Hey, ho! The Lumineers are heading back to South Africa for a fourth time, with two shows planned in February 2026.
South Africa (12 August 2025) – The Lumineers will be making their way back to South Africa for their Automatic World Tour, marking the folk-rock duo’s fourth visit to our shores.
They’ll light up Cape Town’s Grand Arena, GrandWest on 4 February 2026 and Pretoria’s SunBet Arena at Time Square on 7 February 2026.
It’s been a love story since 2014, when Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites first played beneath the stars at Kirstenbosch and Emmarentia Dam. They returned in 2017 for their Cleopatra World Tour, and again in 2022 for sold-out Brightside World Tour shows. Inviting home-grown acts like Jeremy Loops as openers in the past.
While the band hasn’t confirmed which supporting acts will join them locally for their next visit, the Automatic World Tour boasts an epic line-up of special guests across its global stops, including Young the Giant, St. Vincent, Vance Joy, and Tom Odell.
Upon each return, they’ve spoken warmly of SA’s crowds, praising the attitude of appreciation that makes performing here unforgettable.
“One of the most incredible experiences we had was, we ended all of our touring of the first album (about three years) in South Africa and it was really moving that the amount of people came out and just the connection we felt with those people and the enthusiasm kinda caught us off guard, you know, we’d been touring so long on that material and in the end it felt so fresh and brand new,” Wesley Schultz told News24, ahead of their 2017 tour.
It’s not only the gees they experienced on-stage that made the band fall in love with South Africa.
“And then also just being kind of blown away by… you know we went on a safari, I stayed an extra week or so and saw a lot more of the countryside and Cape Town so it really blew my mind,” added Schultz.
In 2022, upon their last return to SA shores, the band visited the Two Oceans Aquarium while in Cape Town, where they got to do a dive with Bob the Green Turtle. Bob, who had been a rescue resident at the aquarium for eight years, was released soon after.
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Watch: School Choirs Join Voices for a Beautiful Rendition of Toto’s ‘Africa’The band shed the light on SA’s beloved Bob with their audience, after the dive:
“Getting to say hello to Bob the sea turtle was so special. He is about to be released into the wild after a long rehabilitation and re-wildling process. He was found washed up on a local beach on the brink of death and they brought him to back to good health.”
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From serenading us under starry skies to meeting Cape Town’s most famous turtle, The Lumineers have made memories here that run way deeper than the music.
If history is anything to go by, Mzansi will be ready to meet them with the same warmth, energy, and love that’s made our country one of their favourite stops on the map, as it has been for many returning artists in SA!
Sources: Linked above
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