ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S LONGEST-RUNNING FESTIVALS EXPECTS JUST CLOSE TO 3,000 ATTENDEES, WITH MORE THAN 50 LOCAL ACTS.
‘’We’re over the moon to see how Creekers young and old are showing record breaking support for our long-running festival - we’re excited to share the 2024 festival with our regular Creekers as well as our first time Creekies. We have a lineup that elevates only local talent and we can’t wait to share it with everyone very soon!‘’ - Caitlin Hanley, Festival Director.
Established in 1990, Up The Creek has managed to adapt, grow and refine an authentic, no-nonsense personality while staying true to its original culture. Honouring only South African artists for three decades, Up The Creek has paved a pioneering path on the South African music festival circuit by offering a more intimate, entertainment experience.
The music festival has grown from strength to strength and now returns in 2024 after a 3-year Covid hiatus. It has always remained intimate and filled with great local music, good food, short queues, and a whole lot of gees.
With only a few days to go, the countdown to Jose Cuervo presents Up the Creek 2024 is closer than ever! Early Bird & Phase 1 tickets sold out last November, and only a limited number of Phase 2 tickets remained this week for the 4-day Summer festival. The 2024 festival launch not only kicked off with a major ticket rush but, this time, selling out with only a few days to go.
Up The Creek 2024 includes over 50 local artists, which include Jeremy Loops, Dirty Skirts, Springbok Nude Girls, GoodLuck, BCUC, Valiant Swart, Rob Van Vuuren, Crimson House, Sean Koch, ZEBRA, Veranda Panda, Droomsindroom, Gerald Clark Band feat. Jannie Hanepoot van Tonder Brass Section, West Coast Wolves, Kloudink, Crosscurrent, Coasters, BEAST, Wandile Mbambeni, Warongx, Jackal & The Wind, Congo Cowboys, Black Heidi, 4am, Van Der Aven, Dave Ferguson, Hugo Veldsman, Adyn Dust, Tomas Kranenburg, Dirty Disco Records, Rhythm & Dust, The Groove Missionaries, Murray, #Sozlol, Julian Place, The Misty Cliffs & more.
Up The Creek is a well-oiled machine, with the same core organiser team in place over the last 10 years. They’re a family of believers that come together for each Up The Creek festival with the Creeker at heart, but also with the local area community that so thrives on the employment that the festival brings to the Swellendam area.
This year’s festival is set to take place between 8-11 February 2024, at the much-loved, original farm on the banks of the Breede River just outside of Swellendam in the Cape. By now, Creekers know they’ll be getting some of the freshest sounds on the local music scene.
Local hitmaker and muso, Jeremy Loops, along with BreakOut Events founder and event-industry veteran, Damon Forbes, announced their festival buy-in partnership for Up The Creek outdoor music festival last year to much praise. Both Jeremy and Damon have years of entertainment and live event experience under their belts and look to bring a wealth of knowledge and impact to the already popular outdoor music festival. Jeremy Loops is a multi-award-winning South African singer, songwriter, and event and record producer with an extensive career on local and international stages. Damon Forbes has spearheaded many local artist careers over his time in the industry and at the helm of BreakOut Events, who have promoted many international acts on their SA Tours with the likes of Milky Chance, A-Ha, Bonobo, Calum Scott, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Bombay Bicycle Club, Seether, Diplo, and many more.
Jeremy and Damon have joined the Up The Creek festival team, Annie Sowden as event Founder and Caitlin Hanley as Festival Director - together, they’ve taken Up The Creek to new heights as a powerhouse festival team.
"We're stoked to welcome Jeremy Loops and Damon Forbes as our partners. As the second oldest festival in South Africa, Up The Creek, has been running for more than 30 years and having these guys on board brings a wealth of expertise and fresh ideas to the table. With their extensive industry experience, we can't wait for them to help enhance the experience for die-hard Creekers while attracting a new wave of festival-goers. Together, we’re going to be weaving an awesome tapestry of tradition and innovation" – Annie Sowden, Up The Creek Founder.
