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Allison Foat
After a five-year hiatus, the one-of-a-kind Voorkamerfest returns on 19 and 20 October 2024, for three events only!
Presented in association with Darling Brew, the festival promises a weekend filled with vibrant, multi-disciplinary performances. Expect fifty artists in twenty-one shows performing in various homes across the Darling community to offer a unique experience.
Held in the charming West Coast town of Darling located an hour from Cape Town, the Voorkamerfest (VKF) has earned a reputation as one of the most unique multi-cultural performing arts festivals of its kind in South Africa. Conceived by Dutch entrepreneurs Wim Visser and Inge Bos with support from Pieter-Dirk Uys, Darling residents and the founding sponsor Stigting Doen (NL), the festival launched in 2003 and ran annually until the pandemic halted it in 2020. The 15th edition is finally here, and excitement is building as preparations get underway.
The VKF stands out for its intimate setting in the voorkamers (front rooms or living rooms) of local homes. From modest houses to grand residences guests are warmly welcomed by their hosts to enjoy a diverse mix of bonsai performances ranging from music and song to dance, drama, physical theatre, poetry, comedy and more. As Pieter-Dirk Uys explains, “With homes in our community as our canvas, this yearly festival takes place in the front rooms of the people of Darling. Sally Pieterse’s small house becomes the Sydney Opera House, Jan Bruin’s ‘pondok’ transforms into New York’s La Mama, Phil and Siena’s living room becomes the London Palladium, and Bella and her children present the Vienna Staatsoper. Rediscovering the essence of entertainment, the Voorkamerfest is a concept that doesn’t need the overloaded structures of the usual theatre festivals; it happens because the people open their doors and their hearts”.
Adding to the Voorkamerfest’s charm is the element of surprise. Festivalgoers won’t know which performances they’ll see until they arrive at each venue, which also remains a mystery until the last minute. After ‘checking in’ at the Darling Brew hub, local minibus taxis will ferry attendees along one of seven colour-coded routes to watch three thirty-minute performances.
Evita se Perron that used to feature as the main venue will now play host to Darling’s First Lady, Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout, who joins the VKF performer route line-up for the very first time.
“We are incredibly grateful to Darling Brew for coming on board this year to give the Voorkamerfest a new home,” says Tasha St John-Reid, the VKF festival coordinator. “While Evita se Perron is no longer the festival hub, it will still play a role as one of the performance venues. All in all, this is a new chapter for the Voorkamerfest, and we couldn’t be more excited!” she added.
Taxis will depart from Darling Brew promptly at 11h00 and 17h00 on Saturday 19 October and at 11h00 on Sunday, 20 October 2024. Guests are advised to arrive an hour early at Darling Brew, located at 48 Caledon Street, to collect their tickets and colour-coded wristbands from the box office. Tickets cost R300 per person through Quicket.
Advance booking is highly recommended as the festival usually sells out ahead of the event.
For more information, visit www.voorkamerfest-darling.co.za or contact Tasha at tasha@thedarlingtrust.org / +27 72 573 7937. For those planning to make a weekend of it, visit Hello Darling for accommodation options and other local attractions. The 2024 Voorkamerfest is proudly supported by destination partner WESGRO.
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