Stage set for Street Music Festival
THE eighth edition of the popular Alliance Francaise Street Music Festival is around the corner and fans will be able to groove to a top-notch mix of international and local sounds.
The festival used to take place towards the end of June but it was moved to an earlier date – Saturday June 10 – in order to avoid clashes with other events taking place in the city and province, events manager David Leverington said.
“This year we’ve got no one clashing with us, so we are anticipating a bigger crowd,” Leverington said.
Started in 2010 by the Alliance Francaise in Port Elizabeth, the event is based on the hugely popular Fete de la Musique, which originated in France in 1982 and is celebrated in cities throughout the country.
The concept was introduced to Port Elizabeth in order to “promote and give a platform to local talent and to stimulate cultural exchanges”.
Performers expected to grace the two stages of the festival situated in front of Alliance Francaise in Mackay Street and in Stanley Street will include international acts such as Tias – a four-piece band from the Reunion Islands – and Sax Machine from France.
Local favourites will include acts like The Brothers, Cotton Fields, The Rob Thompson Band, vocal powerhouse Asanda Mqiki and reality television star Alex Cavan, who recently appeared on season two of The Voice SA.
Leverington revealed that most of the food truck market would be at the one-day festival and added that the Alliance Francaise Street Music Festival would also host a fun game called the Waitress Street Race.
“We’ve invited restaurants to call on their waitresses and barmen to enter the race which will take place at 2pm on the Saturday,” he said.
Leverington said that cleanliness and safety were important considerations for the festival and that security would be doubled this year.
The festival will be running competitions leading up to the event.
To find out more, visit the website: www.afpemusicfestival.co.za The festival will run from 10am to 10pm. Entry is R30 per person and children under 12 get in for free.