The first annual exclusive Spring outdoor event, Bayfes, takes place on Friday, September 23, at King’s Beach, Port Elizabeth. Bayfes’s festive vibe will have music lovers dancing under the stars till the sun comes up. The event sets to capture the essence of Heritage Day by bringing together all the diverse genres of music Mzanzi has to offer.
The music line up includes national artists, Black Motion, Sphectacula and DJ Navas. Local artists include Picasso, Marrest Phonik, Breakfast the DJ, Muzero, Pappi Rico and many more. ZakEmo, ranked 4 th in Musica outlets, is the newest act addition.
Bayfest is a joint venture of Urban Event Inc. ZA, TM Investments, Percitype, Chief Nqoko’s place and Anchorents. The dynamic organizers aim to make Bay festival an annual event and have a couple more surprising events lined up for Port Elizabeth. Bayfes’s stage is dominated by locals acts in an aim to celebrate local acts as much as national acts.
The windy city is known for its unpredictable weather. Thabo Mokoneneyane, owner of TM Investments, says “luckily weather forecasts looks good, we have partnered with a reputable hiring company that will be providing us with a structural engineer for our tents to ensure the health and safety and that the strong winds don’t affect us”.
Last year’s Nelson Mandela Bay Cultural Festival was at the centre of controversy after municipal sponsorships withdrew along with artists who claimed they weren’t paid. Mokoneneyane confirmed that they weren’t the organizers behind the event and stated, “our artists were paid on time, flights booked on time”. Fear of Missing Out (Fomo) seems to be the case as tickets are selling out fast. “ We must take over Spring in Port Elizabeth the same way East London takes over in December”, said Mokoneneyane.
