration of Africa” paired African favourites such as “Mbube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)” with international hits including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Higher Love” and “Nessun Dorma”, reimagined through the Choir’s signature sound and vibrant stagecraft. The show opens and closed with the Choir’s own compositions: “The Calling”, a tribute to the potential of young Africans, and the deeply moving finale, “We Will Rise”, which tells their own story of hope, resilience and the belief that where you begin need not define your future.
For the Ndlovu Youth Choir, Edinburgh was also about much more than their own performances. One of the great privileges of being at the Fringe was giving members of the Choir the opportunity to experience artists and productions from around the world. They attended a wonderful Salsa production from Colombia, which everybody thoroughly enjoyed, as well as a production from Australia. For many of the singers, being exposed to such a diverse range of international performance styles and cultures was a completely new experience. That cultural exchange is one of the things that makes the Fringe so special. The Choir arrived not only as performers representing South Africa, but also as artists eager to watch, listen and learn from people who had travelled to Edinburgh from every corner of the world.
The Choir also took to the streets of Edinburgh, making a huge noise, singing, dancing and handing out flyers. Rather than simply advertising the show, those outings became part of the singers’ Fringe experience. Wherever they went, people stopped, smiled, filmed them, danced with them and wanted to know who they were. For the young South Africans, seeing the joy on people’s faces when they appeared and started singing was wonderful.
One particularly memorable moment came when the Choir encountered a wedding and ended up singing for the bride. Those spontaneous encounters captured the spirit of their time in Edinburgh perfectly: joyful, unexpected and completely human.
The Choir embraced Edinburgh, the audiences, the street performances, the other artists and the extraordinary energy of the festival. They arrived at the Edinburgh Fringe not entirely knowing what to expect and left having fallen in love with it. That a choir born in a small community in Limpopo could travel to the world’s largest arts festival and connect so powerfully with audiences from across the globe is extraordinary.
The Ndlovu Youth Choir’s international tour continues with dates in the Netherlands and London from 17 to 28 September. ENDS
SOCIAL MEDIA
Ndlovu Youth Choir
Website: choir.africa
You Tube: youtube.com/channel/UC2BPxkaXN48JekDdPkeyc4g
Twitter: @ChoirAfrica Instagram: ChoirAfrica
Showtime Management
FB – facebook.com/showtimemanagementsa
Twitter – twitter.com/showtime_sa Website – showtime.co.za
