It is fast becoming one of the premiere festivals for the grown and sexy but the best thing about Littlegig is still probably the fact it’s the world’s only 24-hour fest.
On Tuesday night, Littlegig’s founder, Georgia Black announced details of the third fest. It will return to Weisenhof Farm in Stellenbosch and take place from February 17-18.
Littlegig is characterised by its high ticket price - R2300 - but once you understand what is included in the price, it makes sense. The festival aims to bring adults a unique musical offering ranging from folk to roots and electronic music as well as gourmet food and top shelf liquor around the clock.
You can eat and drink whatever you want, whenever you want, while listening to the sounds of Bongeziwe Mabandla, Johnny Cradle, Estere (New Zealand/Cameroon), Samthing Soweto, Blinky Bill (Kenya), Nonku Phiri, DJ Kenzhero as well as Stelth Ulvang from The Lumineers, all while eating food like giant Vietnamese crystal rolls, butter chicken, lamb riblets, wild mushroom kebabs and butter chicken and ordering - without the risk of waiting in a line because the number of festival-goers is capped at 1500 people - premium alcohol.
Littlegig. Picture: Supplied
It’s certainly a far cry from slumming it in a tent during a dusty three-day festival.
Black is excited to be bringing the fest back next year. But why launch a Western Cape music festival in Johannesburg?
“In the first two years, without me doing any advertising at all to Joburg, I found that quite a few people who came to the event actually travelled from Joburg. I’m originally from Joburg. The event seems to appeal to a Joburg crowd and based on that, I thought it would be interesting to reach out.”
Black does a lot of reaching out for research on whether her ideas will work. In fact, Littlegig began as a concert.
She explains: “It started out as a series of concerts for people who are over the grungy, clubby scene and wanted something more comfortable and sophisticated but not boring. Something that still had a bit of an edge but high end and sophisticated.”
Littlegig. Picture: Supplied
“It speaks to creative professionals - which is why Joburg is such an interesting crowd - so people who work in music and film and advertising and journalism. People who earn a salary, who are older and want to go out at night, sit down somewhere, order a drink and not wait in a queue, have a conversation with your friend, not be blasted by music and be in a comfortable environment. That’s why I started the concerts.
“Based on that, the concerts sold out quite quickly and they were quite expensive - they were R500 and included all your drinks and snacks. Everything was abundant and was served to you and people responded well to that.
“I thought four hours was not enough time in people’s lives and wanted a longer stretch so I became interested in the festival space.”
“I jumped on a plane and went to SXSW in Austin, Texas. That’s the biggest music showcase and I went to listen to all these speakers about festivals. Afterwards, I told them I want to do something very high-end and very small with everything included and where in the world can I go to see something like this? They said you can’t go anywhere because it doesn’t exist. Ok cool! I’m going to do something that doesn’t exist.”
“I thought: I’m going to do something where absolutely everything you look at, everything you eat and drink is so completely mind-blowing that people in the creative industry are just going to have to come.”
* Littlegig takes place at Weisenhof Farm in Stellenbosch from February 17-18. Tickets are R2300. Accommodation is sold separately.