OVER 40 of the country’s biggest music artists, 360 specialist stalls, at least two of the Eastern Cape’s biggest expos and more will welcome visitors to the 18th annual SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees.
Festinos will be able to ‘kuier’ under the wild Karoo sky with friends and family from Friday, June 28, to Sunday, June 30, and be entertained by a full programme of events, activities and live entertainment on the giant Adventure Province stage.
That is after browsing through the stalls, chewing on biltong, sipping wine and savouring freshly prepared dishes, or bidding for a buffalo or hyena at the Wildsfees auction on the Friday.
Internationally renowned singer and judge on The Voice SA, Lira, will be one of the highlights of the Friday night line-up.
Also on the Adventure Province stage for the first time on Friday night are local artists award-winning rapper Early B, and Rob & Ferdi.
The rest of the Friday line-up are festival favourites Elandré Schwartz, Liesel Pieters, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Nicholis Louw and Jo Black.
The evening will conclude with Bok van Blerk, who will be making his first Kirkwood Wildsfees appearance.
Saturday is a day of thrills and action, with plenty to do for young and old.
Stars to be seen on the Adventure Province stage include Deon Groot, Wicus van der Merwe, South Africa’s top female rock band Saarkie, Brendan Peyper, Juanita du Plessis, Ghapi, Jan Bloukaas and all-time favourite Robbie Wessels.
For the first time in the Eastern Cape, festival goers will experience Monster Energy’s “Flight Night” which features top local and international daredevil freestyle motocross riders in an explosion of exhausts, light, sound and fireworks.
On Sunday, June 30, the entertainment on the main stage kicks off at 10:00 with The Country Legends featuring “Big Daddy” Lance James, “Queen of Country” Barbara Ray, “Midnight Cowboy” Clive Bruce and “Little Jo” Jody Wayne.
The country music will continue after the legends have left the stage with the talented HunTer Leiter, who will be in Kirkwood for the first time.
After HunTer, festival goers will be entertained by Wynand and Cheree, Ricus Nel, Elizma Theron, Ray Dylan and Die Campbells.
There will be two other stages where festival goers can sit back and relax and listen to local artists: the Flavourfontein stage and the kykNET Leefstyl plein stage.
In the Coca-Cola Fun Zone, there will be lots of prizes up for grabs from Coca-Cola.
The young and young at heart can meet, greet and take selfies with some of their favourite characters like Peppa Pig and Spiderman.
Other entertainment in the weekend programme includes performances in the Vodacom Pavilion by Friesian horses, anti-poaching exercise demonstrations by the Addo Elephant National Park Ranger Corps and the police K9 unit, and a Boerboel dog show.
There is also the annual Koedoedrolverspoeg competition and, for the first time, a Wildsfees Langvoet Challenge where there will be a battle of the sexes (in the nicest possible way).
In addition to the music and expos, festivalgoers can enjoy wine tasting, gourmet taste sensations, shop at over 350 specially selected stalls and kuier at the ATKV en Die Burger Koek op die Stoep FeesKafee.
Adult tickets cost R150 per day for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A weekend pass will be R350.
For festival goers aged between seven and 17, tickets cost R70 per day for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and R150 for a weekend pass.
SASSA pensioner’s tickets can be purchased at the gate only for R100 per day for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are available from: Mafuta Padstal in Kirkwood, Westway Tickets on the corner of Lewerkie and Hoepoe Streets in Cotswold Extension, Port Elizabeth, and BZN Stationers in Uitenhage.
