Plett Rage circus comes to town
The Plett Rage will be held from 29 November until 6 December and the night-time venue will be at Cairnbrogie Dairy Farm for the next five years.
The Plett Rage’s theme this year is that of a circus and festival, and organisers are “super busy” getting the two venues ready at Cairnbrogie and Bikini Beach, on Central Beach, in Plett.
The Plett Rage will be held from 29 November until 6 December and the night-time venue will be at Cairnbrogie Dairy Farm for the next five years.
Ronen Klugman, who organised the first commercialised Rage event 25 years ago on a Sunday night at The Cave in Plett, says this year’s offering will take the Rage to the next level.
From what started as a low-key and small event 25 years ago, with DJs from Cape Town keeping ravers happy, Rage is this year expecting between 3 500 and 4 000 ravers.
“The concept at Cairnbrogie is a circus; festival theme, all is going well; sales are tracking nicely, similar to last year,” said Klugman.
“Cairnbrogie is good. We have widened the road and next is levelling out the barn.
Set and stage designers
“But the Beach Bar (at Central Beach) and the festival grounds are always the highlight and we have brought in set and stage designers to improve the experience.
“Extra developments will be added to the Beach Bar to elevate the experience, with more décor and a new deck overlooking the beach.“
“The Cairnbrogie barn is going to be at another level too – we are building something Plett has never seen before.”
Building starts tomorrow (Fri 22 Nov 2024).
Line-up of artists
This year, festivalgoers can expect enhanced décor, upgraded stage set-ups, a bespoke line-up of established, local and up-and-coming artists. There are all sorts of options like VIP ticket perks, on-site competitions, professional photo opportunities, an improved transportation system, a choice of cuisine in the food court and other highlights.
Entertainment kicks off at midday and wraps up between 20:00 and 22:00, and then the night-time revelry moves to Cairnbrogie Dairy Farm on the Airport Road.
Less noise disturbance
This location offers an ideal setting for night-time entertainment with a line-up of DJs and bands, featuring both indoor and outdoor spaces. It’s on a farm so less noise disturbance will be expected.
Boost to economy
It is estimated that the Rage contributes about R50 million to the local economy each year. This figure is derived from spending in the town, on accommodation, food, transport, retail and other activities, excluding ticket purchases and expenses within the festival grounds.
Survey
In a recent survey, Klugman says, the average spend per person attending Rage was R1 750 per person per day, amounting to R12 250 for seven nights. “Multiply this by 4 000 Ragers and it comes to R49 million.
“This calculation excludes the Rage team’s spend on local accommodation for their team of more than 180 people, local staffing and production costs, venue hire and more,” said Klugman.
Tickets range from R2 400 to R4 000.
