The Riky Rick founded music festival, CottonFest, one of South Africa’s influential youth culture festivals, has officially come to an end.
Festival organisers made the announcement on Tuesday, 9 December, citing internal conflicts among its current shareholders as the reason for dissolution.
CottonFest had initially teased an edition for 2026, which had ignited excitement among music fans.
“CottonFest has always been rooted in creativity, community and cultural celebration focused on creating a platform for the youth to shine,” read the statement by CottonFest owner and organiser Bianca Naidoo.
“While we remain extremely proud of what the festival has achieved and are deeply grateful for the support it has received from our fans, partners and the artists over the years, the differences in festival’s vision and purpose among the two parties has made it clear to our family and the team, that concluding this chapter is the most realistic path forward.”
The decision, according to the organisers, was taken after a thorough internal review and was made in the best interests of all parties involved, including employees, partners, and the larger community that has supported the festival since it began more than seven years ago.
Naidoo, who is the partner of the late festival founder Rikhado Makhado, known by his stage name Riky Rick, along with the Makhado family, expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a role in building CottonFest into a cultural powerhouse and preserving Riky Rick’s legacy.
The team confirmed that the CottonFest Creative Programme, which launched in 2025, will continue to operate despite the festival’s closure. The programme aims to provide year-round opportunities for emerging young talent.
