South Africa’s most popular music festivals

South Africa is home to some of the largest music festivals, both globally and locally. Such festivals have become the culture of South Africa catering to a variety of music lovers from hyper electronic to soul-soothing jazz. So, what does the calendar look like this year for South Africa’s popular festivals, especially for those that were supposed to take place around this lockdown period?

Into the Wild: Raised by Wolves: This is the most popular trance festival catering to techno and psytrance music fans. This unique experience takes place surrounded by nature at the Riverside Forest in Stellenbosch. It took place on the 11th -12th January for their 3rd Edition which included an international act by Hidden Empire (GER) Stil vor Talent along with Geometric Flux, Itone, Fogshow and many others in the line-up. Fortunately, they usually host similar events throughout the year too.

Ultra-South Africa: This annual electric festival is part of a global expansion. People from all over the world come together to enjoy electronic music from various electronic performers. The 7th Edition took place on the 28th February at the Ostrich Farm in Cape Town. And on the 29th February at the Expo Centre, Nasrec in Johannesburg. Both events were headlined by Black Coffee, Jamie Jones, Afrojack and many more. It was truly an electric experience with 51 000 attendees. You can look forward to the 8th edition scheduled for the 26th- 27th February 2021.

Ramfest: This one is for the metal fans who are ready to rock n roll to heavy metal music provided by their favourite bands. This festival took place on the 13th March at Hillcrest in Cape Town and on the 14th March at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. Death metal giants, Black Dahlia Murder, took to the stage along with two reunion shows from Van Coke Kartel as the headliners. Considering the current pandemic, the show was well executed and ensured that the wellbeing of the attendees was a priority.

Cape Town Jazz Festival: This is one of the biggest jazz festivals in the world and it takes place annually at the Convention Centre in Cape Town. It is usually held during the last weekend of March or the first weekend in April, with over 40 artists performing to a crowd of over 30 000 people. Unfortunately, the 21st year celebration that was to take place on the 27th -28th March 2020 has been postponed for the foreseeable future due to the current pandemic.

Splashy Fen: One can expect to find a diverse range of people, from teenagers to families, creating a friendly atmosphere at the annual Splashy Fen Festival. The festival takes place on a farm near Underberg in Kwa-Zulu Natal with a series of local artists from all the various genres taking to the stage. This unique outdoor music festival that was due to take place this Easter has been postponed to the 23rd -27th Sept 2020. One can look forward to Desmond and the Tutus, Mi Casa, The Steezies and more.

Afrikaburn: Afrikaburn is a festival that expresses creativity through theme camps, costumes, music performances and temporary art which gets set ablaze at the end and caters to all music lovers. It is held annually at Tankwa Karoo in Northern Cape. It was due to take place on the 27th April – 3rd May however due to the current pandemic it was cancelled. To keep the flame going, it was brought home through an online gathering called HOMEBURN which took place on 2nd – 3rd May. Since it was a success, Afrikaburn will be hosting another online event on 4th July titled eCompression which will include performances, discussions, music and of course the burns. Everyone is welcome to join and is encouraged to donate if they can.

The Oppikoppi Festival:  It takes place annually at Northam in Limpopo. It is coming back with a bang celebrating 25 years as it was cancelled last year and is scheduled to take place from 9th- 11th August this year. One can expect a wide variety of music including rock, blues, hip hop and more catering to all music lovers. The line-up includes the Black Cat Bones, Bad Peter, Kwesta, Sho Madjozi and more.

Rocking the Daisies: This vibrant festival with diverse music styles features both established and upcoming artists. It was due to take place on 4th -6th October but it has been cancelled. It will take place from 1-3 October 2021 at the Cloof Wine Estate in Cape Town and from the 2nd – 3rd October 2021 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. International artists Ari Lennox, Stormzy and Col3trane have confirmed to perform.

Vortex: Open Source: This summer festival is filled with a kaleidoscope of colour provided by the lighting and artworks. This outdoor gathering will be held at Stormsvlei in Cape Town on the 12th -16th Dec 2020. It caters to the techno psytrance fans who love to stomp their feet. The Vortex also hosts a June festival, Phoenix Festival of Fire, however, the details are still to be confirmed.

There is always a beat to dance to; you must just find one that suits you. Grab a friend and keep the spirit of dance alive because even in these difficult times, music continues to cross many borders to unite nations in their diversity. Continue to stay safe and healthy.

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