Speaking at the launch of the event at the Durban Country Club this morning, East Coast Radio's marketing manager, Renée Burton, said, “Music brings people together – it’s that simple. And year on year we are building a tribe of music lovers who buy into our offering.”

The winners of East Coast Radio’s #BeTheBand competition will be the curtain-raiser. The finals are being held at Palm Court, Gateway on Saturday, 8 August 2015.

Durban band, Veranda Panda, will be showcasing their winning combo of EDM and violin. “We play shows and festivals all over the country but Veranda Panda is 100% proudly Durban. We can't wait to rock out in front of a massive home crowd, alongside a line-up of artists who we support and respect a lot. It's going to be huge.”

When they’re not playing overseas, high-flyers Mafikizolo are on tour or in-studio. They had such a blast at last year’s Durban Day that they’ve cleared their diaries to make more memories in Durban this year. Be prepared to rock your socks off.

Pop-rock band MonArk will bring their high-octane energy. The multiple-SAMA nominee group have been making waves since bursting onto the scene in 2013. It’s their first time at BP Durban Day with East Coast Radio and they’re promising a unique vocal and visual experience.

All eyes will be on multi-award winning prince of SA hip-hop artist AKA as he unlocks Durban and raises the Levels with his high energy performance. It will be his first time performing at this annual music event.

Icon and trailblazer, Thandiswa Mazwai, has amazed audiences all over the world. “Music gave me an opportunity to free my revolutionary self,” says the multiple award-winning artist. She’ll be sharing her brand of magic to People’s Park on Sunday, 6 August.

They raised the collective temperature at People’s Park last year, and now MiCasa is coming back for more. J'Something, Dr Duda and Mo-T will return from their first world tour to rock People’s Park in September with their pulse-thumping tracks.

“My favourite thing about Durban is the people. I've never been anywhere else in the world where people are so friendly and welcoming,” says Matthew Mole, who’ll be taking to the stage for the first time at People’s Park. “I'll be playing some older songs as well as quite a few of the new songs I've been working on. I've been changing up my live set quite a bit, so there will be a few more instruments on stage than I usually have.”

Veteran rockers Prime Circle will show why their music has had staying power for more than a decade. Their first single, She Always Gets What She Wants, has notched up over 789 000 YouTube views, making it the most-viewed South African rock song ever. Lead singer, Ross Learmonth, can’t wait to connect with KwaZulu-Natal fans. “Without the fans, we would be nothing. And I don’t ever want to do anything else. Creating music for a living is a privilege, and we never forget that.”

Beatenberg will make their debut performance at BP Durban Day with East Coast Radio. “We loved Durban energy and we can’t wait to connect with our fans there.” The Cape Town pop band will treat KwaZulu-Natal fans to their own brand fresh new energy.

Last year, Khuli Chana put in a guest appearance at People’s Park. This year, he’ll bring the curtain down on BP Durban Day with East Coast Radio with his own brand of pulsating flavour and sound. The Motswako originator has been in the game for ten years, during which he’s amassed an armful of awards and teamed up with big names like Big Sean and Kendrik Lamar. “My fans can definitely expect a mean, energetic performance,” he promises.

Mafikizolo, Prime Circle frontman Ross Learmonth and AKA joined the BP and East Coast Radio teams at the Durban Country Club on Wednesday, 22 July for the launch of the event.

Tickets for BP Durban Day with East Coast Radio are available at Computicket at R180. Free entry to under 3-year-olds and R20 for kids between three and 12-years-old. Gates open at 11:30.

For more information, visit the East Coast Radio website. Join the conversation on social media using the #BPDurbanday hashtag.