WeeklySA_AdminSINGALONGS: From heartbreak anthems to dance-floor favourites, Old School R&B Brunch returns to three South African cities for a celebration powered by music, memories and audience participation…
By Own Correspondent
The slow jams, soaring choruses and heartbreak anthems that defined a generation will take centre stage when Old School R&B Brunch returns to South Africa, inviting audiences in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town to sing their hearts out.
The Heartbreak to High Notes tour opens at The Villa in Durban on Saturday, October 24, moves to Maracanà in Sandton on Sunday, October 25, and concludes at Cabo Beach in Cape Town on Sunday, November 1 2026.
Built around the R&B sounds of the 1990s and early 2000s, the experience combines DJs, live hosting, interactive games and communal singalongs. Audience participation is central to the format, with familiar songs providing the starting point for an afternoon and evening of music and dancing.
Founded in London in 2019, Old School R&B Brunch emerged from three friends’ desire to create an event for mature audiences who shared a love of the genre. Reporting on its Kenyan tour in August 2025 identified the founders as childhood friends Reiss, Olu and Paul, and traced its beginnings to a gathering of about 250 guests.
The concept has since travelled widely. According to its official website, the brand operates in more than 45 cities across over 15 countries, with destinations including New York, Dubai and Tokyo. Its formula places familiar music alongside games, hosting and spontaneous crowd interaction.
Its expansion has also reached African audiences beyond South Africa. A Kenyan programme in August 2025 included events in Nairobi and Mombasa. During the pandemic, the organisers maintained contact with audiences through weekly Instagram DJ sessions, according to reporting on that tour.
For the South African dates, Heartbreak to High Notes draws on the emotional range that helped make R&B enduring: love, longing, break-ups and the exhilaration of a favourite chorus shared with a roomful of strangers.
The organisers promise crowd-led moments, games and energetic hosting, with food arrangements and ticket packages differing between venues.
Durban’s edition is billed as an all-white party, running from 15h00 to 21h00 at The Villa on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Point. The ticket listing distinguishes between party admission, with entry from 17h00, and a meal package that includes food served between 15h00 and 17h00. Guests should check their chosen ticket’s entry time and inclusions.
Johannesburg’s event takes place at Maracanà, 58 Wierda Road East, Sandton. The supplied tour schedule and the ticket page’s date panel list the event from 17h00 to 23h00. Food is sold separately, and standard admission does not include reserved seating.
Cape Town closes the South African run at Cabo Beach, 12 South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront, from 15h00 to 21h00. Food will be available to purchase separately, while general admission excludes meals and reserved seating.
All three events are restricted to guests aged 21 and older. Bookings are available through uTickets, with links on the Old School R&B Brunch website.
