Johannesburg is about to glow with stories that cut deep, heal, and connect. On 26 March 2026, The Moth, the global storytelling movement born in New York, lands at UJ Arts & Culture’s Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre. After selling out in 2024, the Mainstage returns with the theme We Rise. Expect an unforgettable night of truth, vulnerability, and raw human connection, hosted by the iconic Lebo Mashile.
Storytelling as a Shrine
The Moth is a ritual of words. Since 1997, more than 65,000 true stories have been told on its stages worldwide. No scripts, no notes, only people standing in the light and speaking their truth. From Mainstage productions to StorySLAM open mics, The Moth has become a cultural force, amplified by its podcast that millions stream every month.
The name comes from writer George Dawes Green’s memory of porch nights in Georgia, where moths circled the light as neighbours swapped stories. That porch energy, intimate, electric, and communal, is exactly what The Moth brings to Johannesburg.
Five Voices, One Stage
This year, five storytellers from across Africa will step up with ten‑minute tales about forging new paths. These are lived experiences, messy, funny, heartbreaking, and brave. Each story is crafted with the help of a Moth director, but delivered live and without notes, keeping the rawness intact. Add live music from Yogin Sullaphen, and the night becomes a full sensory journey that blends words and sound into something unforgettable.
Executive Producer Sarah Austin Jenness still remembers Johannesburg’s last Mainstage. “The crowd was one of the most vibrant I have witnessed in my 20 years at The Moth,” she says. “That recording became one of our most popular podcast episodes. We are thrilled to showcase five new storytellers this March, with stories of perseverance.”
Lebo Mashile: The Voice of Connection
At the centre of it all is Lebo Mashile, poet, performer, activist, and cultural powerhouse. Her words have lit up stages in 38 countries, her acting has reached global screens in Hotel Rwanda and Netflix’s Classified, and her poetry remains fearless and lyrical.
Mashile is hosting with intention. “The Moth feels like a living and digital shrine to the timeless power of storytelling in its rawest form,” she says. “In an increasingly polarised world, I look forward to holding space for voices that remind us how deeply connected we truly are.”
That statement is the heartbeat of the night. Storytelling as sacred, as resistance, as connection. Mashile’s presence ensures the evening resonates not only as entertainment but as cultural testimony. Her ability to guide audiences through vulnerability and truth makes her the perfect bridge between storytellers and listeners.
Johannesburg’s Place in The Moth’s Global Journey
Johannesburg is not just another stop on The Moth’s calendar. It is a city with a rhythm of its own, a place where stories carry the weight of history and the spark of reinvention. The last Mainstage proved that local audiences are hungry for this kind of raw, communal storytelling. The return of The Moth confirms that Johannesburg has carved out its place in the organisation’s global journey.
The theme We Rise feels tailor‑made for this moment. It speaks to resilience, creativity, and the collective spirit that defines the city. It is about lifting voices, amplifying truths, and finding connection in the shared act of storytelling.
Why It Hits Different
We live in a world where feeds scroll faster than feelings. The Moth slows everything down. It is about listening, really listening, to someone else’s truth. It is about recognising yourself in a stranger’s story.
For young South Africans, this is theatre with urgency. It is a chance to see African voices amplified on a global stage, to experience storytelling as activism, and to walk away with a reminder that empathy is revolutionary. The Moth is not about spectacle. It is about intimacy. It is about the courage to stand up and speak, and the generosity to sit down and listen.
Event Details
Date: 26 March 2026
Venue: Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, UJ Arts & Culture
Tickets: R100 on Quicket https://www.quicket.co.za/
The Moth’s return to Johannesburg is a celebration of resilience, creativity, and the human spirit. With Lebo Mashile guiding the night, five African storytellers baring their truths, and an audience ready to rise together, this is storytelling at its most powerful.
Johannesburg rises. And with it, the voices that remind us how deeply connected we truly are.
