The Vrystaat Arts Festival is one of the key arts festivals on the African continent, offering national and international work in a range of genres for the past 23 years.

The festival’s vision is centred on the principle of ‘One festival, many stories,’ with its mission to support the development and presentation of great art in the Free State for all.

The festival is the first and only South African cultural entity to follow Khoi-San protocol, recognising the First Nations people and traditional owners of the land in public platforms and the festival programme.

Over the last decade, it has become one of South Africa’s most international and multi-lingual festivals, supporting and presenting a wide variety of work by both established and up and coming artists as well as providing space for community arts initiatives and student works.

The festival takes place at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of the Free State which is made available for the duration of the festival.