Classifying the experience of Psych Night and VANS’ 3-day Endless Daze music festival is a tough one. Some people go for the music, some for the overall vibe, some people go because it’s the unofficial annual family reunion of the Cape Town music scene, and some just for the limitless craft beer.
But, whatever it is that keeps bringing bodies back to the lazy shores of Silwerstroom on the West Coast, one thing is certain – Endless Daze is fast becoming one of the most popular music festivals in SA.
With the aim of becoming one of the country’s most celebrated and diverse boutique cultural experiences, 2016 saw the launch of its first incarnation. Advertised almost politely in the form of a modest Facebook event and posters all around the city, dripping in the DIY punk energy the Cape Town underground is known for.
Cut to 2019 and the festival has reached peak status, drawing attention both locally and internationally. Speaking not just in terms of acts like LA Witch and BCUC, but in terms of its attendees who came from far and wide, some from as far as Italy and Belgium. Travellers who came down from Joburg on an unofficial party train of sorts are the ones who lay claim to best commute.
Highlights from this year’s fest include the quirkily brilliant and all-round crowd-pleasing Julia Robert, who despite playing early on Friday night were spoken about all weekend long. The ever-popular Night Beats, who hail all the way from the US, Follakzoid who delivered one of the moodiest sets of the event. Finally, the surprise big-hitters of the weekend, The Sun Xa Experiment – a Soweto-based 7-piece act who with a mix of multi-modal music and a stunning dose of Afro-theatricality stole the show and left many in the audience weeping with joy.
So, if you enjoy music festivals but, like many, have grown weary of the changes seen in many of the other fests SA has to work with, perhaps this intimate, 2 500-person experience is for you. Sporting mellow vibes and a refreshing authenticity in terms of both the acts on stage and the bodies dancing along to them, Endless Daze is fast becoming a megalith of the party scene.
Picture: Endless Daze Fest/Instagram