THE 20th year of Oppikoppi looks set to be the best yet. They have invited veterans of the festival back for the celebration including Urban Creep, Runaway Train Cult Collective, Madala Kunene, Greg Georgiades and Ultra Natives as well as Wonderboom.
There will also be a long line-up of international acts which will be hosted by the Red Bull Stage. They include Willy Mason, Cat Power, Sarah Blasko, Rival Sons, Aloe Blacc, Editors and Wolfmother.
A tribute to Hugh Masekela, who turned 75 this year and can outrock most musicians half his age, will also be featured.
But it is the activities around the music that are interesting. There will be limited edition merchandise from the previous 19 years and the Shifty Sin Tax at Oppikoppi – festival goers are encouraged to donate R5 for the forthcoming Shifty September which takes place throughout next month.
Included in these celebrations will be the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking Voelvry Tour.
There will be the Poetry Blitzes at the Top Bar every evening featuring Danie Marais, Jaco van der Merwe from Bittereinder, BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness) and Kobus Kotze.
On Saturday at 1pm they encourage people to dress like a god and partake in a race in the Dustbowl Olympics. There will also be the Boom Straat 500 Naked Dash. It is the third time it will take place at Oppikoppi. The rules are: you must run naked, but you must wear shoes, you must wear sunglasses and have your own helpers at the beginning and end of the race and you must finish a lap.
There will also be a photo exhibition by John Hogg, who has attended the festival for 17 years.
The 2014 Oppikoppi album is available on iTunes. There are 40 tunes from artists including Bongo Maffin, The Narrow, Seether, Koos Kombuis, Sugardrive, and Die Heuwels Fantasties. Entrance to the festival opened yesterday. Tickets must be purchased online and you will require ID on arrival.
No under 18s are allowed. Please remember to take lots of suntan lotion and plenty of water.
Oh, and enjoy.