Trump’s face fluttered on a flag, welcoming us with the words ‘Make Splashy Great Again’ as we entered a campsite alive with festival energy. Spirits (and hopes) were high for Splashy Fen 2016 – and with good reason. The event organisation had changed hands, and already the positive changes could be felt.
Splashy has been going for 26 years now, and it had started to get a bit, well, stale. Ticket prices were expensive for what the festival offered, and the lack of an international act for that price was frowned upon. The final straw for many was the implementation of music tents where you had to (gasp!) pay extra to get in.
The last I saw of Splashy was in 2012. It was a good time, as festivals tend to be. Whole days spread before you with nothing but friends and music to fill them with. I never expected to go back.
Splashy Fen 2016.
So four years later, I was somewhat surprised to be driving into the festival grounds again. I felt a bit old, grown in too many ways since my last Splashy foray, and braced for the judgement of fresh-faced students and festival fashionistas. I was wrong.
For one, this isn’t Cape Town, and festival fashion is given a good rap on the head by down-to-earth Durbanness. For the other, the variety of ages and groups I saw around me was delightful: teenagers looking around with barely-contained excitement at the playground of lights and sound and emotions around them while wiser festival-goers nonchalantly watched on; the elderly bobbing along sagely and parents dancing with the small hands of their thigh-high children clasped firmly in their own as they twirled around in a flurry of joyous smiles to the music.
And good music it was. I wasn’t seeking out bands specifically, but the standout acts I wandered across were BCUC (as usual), Mango Groove, Xavier Rudd and Sean Koch, hailing from Cape Town. The River Stage, sponsored by Flying Fish, was the place to be during the day. This was partly due to the free beer Flying Fish handed out to taken-aback, grateful souls wondering how life could be so good to them. But mainly, it was because there’s nothing better than listening to decent music whilst floating on a giant blow-up manta ray down a berg river.
Campsite music and colourful signboards in case you get lost.
The Flying Fish River Stage.
The cool water was well-used once the sun broke out.
I heard nothing but good feedback from Splashy Fenners. The food was decently-priced and there was a great range, the grounds were well laid out. Security was good, ablutions were unexpectedly clean, music was fantastic, people were happy. With such a great first start for the new organisers, Impi Concept Events, I can hardly wait for what they bring to next year’s festival.
Thank you for inviting Getaway to Splashy 2016, and well done to Kendall and the Impi team!
Ivan, on the left, with his iconic van. On the right, kids playing leapfrog down by the River Stage.
Floating killer whales and graffiti artists.
BCUC, left, and Sean Koch, right.
Night-time revelry!
Xavier Rudd had a packed, dancing audience.
Some of the mornings were cloudy, but the sun broke eventually.
Cold beer exchange! Thanks Flying Fish.
Drum circles each morning by the Acoustic Tent.
Verandah Panda played in the open air for sunset.
Musicians taking a brief break.
People came dressed to impress.
The acoustic stage was a lovely place to relax in the afternoons.
The colourful entrance to the festival, giving you a warm welcome to what’s to come.
PS: see yourself in any of the photos? Let me know in the comments and I’ll send it to you.
Thanks to Nathan for being such a trooper and helping me with all my photo forays. You’re the best!
This article, Festival revival: Splashy Fen 2016, was originally posted on the Getaway Blog by Teagan Cunniffe.