The Opening Day Intshayelelo at The Black Power Station begins with eBuhlanti: A Solution-Oriented Platform Experience led by Dr Nqevu. Taking place on the 25th of June from 12pm until 5pm, this gathering is an open invitation to people from all cultures and walks of life to come together and experience the spirit, energy, and vision of TBPS as the festival officially opens.

The programme will be guided by Master of Ceremony (uPhathi Msitho), Mr Likhaya Gandi, who will lead the day's proceedings and help create a welcoming and engaging atmosphere for all participants.

Inside eBuhlanti, the day moves beyond the traditional Western format of lectures and panel discussions. Instead, the space transforms into a living family meeting  a circle of conversation where people gather honestly and openly to speak about culture, identity, traditions, and the challenges facing African communities today. Rooted in the spirit of Ubuntu, the experience becomes a place of listening, healing, storytelling, and collective problem-solving.

One of the central conversations of the day will focus on the importance of music and poetry within African culture  not simply as entertainment, but as living archives of memory, spirituality, resistance, healing, and communication between generations. Artists, poets, musicians, and cultural practitioners will all be given the opportunity to contribute to the discussion, adding their voices and experiences to the gathering. Culture becomes the centre of everything, guiding how people speak, connect, eat, sing, and reflect together.

The powerful voice of Amagqirha Imbongi will also form part of the conversation, bringing the spirit of traditional poetry and indigenous expression into the heart of the gathering. Through poetry, chants, and oral tradition, the presence of Imbongi will help connect the audience to the deeper emotional and spiritual dimensions of African storytelling and cultural memory.

As one of the leading archivists and protectors of African costumes, traditions, and indigenous knowledge, Dr Nqevu will guide the conversations through wisdom-sharing, storytelling, and direct engagement with the audience. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions and explore cultural practices in a way that feels personal, spiritual, and community-driven rather than academic and distant.

The atmosphere of the day will carry the warmth of home. Traditional umqombothi will be prepared and shared alongside food and meat, creating a welcoming space where those who have spent years away from the Eastern Cape can reconnect with the feeling, rhythm, and spirit of where they come from. It becomes both a cultural experience and a reminder of what many people miss when separated from their roots.

The gathering is expected to bring together cultural activists, community leaders, artists, students from local colleges, and young people interested in African languages, heritage, and indigenous knowledge systems.

The discussion will also be enriched by representatives from the African Language Studies Section. Joining the eBuhlanti panel will be Dr Rendani  Molubo  and Liyema "Intsika Yezibhalo" Mzizi, who will contribute perspectives on African languages, cultural knowledge systems, identity, and the role of language in preserving and advancing African heritage. Their participation will help bridge community knowledge, academic research, and lived cultural experience, creating a meaningful dialogue between scholars, artists, cultural practitioners, and the broader community.

Following the conversations inside eBuhlanti, the day will continue with live performances throughout the afternoon and into the evening, allowing the spirit of the discussions to move into music, poetry, rhythm, dance, and celebration. The opening day becomes both a cultural gathering and a living performance experience, where dialogue is transformed into artistic expression.

More than simply opening a festival, Intshayelelo serves as a cultural homecoming, a space where knowledge is shared, traditions are honoured, and communities come together to imagine the future while remaining deeply connected to their roots. Through conversation, music, poetry, food, and fellowship, The Black Power Station welcomes everyone into a festival grounded in culture, community, and collective memory.