It started 22 years ago, October 1990, around a campfire in the Underberg. Just a few musicians strumming their music, singing and drinking under a chilly Drakensburg starry sky.
Now, it’s a festival of epic proportions. Splashy Fen Music Festival has become an institution in South African music history. This year’s event will be held at the Splashy Fen Farm from 21 to 25 April.
Peter and Almary Ferraz attended the Festival of the Flower Children at Woburn Abbey in England in 1967 and from there, were inspired to embark on Splashy, as it is lovingly known, after buying a farm near Underberg in the Southern Drakensberg.
“We realised immediately that the farm was perfect for a music festival,” recalls Ferraz. “With its natural amphitheatre, great acoustics, breathtaking mountain vistas, winding river and lots of fields for camping, no one could ask for a more ideal setting.”
Held over two days, its original aim according to Ferraz, was “to have a really good time with a few musicians playing round campfires, joined by some truly passionate music-lovers.”
Gradually it grew to thousands camping listening to the likes of Tony Cox, and the now late Syd Kitchen.
Nowadays, it’s a must for all South African music lovers to go to this festival at least once – if only for the experience. It’s a family-oriented festival with vibe beyond compare. The camaraderie and friendships made at the festival have been known to last lifetimes.
As for the music, it’s grown from campfire tales to big stage, lighting and sound quality which surpasses every other festival I have been to. It is a showcase of our best talent in South Africa, and a platform for emerging artists. Most KZN-based bands are discovered at Splashy.
This year will play host to the likes of Holiday Murray, Boo!, Vusi Mahlasela, Isochronous, The Otherwise, the great Tony Cox, Ard Matthews and Dan Patlansky, to name but a few. There will also be a tribute to Syd Kitchen, who had been there from the beginning and recently lost his battle with cancer.
There will be stalls, food and a huge beer tent and hot showers for those willing to wait in long queues. For everyone else, there’s the mandatory trip down to the river. If you’re lucky, you may see an otter, which is the symbol of the festival. Also, as most KZN people are Sharks fans, the weekend will not be complete without a screening of the weekend’s Sharks match. This time, it’s Sharks vs Hurricanes.
It’s an incredible experience that will leave you with stories to tell for years to come. It’s definitely top of my bucket list, every single year.
Find more information here. Oh and bring your raincoats, your gumboots and all the spirit you can muster. It gets wet, cold and just plain awesome.
