Art vs. apartheid: Van Zandt to talk "Sun City" at the Springsteen Center (tix go on sale tomorrow)

August 12, 2026

The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University will host a special screening of the 1985 documentary The Making of Sun City (expanded from the version initially aired on MTV,) followed by a conversation with the songwriter of the anti-apartheid anthem "Sun City" and the founder of Artists United Against Apartheid: musician, activist, and TeachRock founder Stevie Van Zandt, of course. Van Zandt will be in conversation with the Springsteen Center's founding Executive Director, Bob Santelli, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 7:30 p.m., at the Center’s Powell Soundstage. Tickets to attend this event, priced at $50 each, will go on sale tomorrow, Thursday August 13, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. (Click below for the link to purchase tickets.)

The September 1 Making of Sun City event also will serve as the inaugural event in the Center's new Music + Film series. "We’re excited to launch this new series where we bring together music, film, and the stories behind the artists and movements that shape American culture," said Eileen Chapman, the Center's Director, in officially announcing the event. "The program also reflects the Center’s commitment to connecting music history with education. TeachRock, the free educational initiative founded by Van Zandt, offers classroom resources and lesson plans centered on Sun City and the history of apartheid."

Van Zandt and Santelli's post-screening discussion will explore the remarkable story behind the "Sun City" single and its accompanying album, which became a landmark 1985 anti-apartheid project spearheaded by Van Zandt. Following The Making of Sun City's screening, they will discuss the origins and impact of the project, the role musicians can play in movements for social change, and the enduring relationship between music and activism.

"'Sun City' was always about more than making a record," said Stevie Van Zandt in the event's official announcement. "It was about using music to educate people, bring attention to injustice, and inspire people to do something about it... That same idea is at the heart of TeachRock. We use music to help young people understand history and give them the context to better understand the world around them. I’m looking forward to sharing the story behind 'Sun City' to kick off the Center’s new film series and talking about why those lessons still matter today."

The official announcement also noted that the history to which Van Zandt referred "is currently explored at the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music in Chimes of Freedom: Protest, Patriotism, and the Power of Song, the Center’s inaugural temporary exhibition. The September 1 program will extend that story from the gallery to the stage."

Tickets for The Making of Sun City are $50 each and will go on sale tomorrow, Thursday August 13, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. You can click here to buy tickets directly at the Center's website, once they become available to purchase. The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music is located at 382 Cedar Ave. in West Long Branch, NJ.