By Gcina Ntsaluba
Festival-goers can hop between venues with ease thanks to the complimentary transport service. The National Arts Festival has rolled out a comprehensive free transport service to help visitors navigate between the numerous venues scattered across the city during the annual cultural celebration.
While Makhanda may appear compact to newcomers, seasoned festival-goers know that traversing from one performance to another can be challenging, especially when trying to catch multiple shows in a day. The festival organisers have addressed this concern by introducing the Hopper service, made possible through partnerships with Standard Bank and Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism.
The service operates two distinct routes, each clearly marked and strategically designed to cover the festival’s key locations. The Red Hopper runs the longest schedule, operating from 09:00 to 22:30 daily, covering the route from the Monument down to the Rhodes Theatre complex. This route also serves additional venues and accommodates early morning workshops and late-night performances.
The Hoppers will be running at intervals of approximately 15 to 30 minutes at the various stops.
The Blue Hopper focuses on the central town venues, running from 10:00 to 19:00, ensuring access to the bustling heart of the festival where many of the smaller theaters and exhibition spaces are located.
Festival organisers have made the system user-friendly with clear visual indicators. Each hopper vehicle displays either a red or blue sticker corresponding to its route, while designated pickup and drop-off points throughout the city are marked with boards featuring a distinctive “H” symbol.
Watch out for the venue map which gives more details.
