A music solution for St Francis Bay holiday season

Social media has been awash regarding the noise from the various music entertainment areas around St Francis these past few days. Some posts have defended the need for entertainment no matter the cost to locals and visitor’s eardrums whilst others have been vehemently opposed almost calling for a lynching of the perpetrators of the noise. Well, readers, Angela Cadman has responded with a very workable suggestion that could not only solve the impasse but at the same time enhance the tourism value of St Francis and indeed Kouga as a whole.

Some of those readers familiar with the little hamlet of Himeville tucked away in the Drakensberg mountains below the Sani Pass into Lesotho of Kwazulu Natal, will know of the annual music festival Splashy Fenn.  Recently voted one of the best festivals not only in South Africa but in the world, Splashy Fenn attracts thousands of young music lovers and even a few ageing hippies each year with all the obvious economic benefits to the community that thousands of visitors bring.

The UK has similar music festivals, Glastonbury to name but one of many, all of which similarly attract tourism and thus economic windfalls not only to the organisers but to the community that hosts them.

Possibly the municipality, the various homeowner associations (Humansdorp, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis, Oyster Bay and even Jeffreys Bay) along with the organisers of the Ruins, Billy’s et al should seriously consider and discuss as a way forward and start planning together for next year. Alas, some visitors who were offended by this years’ performances may never return and on the other hand if we take the entertainment away, some families with youngsters may look elsewhere to holiday so either way we lose.  If we can accommodate both those who want a quiet peaceful holiday and those who want the entertainment, Angela’s suggestions may just be worth pursuing.

Here are Angel’s submissions

“Move all the ‘loud’ entertainment out of the Village to the piece of that used to have the big sign selling plots. Think it belongs to the Brookers. Or any other land in that area. The owner would be paid a rental.

This area be turned into a festival venue. A camping village with demarcated campsites, roadways and Ablution trailers. This part of the area is fenced off and secured with security guards patrolling.

The campers are charged per person per day for their site.

Shuttle busses run to and from the Village every hour. Those persons not camping and wanting to get to the festival grounds can hop a shuttle too.

A festival market (our local Saturday Market) and food trucks (locals) are set up in another area of the farm land allowing day visitors. A large beer hall to accommodate the thirsty. The festival liquor licence can be applied for by our local established liquor outlets.

Entertainment can be the Ruins/Billy’s Beach, a Trance Night or two and a Woodstock Night for us oldies.

Tickets are pre-booked for the various shows. The St Francis Music Festival can run for a week or longer.

Financially this will benefit a lot of the local businesses as well as offer temporary employment to residents of both St Francis and Sea Vista.  

We will still have entertainment as a draw for our visitors without upsetting the locals. Offering a less expensive camping option will encourage a lot more young people to the event and will keep them off the streets in town”.

They managed to put Woodstock together almost overnight! We have a whole year to plan and make the St Francis Musical Festival an annual event that draws music lovers from around South Africa and the world. Maybe the organisers will even be able to entice Mick Jagger to bring the Stones for a final performance. (Hey anything is possible.)