THIS long weekend will see a lot of music festivals, art shows and parties taking place around the country.

There is plenty of music and art shows to keep fans happy from Friday to Sunday.

Top notch musicians from the UK, US and locally will perform at a number of venues around the country.

There will be kwaito, reggae, R&B and jazz to cater for all sorts of musical tastes.

• The Madibeng All White Beach Party will kick-start the weekend festivities. It takes place on Friday at the Oberon Resort (Eagle Waters), Hartbeespoort Dam. Among those booked for this gig are Oskido, Professor, Lira, Kelly Khumalo and Teargas. The show will start at 10am.
• Still on Friday, the annual Gerard Sekoto Youth Festival will take place at the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), starting at 10am. From 1940, when the JAG purchased Yellow Houses, a work by Gerard Sekoto, until the 1980s, it was the only work by a black artist in the JAG collection. Today Yellow Houses is one of JAG's most cherished artworks. Sekoto is considered the father of contemporary South African art and was the recipient of the 1991 Vita Art Award.

He generously donated his prize money to the JAG for a special day where young people could take part in activities around art.

Since then, December 16 has become JAG's Gerard Sekoto Day for the Youth and the gallery has continued to secure sponsorship for this event.

• Soweto's cross-cultural, multi-generational Loxion Live Festival, which successfully kicked off in 2010 with a blazing hot line-up that included Thandiswa Mazwai, Sibikwa Indigenous Orchestra, The Blk Jks, The Brother Moves On, Phuzekhemisi, The Soil and The African Jazz Pioneers, takes place at Mofolo Park on December 16.

Bringing more fire to this year's event are crossover band 340ml; Gazelle, who perform a mixture of popular music blended with arts and fashion; Afro-fusion saxophonist McCoy Mrubata, rap artist Siya Shezi and maskandi mama Nokwazi "Kwazi" Dlamini, who has backed Busi Mhlongo, Thandiswa Mazwai and Simphiwe Dana.

• On Saturday, award winning R&B artist Joe Thomas will perform in Johannesburg and in Durban on December 18.

The Durban show, on Sunday at the Durban ICC, will feature Afro-pop artist Theo Kgosinkwe and songstress Zonke.

Thomas's first show on Saturday at the Sandton Convention Centre will be opened by poet Naima McLean, who will share the stage with Peneas Phiri.

• Boney M and UB40 are set to dazzle local audiences from Friday until next Tuesday. Boney M have four shows in Sun City, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The group ends their South African tour on Tuesday at Grand West in Cape Town.

• London-based reggae fusion group UB40 have a date with their fans on Saturday at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

The group's crossover music appeals to all races and generations.

The group will be supported by local musicians Dave van Vuuren, Big Nuz, Jamali, Goldfish, Magic Soul, Natalie R, DJ Jaydon D.

• Vodacom Unlimited Urban Beat House Afrika Tour takes place on Friday at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. It will feature Black Coffee, Bucie, Zakes Bantwini and Mabi Thobejane.
• Bunu Productions will present their music festival at Razzmattazz, Joubert Park in Johannesburg, on Saturday from 6pm to 6am. It will feature Mzambiya, DJ Nkululeko, Dbotts, DJ Senzo and Masheleni.

Playwright Paul Rapetsoa's play My Pride is currently on at the Library Gardens Auditorium in Polokwane.