Kaytranada Delivers a Showstopper Performance: Milk & Cookies Festival

The Milk & Cookies Festival brought its vibrant energy to Johannesburg this past weekend, leaving attendees raving about the improved experience compared to its Cape Town debut. Held at Huddle Park Golf & Recreation, the festival featured stellar performances, including a captivating set by Grammy-winning artist Kaytranada, and impressed even Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie.

The Joburg leg of the Milk & Cookies Festival drew an enthusiastic crowd, earning praise for its organization and the high-energy performances that set the tone for a memorable evening. Gayton McKenzie expressed his excitement about the event, commending the organizers for reigniting the “happiness economy.”

“South Africans are hungry for a good time,” McKenzie said, addressing the crowd. “We’re bringing it back. In 2025, we’re going to host more events like this, bringing international artists back home to perform here.”

We need to create a platform for our local promoters and artists to host these kind of events, all year round. This is the cornerstone of job creation and happiness. Congratulations to the organisers of Milk and Cookies Fest🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿 pic.twitter.com/5bgQx6f3dn

— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) January 11, 2025

Milk & Cookies, a production and marketing company based in Atlanta, hosted its first festival in South Africa, kicking off in Cape Town with New Year’s festivities, cultural experiences, and exclusive fashion pop-ups. The second week transitioned to Johannesburg, with a focus on artist development through workshops and networking opportunities.

Kaytranada’s Show-Stealing Performance

Kaytranada, the Haitian-born, Canadian-raised producer and two-time Grammy winner, was the headline act and delivered a performance that had Johannesburg buzzing. His setlist featured hits like At All, You’re The One, Be Your Girl, and GoDJ, paired with an energetic stage presence that kept the youthful audience engaged.

Following his performance, Kaytranada took to Twitter to share his excitement:
“Honestly, Johannesburg, that was definitely on my top three best performances and best crowd. The number of tweets I see of y’all saying I owe y’all nothing? Nahhh, y’all owe me nothing! Thank you!”

Honestly Johannesburg, that was definitely on my top 3 best performances & best crowd. The number of tweets i see of y’all saying that i owe y’all nothing?
nahhh Y’ALL owe ME nothing! Thank you!

— kaytra-NADA (@KAYTRANADA) January 12, 2025

new best night of my life just dropped. KAYTRANADA you owe me absolutely NOTHING pic.twitter.com/iBuCs1NJZi

— tunafish in my kota (@jinji_boolin) January 11, 2025

Kaytranada’s performance contrasted sharply with his Cape Town show, where patrons had complained about poor organization and high drink prices.

While the Cape Town edition of the festival was marred by logistical issues, Joburg saw significant improvements in crowd management and overall experience. Security personnel were on hand to assist with parking, creating a sense of order despite delays in exiting the venue.

However, some challenges remained. The process of loading cash into Howler tags for transactions proved tedious and time-consuming, leaving festival-goers frustrated. Additionally, the lack of adequate toilet facilities, particularly for women, led to long queues in both the VIP and general sections.

The Milk & Cookies Festival’s Johannesburg edition showcased the potential of international events to thrive in South Africa when well-executed. With lessons learned from its debut, the organizers appear set to refine the experience further, ensuring future editions continue to attract global stars and deliver world-class entertainment.

As McKenzie stated, the festival represents a step forward in restoring joy and cultural vibrancy in South Africa. With more events on the horizon, the country could see a revival of its entertainment and tourism sectors, bolstered by world-class festivals like Milk & Cookies.

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