While December is typically the most wonderful time of the year, this year, the good vibes have gotten particularly exciting for Splashy Fen fans as the Festival recently announced their first set of artists to perform on the Main Stage at the 2023 edition of South Africa’s friendliest festival. And you would be crazy to miss out on this.

Since its inception in 1990, Splashy Fen Music Festival has offered festival goers the best selection of musical talent from local and diverse South African artists to international acts who travel from far and wide to perform at the unforgettable foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. While the festival’s early focus was folk and light rock, today sees the inclusion of African music styles, light rock, pop, and electro – offering something special to all fans.

“We are extremely excited and proud to have worked on building such a diverse line-up for 2023.” Says Stu Berry, Festival Director. “At this stage, we have confirmed the first 7 acts who will perform on the Main Stage over the Easter long weekend, and we believe it is one of our strongest main stage line-ups to date, with three international performers complimenting top South Africa’s musical acts.”

Phase One International Acts:

The Pierce Brothers - Australia

Back by popular demand, Australian indie-folk duo The Pierce Brothers are returning for their second stint at Splashy Fen. High energy, explosive beats, and all the energy that Splashy Fenners can expect from the main stage act. Exploding onto the world stage in 2014, the brothers started their journey as buskers on Bourke street (alongside other incredible busking acts Tash Sultana and Tones and I) and soon became a must-see act. Having established themselves as an integral part of the music scene in Australia and abroad, the brothers have toured relentlessly with Splashy Fen now a firm favourite spot.

Neon Dreams - Canada

Also back by popular demand! South Africa is 12,075 kilometres away from Neon Dreams’ hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, so when Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris from Neon Dreams saw streaming numbers for their single “Life Without Fantasies” spike a year after its initial release, they were shocked to see that its life had been rejuvenated in a place they had never even visited before. The song ended up getting so big that it went Platinum in South Africa, and the duo knew they needed to go visit their new fanbase. With the world being in lockdown for more than a year, Kadillac wasn’t sure if the shows would be awkward or even more energetic than usual. Fortunately, it was the latter. “It was like taking a shot of adrenaline to the heart. Every show was so loud from people yelling our lyrics back to us that it was hard for our sound guy to mix the show,” he recalls. “They showed us that our music helped them through a hard time.”  If you saw their performance at the 2022 festival, then it's reason enough to get your ticket today!  

Coleman Hell - Canada

Set to play at the 2020 Splashy Fen, but kept away no thanks to Covid-19… Coleman Hell is headed for South African shores! This multi-platinum, award-winning, beat-making, foot-stomping, record-breaking Canadian artist will be bringing the party as one of the festival’s international headliners. His debut album, Summerland, achieved gold status in his native Canada and spawned two multi-platinum singles as well as a host of additional accolades. His breakthrough single “2 Heads” went Top 10 in 4 different Canadian radio formats and #3 at US Alternative. It is 4x Platinum in Canada, Gold in the US, and has exceeded 130 million streams on Spotify. Another Double-Platinum smash followed it up, “Fireproof”.

The main stage line-up mixes current chart toppers like Cape Town-based trio Goodluck, Zebra, Majozi, and Afrikaans band Spoegwolf. Throw in some folk, acoustic, electro-pop and light rock, and there’s no doubt that we’re set for a fun-filled Easter weekend with music and entertainment for everyone.

Splashy Fen 2023 will take place over the traditional Easter weekend from the 6th to the 10th  of April when festival-goers will be able to experience a long weekend in the picturesque setting of Underberg, enjoying the best Splashy Fen experience to date. Tickets are limited to 6000, and available at www.splashyfen.co.za. 

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