Luke Smith
Stellenbosch has quite the party scene and since so many events happen in and around the area it can be useful to know what to look out for.
Vanguard
Former Stellenbosch University (SU) student, Dane Hong, wanted to bring something new to Stellenbosch’s night-life scene.
“I wanted to bring that Cape Town vibe to Stellenbosch.”
Together with the event planning brand, Vanguard, Hong has created a series of themed parties hosted at the Happy Oak. Hong noticed the cliques in Stellenbosch – from the Terrace crowd to the NuBar group – and saw the opportunity to create a diverse and inclusive event.
The goal is to expose people to music they might not awlays listen to. All types of music are played to not only cater to all music tastes but to introduce people to music they aren’t familiar with.
The themes serve as a way for everyone to feel equally playful. Past themes include Candy Land Sesame Street and Slumber Party and Hong hopes his events will become an annual tradition in Stellenbosch.
“Our events are pure fun,” explains Hong, “at university people grow up too fast. We want to bring out the kid in everyone.”
Vanguard have started the year with a bang as they bring us the Get Cultured Festival taking place from the 10th to the 11th of February at
Jan Marais Nature Reserve featuring many local acts such as The Plastics, Christian Tiger School and Lady M. Vanguard is making sure there is something for everything.
The Pyschadelic Jukebox
In 2012 a group of five music lovers based in Cape Town formed Psych Night, a collective who made it their mission to showcase and celebrate the growing psychedelic movement in South Africa. Psych night events have become increasingly more spectacular and unique as they continue bring International acts such Night beats, The Allah-Las, and The Black Lips to South African shores.
In collaboration with Vans SA and the Newlands Spring Brewery, the boys at Psych Night present the second edition of the Endless Daze Festival. In anticipation of the end of year psychedelic rock festival, during the month of August, Bohemia takes it upon themselves in collaboration with the guys from Psych Night to showcase some of the acts performing at Endless Daze.
On Thursdays, Bohemia hosts evenings featuring bands like Medicine Boy, Retro Dizzy, The Valley, Hezron Chetty & the ZugZwang, The Tazers, and Runaway Nuns and many others. These evenings can provide anything between heart racing and face melting rock n roll as well as smooth melodic head bobbing rhythms sure to set the ambiance of the evening.
Bohemia continues to keep the rock n roll spirit alive as they showcase some of South Africa’s best up and coming artists.
Off Centre
In 2016 Stellenbosch student Luke Hunter started Off Centre, a party that was held at Springboks Bar. Off Centre has considerably grown
since the introduction of Stellenbosch students Justin Nel, and Jean-Marc Gtawabuyge.
The collective have defined Off Centre as an underground music community that have taken it upon themselves to showcase a unique
brand of upbeat, funky Techno and Tech which they felt was not previously available in Stellenbosch.
“We just saw a gap in the market for a groovier and uplifting quality of Music in Stellenbosch instead of being forced to drive to Cape Town for really good music.”
The music community have hosted three Off Centre events over the last three years as well as being the masterminds behind the local
Overtone parties taking place at Courtyard Café. They showcase musical acts but also local clothing brands and illustrators, mostly hailing from Stellenbosch such as “Not Anderson” as well as “San Pedro”.
Off Centre is responsible for brining some of the the most exciting International music acts most notably from the exciting tech scenes of
Gemrnay. The boys behind Off Centre are desperate to have moving and grooving all over their dancefloors.
Be sure to catch them this year as they take us above and beyond anything they have done before.
Photo: Pierre Rommelare
