Tamar Braxton, DVSN & Eric Benét Are Bringing a Big R&B Weekend to Pretoria

Ndlala Arena in Pretoria is bringing back its Grandeur series with Ndlala Grandeur Season, a five-night celebration of R&B running from 16 to 20 December 2026. The announced lineup already includes three international names from different eras of the genre: Tamar Braxton, DVSN and Eric Benét.

And this isn't being positioned as your typical massive outdoor concert. Ndlala Grandeur is built around a more intimate, premium live-music experience, with reserved seating, multiple experience tiers and a focus on bringing international R&B artists closer to their South African audience.

Tamar Braxton opens the season

The first night belongs to Tamar Braxton on Wednesday, 16 December.

Braxton has been part of the R&B conversation for decades, first emerging alongside her sisters as part of The Braxtons before building her own solo career. Her breakthrough came with her 2013 album Love and War, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album also earned her three Grammy nominations, including nominations for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for its title track.

For South African fans, there is also a bit of history here.

Braxton was originally scheduled to perform at the 2015 BET Experience Africa in Johannesburg but withdrew from the event after serious health complications. Her Ndlala Grandeur appearance will therefore mark her first performance in South Africa.

Expect a set built around songs such as “Love and War,” “My Man” and “All the Way Home.”

Also joining the opening night is actor Ricco Ross, who will serve as the red-carpet and show co-host on 16 and 17 December. Ross is known to South African audiences for his role as Horace Bellarie in Beauty in Black.

DVSN brings the late-night R&B energy

The second night switches things up.

Canadian duo DVSN takes the stage on Thursday, 17 December.

Made up of vocalist Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85, DVSN emerged from Toronto's R&B scene in 2015. Their sound sits somewhere between alternative R&B, slow jams and atmospheric production, making them a very different proposition from the classic R&B names usually associated with South African concert lineups.

Their debut album, SEPT. 5TH, arrived in 2016, followed by Morning After in 2017 and A Muse in Her Feelings in 2020. The latter featured collaborations with artists including Future, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Summer Walker and Ty Dolla $ign.

DVSN aren't strangers to Mzansi either. They performed in South Africa in 2025, including shows in Johannesburg and Cape Town, making this return a chance for fans to see them again in a very different setting.

If your R&B playlist leans more towards “Too Deep,” “Hallucinations,” “With Me” and “The Line”, this is probably the night you'll have circled.

Eric Benét closes things out

Then comes one of the big ones.

Eric Benét will close the currently announced international lineup on Sunday, 20 December.

Benét's career stretches back to the 1990s, with his 1996 debut True to Myself establishing him as a distinctive voice in contemporary R&B. His 1999 album A Day in the Life brought wider attention, particularly through “Spend My Life With You”, his duet with Tamia.

The song earned Benét his first Grammy nomination, while later releases such as Love & Life and Lost in Time continued to establish his place in R&B. He has received four Grammy nominations across his career.

For longtime R&B listeners, this is the kind of catalogue that needs very little introduction. “Spend My Life With You,” “Love Don't Love Me,” “You're the Only One” and “Sometimes I Cry” are the songs that make this a proper nostalgia-meets-live-performance moment.

Ndlala Grandeur is becoming its own thing

This isn't Ndlala Arena's first attempt at bringing international R&B to Pretoria.

The original Grandeur event in 2025 featured Joe Thomas and Donell Jones, while Ndlala Grandeur II expanded the concept in August 2026 with artists including Mýa, RL, Ginuwine, Case, Tyrese, Zonke and Vusi Nova.

That progression is important because Ndlala Grandeur isn't trying to be another giant festival with dozens of acts squeezed onto one lineup. The concept is centred around the artists, the music and the experience.

Ndlala Arena describes the venue as having 552 reserved seats across five seating tiers, ranging from Bronze through to Diamond.

Tickets are currently listed from R2,000, with packages going up to R14,000 for the Diamond experience. The premium package includes front-row seating, a luxury lounge, concierge service and an Italian gourmet buffet, among other perks.

The official Ndlala Arena programme currently confirms five nights:

16 December: Tamar Braxton
17 December: DVSN
18 December: Lineup TBA
19 December: Lineup TBA
20 December: Eric Benét

So there are still two nights to be revealed.

What we do know is that Ndlala is putting together a December programme that moves between different generations of R&B. Tamar brings the big vocal performances, DVSN brings the contemporary late-night sound, and Eric Benét brings decades of soul and songwriting.

Ndlala Grandeur Season runs from 16 - 20 December 2026 at Ndlala Arena, Ndlala Mall, Corner Steve Biko & Pretorius Streets, Arcadia, Pretoria.

Head over to Ndlala Grandeur website for tickets and more details