School’s out for matrics ready to Rage into the night
Durban eyes bonanza with 17 500 heading for annual festival
With the stress of final exams behind them, thousands of matriculants have started blowing off steam — and blowing thousands of rands — at matric Rage parties this weekend.
The annual event kicked off in Durban yesterday, with events planned at clubs, hotels and at the party hub, Kings Park Stadium, which will host the Sound Factory event. But it’s a jol that doesn’t come cheap.
Parents have forked out thousands for their children to let their hair down at the weeklong festival, with packages ranging from R800 to the R4 500 top-end VVIP ticket. The “black passport”, limited to 750 people, is sold out. It gives holders access to private lounges with bars and welcome drinks.
One of the teens with the uber-pricey ticket, Toni Lorraine of Alberton, said that apart from the R4 500 for the passport, her mother would also be giving her R600 a day.
“I can’t wait to meet new people,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the late nights and going to pool parties. As a teenager we all know what Rage is mostly about: alcohol, drugs and sex.
“My biggest fears are drunk drivers who could harm innocent lives and I’m very afraid of getting my drinks spiked because guys love doing that to take advantage of many girls. I feel a bit relaxed knowing there are people that have been employed to look out for us.”
Benoni teenager Ashil Govind was warned by his parents not to take drugs and to watch that his drinks are not spiked. His mother, Gita, said that although Ashil was very excited, she was a bit worried.
“But we have to let them go. You are young once and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When Ashil first asked if he could go to the party in Durban with his friends we said no, and that he should concentrate on his exams.
“I am hoping this was a motivation for him to work hard knowing this was at the end.” Govind said they had bought him a R1 900 ticket.
Ashil, of Benoni High School, is in Durban with eight of his mates.
Bianca Campbell, 18, of Durban North, said she had saved up for the early-bird platinum passport, which cost R2 000.
“It was something I wanted to buy myself. My parents rewarded me with an [extra] R2 000 for working hard, ” said the Crawford College pupil.
William McIntyre, director of the festival, said they were expecting about 17 500 people over the week.
A study two years ago found that about R160-million was injected into the Durban economy during the festival, he said.
“The average spend is R6 000. The turnover for the week at the Sound Factory is R3.5-million,” he said.
“We added an additional stage at the Sound Factory and this year the festival has gone cashless. We will take over the bars at the clubs and transport is also cashless. From previous years’ experience, where patrons were overcharged, we are this year running cashless shuttles.
“Also, there will be no ATM facilities so people cannot purchase any bad substance should they get into the venue. With no cash on site, that should prevent any bad activity,” said McIntyre.
Security has also been beefed up.
“We have always been big on security. It’s an extremely volatile festival with students, and parents are allowing us to look after their kids for a week. We work closely with security companies, the police and the Red Frogs.”
The Red Frogs, a support network for university students and school-leavers, will assist with walk-homes, emergency referrals and support should people need help in any situation.