Afrikaburn 2017

Afrikaburn..the second largest Burn Festival in the world after Burningman in California is held in SA for 8 days at the end of April every year. Bios completed, tickets bought, planning underway...

The R355 is the longest stretch of uninterrupted dirt road in South Africa. 220kms from Ceres in the south to Calvinia in the north.
Halfway along here, bordering on the Tankwa Karoo National Park is a 'farm' in the middle of the desert that becomes an oasis of art and alternative culture once a year.13000 people this year. Take everything in, leave no trace behind.

It's hard to describe, it's something that has to be experienced not explained.. Mind altering? 

Life changing? For some, maybe..but it's certainly more than just a festival or a camping trip.

Imagine a flat landscape, a 1km diameter circle of dust filled with art works and wooden structures, some huge and multistoried. Surrounding this, a circle of theme camps, Bedouin tents and chill zones offering everything from food, drinks and entertainment to naked showers and yoga, gifted and run by people who just want to share with others. Fill the area with creative mutant vehicles and decorated bicycles, lots of loud music playing 24 hours​ a day, thousands of people dressed up or undressed in whatever manner they please. Dancing, chilling, hanging out, meeting each other, drinking, drugs if you want them. Watching sunrises and sunsets. And then burning most of the art and structures over the last couple of nights; rather primitive and ritualistic.

Beyond all this everyone is camping cheek to jowl in ever radiating circles. Our group of 11 is well organised with 2 off road caravans and 4 tents pitched laager style around a central gazebo area. We have water, hot showers, solar panels, fridges and freezers, cold wine and beer, great food. Somehow we are all still a little off tilt, out of our comfort zone. It feels otherworldly. One day we set up a food stand and make hundreds of jaffles ( toasted sandwiches) for the long line of hungry burners that forms at our pop up take away. Every  evening Neil and I take our wine, whisky ( with ice!) or chilli sherry to our favourite corner where we sit and watch life pass by and things go up in flames; sharing our drinks with whoever comes to sit and chat with us. 

The weather is mostly kind to us. It's hot but not too windy or rainy and the pit toilets are bearable.

Theme camps

Mutant vehicle with DJs

Mutant music train