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- The Up the Creek music festival kicked off on Thursday at the Western Cape's Breede River near Swellendam.
- After a three-year hiatus, tickets sold out a few days before the festival.
- The event has always been considered relatively intimate, with only 2 500 attendees.
After a three-year hiatus, the Up the Creek music festival has returned to the Western Cape's Breede River, kicking off on Thursday.
The festival runs until Sunday, taking place outside of Swellendam.
Returning from its break, the event sold out a few days before the festival.
The event has always been considered relatively intimate, with only 2 500 attendees.
It features a diverse roster of local acts, including Jeremy Loops, The Dirty Skirts, BCUC, Springbok Nude Girls, Kloudink, and many others.
The four-day event has four stages, one of which is stationed on the bank of the Breede River, where attendees can watch shows while swimming or floating on inflatable lilos. The festival also offers other opportunities for outdoor fun in between all the music performances.
"Creekers, our regulars, our loyal supporters, have really missed their annual pilgrimage to the Breede River. For many of us on our team and our crew, it's like a family reunion every year getting back together," said Caitlin Hanley, the festival director.
"We're thrilled to have it back on, and I know our attendees and the public are really thrilled to be coming back again," she added.
"Up the Creek is not really like another festival; the intimacy is amazing here; you really feel like everyone is a piece of the puzzle," she continued.
On what attendees can expect, she shared:
"They can enjoy great food options in our food court. They can enjoy camaraderie between like-minded people who are all here because they love a certain kind of live South African music."
"I think they can just expect to be surrounded by genuinely nice human beings for a weekend in the great outdoors," she added.
Up the Creek's goal of highlighting local music is also central to the festival.
READ | See Jeremy Loops, Dirty Skirts, BCUC and more at the Up the Creek music festival
"I know bands are always really proud to be able to perform at Up the Creek. For a lot of them, it's a real platform - sort of a jumping board," she shared.
She also said attendees should prepare for hot weather by bringing sun-cream, hats, and ice. They can also bring their own food and drink if they like.
Considered one of South Africa's longest-running music festivals, Up the Creek's first iteration took place in 1990. It started when festival co-founder Annie Sowden threw a surprise birthday party for her partner at the Up the Creek camp.
One hundred guests showed up, and the celebration lasted for three days, featuring musical performances.
Ahead of the festival, musician Jeremy Loops and BreakOut Events founder Damon Forbes announced a festival buy-in partnership. The festival is also sponsored by Jose Cuervo.
"I've had some of my most unforgettable performances at Up the Creek, and I'm beyond excited to share that I've now joined the festival's team," Loops said at the time in a statement.
"This isn't just any festival to me. It's a gathering that's proudly South African, where one of the nation's most picturesque rivers meets the country's top local talent," he added.
Loops also posted about the event on his social media, sharing a fond memory he has from the festival.
"Looking forward to our first show of 2024 this weekend at @upthecreek_festival! Got our lilos, got the music, you all bring the energy," he wrote on Instagram.
SA band Springbok Nude Girls also posted about the event.
"The Springbok Nude Girls is primed and pumped to grab the Main Stage by the horns at Up the Creek 2024. Come kick up some dust devils that rise to meet the band's trademark sucker-punch sound," read a post on the band's Instagram.
