At the beginning of each March the streets of Stellenbosch are transformed during the Woordfees. This year thousands of festival goers will travel to Stellenbosch to take part in the 18th annual fees.
The Woordfees team is “very proud” of their programme and most of their events have sold out. The festival is expected to sell between 50 000 and 70 000 tickets, said Esté Pelser, project manager for the popular event.
Pelser said while the festival is held in Stellenbosch, a predominantly student town, most of the festival-goers are no longer students and make up a more mature demographic. She attributed the success of the Woordfees to the big cities around the town that make the festival more accessible.
While Woordfees is often viewed as an Afrikaans festival, Pelser said they “are really trying to bring in different flavours and give a more holistic idea of art as a whole”.
It is not without immense planning that an event like Woordfees takes place. Pelser said planning takes between eight and ten months. The Woordfees week is planned by a small team that use the Erfurthuis as their headquarters.
The Woordfees management do not feel that the protests and disruptions during last years festival negatively influenced them this year. They are, however, more alert and have put protocols in place in case of a disruption.
The festival program is available at http://woordfees.co.za/program/feesprogram
Erfurthuis, Stellenbosch 3 March