Against the backdrop of rising youth challenges in South Africa, cultural custodian Osmic Menoe is positioning the Resistance Festival as a bold, youth-driven response that turns struggle into creative expression through music, fashion and innovation.
Menoe, the driving force behind Africa’s largest hip-hop festival, Back to the City, says the idea was born out of a deep concern with the everyday pressures facing young people, from unemployment and crime to education struggles and recurring waves of youth activism.
The festival, set to take place on Saturday, 11 April 2026, at Constitution Hill, will feature live performances alongside immersive workshops spanning DJing, production, fashion, film, technology and artificial intelligence.
Speaking about the essence of the festival, he said it was born out of a consistent concern with the realities facing young people, from unemployment and crime to education struggles, as well as recurring waves of youth activism such as #FeesMustFall.
“I think the big thing for Resistance Festival is always looking at what young people are struggling with. You know, we’ve obviously got a problem of crime, we’ve got a problem of jobs, and we’ve got a problem of education. So there are all these different things that young people keep complaining about and keep fighting about, eg: fees must fall. You know, all these things that keep happening.”
He said the concept was also inspired by a desire to connect the struggles of today’s youth with the legacy of the 1976 generation, using culture as a bridge between the past and present.
“So the idea, or the big idea of it, was how do we then look at the youth of '76, what they struggled with and what they went through, and their sacrifices fast-forward to the youth of today? So it’s basically that comparison or juxtaposition between the youth of 76 and the youth of now, and using music, art, and fashion as basically the mouthpiece for that.”
Menoe says the goal is not only celebration but also problem-solving through creativity.
“The festival is not just about music, but it’s about the art, it’s about fashion, and it’s about workshops. We’ve got about eight workshops that we’re busy doing, from a DJing workshop, production workshop, fashion workshops, film and technology slash AI workshops, looking at solutions. How do we resolve some of these problems that we’re facing as young people?”
Asked about what makes the festival stand out he says, “I think what makes a difference is the mere fact that we’re trying to focus on incorporating all these different workshops with these solutions that connect to the actual festival. And already at the festival, when you look at the sheer amount of the creative, I mean, we’ve got a whole exhibition of 50 photographers who are showcasing, you know, what they see around, what they capture, what this freedom is, what they are doing with this freedom that they’ve been given? We’ve got about 80 young local designers once again showcasing what they are doing with their talents.”
The festival also brings in cultural partners invested in youth expression and hip-hop culture. Among them is Hennessy, which says its involvement reflects its continued commitment to creative communities. Lungile Mpharu, Brand Manager, said: “Hennessy has a deep connection to hip-hop culture. Supporting platforms like the Resistance Festival allows us to celebrate talent and build the culture alongside the communities driving it.”
Saturday Star