Established in 1990, Splashy Fen is South Africa's longest-running music festival, which every Easter attracts thousands of people to a farm near
Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal
Underberg is an administrative town in a dairy and cattle farming community in the Mzimkulu River valley of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated at the foot of the 1,904 m Hlogoma Peak ''(place of echoes)'' in the foothills of the sout ...
for a unique outdoor music experience. Also present are arts and crafts stalls, food and drink outlets, crèche and children's entertainment programme, as well as various camping and accommodation options. The most recent festival took place from the 14th-17th April 2022.
Well-known artists who have performed at Splashy Fen over the years include:
Wheatus
Wheatus are an American rock band from Northport, New York, formed in 1995. They are known principally for their 2000 single " Teenage Dirtbag", which appeared in the films '' Loser'' and ''Bully'', as well as the HBO miniseries '' Generation ...
,
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup (abbreviated as BFS) is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals), Gary Wiseman (drums, percussion, backing vo ...
,
Kim Churchill,
Syd Kitchen,
Tony Cox,
Steve Newman Steve, Steven or Stephen Newman may refer to:
* Steven M. Newman (born 1954), listed in the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' as the first man to walk solo around the world
* Steve Newman (meteorologist), American broadcast meteorologist and edito ...
,
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of '' isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album '' Graceland'', and have won ...
,
Vusi Mahlasela
Vusi Sidney Mahlasela Ka Zwane (born 1965 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a Sotho South African singer-songwriter.
His music is generally described as "African folk" and he is often dubbed as "The Voice" of South Africa. His work was an inspi ...
,
Koos Kombuis,
Shawn Phillips
Shawn Phillips (born February 3, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s. His work is rooted in folk rock but straddles other genres, including jazz fusion and funk. Phillips has re ...
, Hinds Brothers, Madala Kunene, Neill Solomon, Landscape Prayers,
Tananas,
Just Jinjer,
Hothouse Flowers
Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock band that combine traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel, and rock. Formed in 1985 in Dublin, they started as street performers. Their first album, ''People'' (1988), was the most success ...
,
Tree63,
Dan Patlansky,
Watershed,
Springbok Nude Girls
The Springbok Nude Girls (a.k.a. the Nudies, or the Nude Girls) is a rock band from Cape Town, South Africa.
An alternative rock band, the Nude Girls introduced punk rock, ska, acid jazz and heavy metal into their songs, introducing a new w ...
,
The Parlotones,
Prime Circle and
Chris Chameleon
Chris Chameleon (born 28 July 1971) is a South African musician. He is the lead singer and bass guitarist for the band Boo!, and a solo artist. Chris has experience as an actor, making his debut in Franz Marx's Sonkring in the early 1990s, pe ...
.
Don Clarke convener of the Legends of the Fen show, and his partner Dicky Roberts, have been managing and hosting the Legends showcase at the festival since 2016. This initiative brought South African icons like Steve Fataar (14 March 1943 - 31 January 2020) back to the festival. In 2019, Don Clarke and P J Powers shared the stage and performed the 1986 hit song, ''Sanbonani.''
Ultimate Splashy Fen Song Don Clarke
wrote the song, "Hey-na Splashy" in 2008,
See also
*
Music of South Africa
*
Musical Performance
*
In The City
*
Oppikoppi
*
RAMFest
References
External links
*
{{Rock festival
Music festivals established in 1990
Folk festivals in South Africa
Autumn events in South Africa