Countdown To New Music Festival In Riebeek Valley Begins

The “next-big-thing” in the Riebeek Valley takes place in on December 8 and 9. But be warned: tickets are limited and sales are brisk.

This new music festival, named Boomerang ’23, is dedicated entirely to paying tribute to iconic music from the 60s to the early 90s.

From ABBA to the Stones to ZZ Top, countless memories will be crammed into 12 hours of non-stop hits.

These hits will be covered by a rocking line-up of ten bands from all over the Western Cape and as far afield as Gauteng. Following a community steak braai with live music on Friday night, the main event is on Saturday, 9 December, when all ten bands will perform their rock-and-sing-along hit songs for one hour each, from 12 noon to midnight.

Significantly, although the event was originally intended to cater to a more mature audience, the organizers enthusiastically relented to numerous requests from younger fans to open the event to them too. As such, Boomerang ’23 is billed as “the gig for young-at-heart golden oldies”.

This is the ultimate celebration of a great generation’s music and the magic memories it made. The organizers guarantee that although festival goers may not be familiar with all the bands, they'll definitely know all the music!

“We consciously stayed away from Big Name Artists, because we wanted the spotlight to shine on the music,” says Allan Barnard, Festival Director. “We’ve asked the bands to ensure that the audience knows every song.” The entire line-up is listed online.

One of the quirky highlights of the festival is the performance by Beat Route, a band formed fairly recently comprising several veteran musos, each a master of his instrument. Their repertoire consists entirely of hits from only three iconic bands, forged to tell the story of “A Foreigner’s Journey to Boston” - complete with narration. A bit cutesy, which is the point, but the song renditions will lift the roof.

Bringing up the rear of the main arena will be a large marquee tent with food-and-beverage pop-ups, including local wineries. An on-site info desk, ample toilets, a first aid tent and an organized security presence will ensure Boomerang ’23 is a safe, comfortable, and memorable experience.

For the overnighters

The Riebeek Valley has many fine guesthouses and accommodation providers, but for the really hardcore festival junkie, one of the sports fields has been made available for camping in small tents, mid-sized caravans and camping trailers. Along with entry tickets, these can be booked on Quicket and are subject to availability. Free parking is available throughout the village, but reserved parking within the festival grounds can be purchased online.

Boomerang ’23 takes place on the sports grounds of the Riebeek Kasteel Primary School, with gorgeous views to the vineyards and the mountains beyond.

Tickets and more

Tickets may be purchased online via Quicket There are a variety of pricing options available, from R250pp to R850pp.

Riebeek Kasteel is situated in the beautiful Swartland region, just under an hour’s drive north of the centre of Cape Town. It is one of Cape Town’s favourite weekend getaways and is famous for its quirky village feel, a historic hotel, art galleries, great wine and owner-run restaurants and bars.

For more information, visit www.myboomerang.co.za.