Breakfast and Dinner Accommodation Near Royal Reed Dance Festival
*All distances listed are as the crow flies, and not actual travel distances.
Royal Reed Dance Festival Reviews
More info about Royal Reed Dance Festival
One of the most anticipated events on the Zulu festival calendar is the Royal Reed Dance Festival, a cultural occasion that happens every September in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal. The 4-day festival was started in 1991 by current Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini, however, it’s not a new introduction to Zulu culture, the custom stems from a chastity rite that has existed for centuries amongst Nguni tribes. The aim of the festival is to celebrate purity and to promote abstinence amongst young girls as they prepare for womanhood and marriage.
The Royal Reed Dance takes place at the king’s royal residence at eNyokeni Palace and young women arrive from all parts of the province to attend the festivities. Each girl brings with them the sturdiest and longest reed to show their pure status. A broken reed along the way indicates that the holder is not a virgin and therefore is not eligible to participate. They dress in traditional clan... Show more