Rocking The Daisies is a South African Music Festival to Add to Your Bucket List

Article by: Laura Mason|@masonlazarus

Wed October 05, 2016 | 00:00 AM


Picture this: a premier indie and electronic music festival in South Africa, taking place an hour north of über-hip Cape Town in the impossibly beautiful South African wine country during the fall.

Sound up your alley? That's because it probably is: The four-day, nine-stage festival, known as Rocking The Daisies, is the peace sign-throwing, EDM-obsessed relative of South African Burning Man offshoot, AfrikaBurn. It's also one of the newest festivals on our 300 List, and it couldn't fit in any better.

Rocking The Daisies 2015 Rocking The Daisies   01


Rocking The Daisies is the type of festival where, if you were to lose your friends, you’d be easily and happily accepted into another squad amongst the other 22,000 people within minutes. The camaraderie among the festival-goers is as ubiquitous as weed smoke at a reggae festival. It’s like a small, innocent town where no one locks their doors and everyone knows their neighbors, but with DJs blaring hypnotic melodies and thumping beats. When organizers, artists, and fans talk about the festival, a common theme you'll hear about is the crowd it attracts and its jovial spirit. And it’s evident in the way Rocking The Daisies promotes itself: Its videos and social media posts constantly showcase its festival-goers. You might as well come for the music and stay for the fans.

Rocking The Daisies’ "Summer of Love” aesthetic is its main selling point (as evidenced in the aftermovie above) and is often the first thing people think of when it’s mentioned. But its location, set against the stunning, autumnal backdrop of wine country, is worth the price of admission alone. This luscious and endlessly green environment could trick any festival-goer into thinking he or she is in the Garden of Eden.

While the festival's lineup isn't populated solely by DJs, it's clear that dance music is what many come for. However, a good portion of the lineup much resembles that of a jam-band festival. Acts like electronic folk and reggae outfit Milky Chance, Australian ska and jazz group The Cat Empire, and Brit-poppers The Kooks were among the headliners in 2015. In 2014 Lebanese rockers The Wanton Bishops and the pride of South Africa’s alt-rock scene, Taxi Violence, were among the biggest draws that year. The contrast is fitting for those who enjoy both dancing for hours on end and laying sprawled out on a blanket gently bobbing your head to some mellow tunes.

This year, the lineup is more star-studded than ever: Foster The People, Mac Miller, Knife Party, Eats Everything, and dozens upon dozens more will arrive ready to rock not only Rocking The Daisies, but the entire country's festival scene.

Rocking The Daisies takes places on the Cloof Wine Estate in Darling, South Africa, from October 6-9, 2016.