After a surprise cancellation of what would have been the 4th Top Gear Festival held in Durban, local organisers have announced that the show will return to Johannesburg on 12 – 14 June. Tickets will be on sale from 20 March.

South Africa’s powerhouse city was the first place outside of the UK to host the show back in 2008. The show will return to that same location, the NorthGate Dome.

The show will be hosted by all three of Top Gear’s reasonably-well dressed presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

James Cooke-Priest, COO of Top Gear Live said“South Africa has always been one of our favourite destinations on the tour not least because they were the first fans outside of the UK to welcome our Top Gear Live show so enthusiastically.

“They return year after year to support us and remain some of the most enthusiastic not to mention the loudest fans we experience worldwide” he continued “We’re delighted to be able to bring Top Gear Live back to the Domeand have been overwhelmed by the support from previous partners, sponsors and ticket holders alike who have also welcomed the news”.

The festival has attracted over half a million South African fans in the last eight years, and organisers have promised to entertain fans with an all new format.

On a personal note, I have attended every Top Gear Festival in South Africa since inception, and the issue is that they have set the bar incredibly high with the Durban Festival. The combination of an in-stadium racetrack, in what is an incredible stadium, coupled with a top-notch street circuit and enormous show grounds, all blessed by Durban’s incredible winter weather is going to be very hard to beat.

Some of the best memories of my career were forged at Durb’s Top Gear Festivals, and I know for a fact that the British team absolutely love coming here. So I am cautiously optimistic that they will be able to pull of something special, within the new constraints.