If you're a Joburgian, don't move.  If you're not, book your flights, refuel your car and kick start the old engines, but get there.  Fast. Because the 2009 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival promises the biggest and best programme ever, guaranteed to rock your world.  

"This year's programme proves that Arts Alive is not just a highly anticipated fixture in Johannesburg and nationally but is fast becoming a defining global cultural festival that confirms our great city as the cultural hub of the continent and a real arts destination," says City of Joburg director, Steven Sacks.

The action kicks off on Thursday 3 Septemberwhen the 17th annual festival officially gets underway with an invite-only opening night in Newtown's Mary Fitzgerald Square in the heart of the city. Hosted by the Executive Mayor Masondo, Joburg Arts Alive's opening event will feature a stunning mix of music - from a massed children's choir to the delights of a percussion and winds ensemble and a moving tribute to iconic singer Dorothy Masuku, one of Johannesburg's most treasured residents.

From there on in, the 2009 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival delivers an easily accessible and wide-ranging programme that covers a remarkable diversity of arts disciplines including theatre, poetry, festivals, visual arts, festivals within the festival, film, dance, and, of course, music, music, music.

Many of the festival's long-standing events remain as highlights in a dense programme of activities - including Jazz On The Lake which this year takes place on September 6th with a free family concert that gives Joburgers a six-hour treat of great music.

The line-up this year includes International artist from Senegal, Omar Pene and the legendary Le Super Diamano, together with Indian 'Shared Histories' Susheela Raman and Sam Mills and Brazils, Spokfevro. Local line-up features Afro-roots artist Selaelo Selota who most recently captured the hearts of music fans with his record 'Lapeng Laka'.

He is joined by the legendary Tsepo Tshola as well as the riveting Standard Bank Young Artist Jazz Trio featuring the formidable talents of Concord Nkabinde, Kesivan Naidoo and Mark Fransmann. Also in the mix is one of South Africa's most exciting hip-hop acts, Zulu Boy who will bring his traditional influenced hip hop - as featured on albums like the SA Music Award-nominated 'Inqolobane' - to music fans. As our added feature of up-and-coming youth artists Jazz on the Lake will be featuring: Xolisa Dlamini and Tebogo Moloto.

On 4 September there's Freedom To Dance, a hip-hop and house extravaganza taking place at Carfax to performances of Michael Mascot's 'The South African Messiah'. A real coup for this year's Joburg Arts Alive is African Connections, producing unmissable events that bring a dazzling line-up of African and South African artists together for events that will give music fans a chance to experience just why Africa is considered the birthplace of modern music. Included in this lineup are Mingas (Mozambique), Dudu Manhenga (Zimbabwe), Tarika Be (Madagascar), the legendary Senegalese super group Xala, Etran Finatawa (Niger), Baponga (Gabon), and Gang of Instrumentals (South Africa). A partnership with the Austrian Embassy will also see a performance by Carlo Mombelli's 'Prisoners of Strange'.

A new feature of Joburg Arts Alive is the myriad of festivals within the festival that take place during September.

The 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture takes place from the 22nd to 25th September and is the first Summit to take place on the African continent. It will see arts and culture policy makers, funders and representatives of international, regional and national artist's networks make up the 400 delegates from over 70 countries across the world. In addition, the 2009 Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition takes over Museum Africa from September 2nd to the 5th, hosting delegates, exhibitors and live performances in the Newtown precinct in Africa's leading music industry event, a component of which will be Moshito & Arts Alive World Music Concert at Bassline on Saturday 5th September.

"I urge everyone to scrutinise the programme and make space in their diaries in September for some really brilliant arts events," says Steven Sack.

Visit: Arts Alive website now for the full programme and watch a video of This is Arts Alive for more background on what this happening event is all about.