Last-minute music venue secured
FOLLOWING a last-minute scramble to find a venue for tomorrow evening’s “Biggest Showdown in Kimberley”, revellers will be able to party the night away after the event organisers managed to secure the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre yesterday morning.
The event, presented by the Midsa Group, in association with Black Salt Creative Company, will see some of the biggest names in the South African music scene converge on the city, with the likes of Kwesta, Shekhinha and Bucie expected to fill the indoor venue.
This comes after a communique to inform the organisers that their application to use the AR Abass Stadium had been unsuccessful, raised concerns that the event had been cancelled.
However, Rodrick Rodgers, the spokesperson for the event organisers, Black Salt Creative Company, said that despite a change in venue the show would go on tomorrow evening, with the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre expected to be filled to capacity.
“While we were intending to hold the event at the AR Abass Stadium, we will not be able to do so but were able to secure the convention centre for Saturday,” Rodgers said late yesterday afternoon.
“We are expecting a capacity crowd and have already sold 4 000 tickets. The centre can accommodate an audience of 8 000 people and we are expecting to sell out at the door.”
Private
Spokesperson for the Northern Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), Conrad Fortune, said that the festival had been organised by a private company and not by the department, adding that no approval had been granted for the use of the AR Abass Stadium.
“It is unfortunate that we had to inform the organisers of the festival that approval was not granted to utilise the stadium and, more specifically, the grandstand due to the fact that we have not received a structural engineering certificate to confirm that the stands are safe to use after they were damaged by strong winds in September last year.
“We cannot guarantee the structural integrity of the grandstand and therefore will not risk the safety of festival goers by putting their lives at risk.”
Fortune added that the fee structure for the utilisation of the AR Abass Stadium was yet to be finalised, which meant that any charges would be non-compliant with the Public Financial Management Act.
“It is based on this that the department was unable to grant approval for the utilisation of the stadium.”
“We apologise for any inconvenience we might have caused, however, it should be noted that the DSAC’s decision is in the best interest of all parties involved namely the provincial administration of the Northern
(DSAC), the festival organisers and the festival goers.”
“We are looking forward to assisting them in future as soon as the above administrative matters are finalised and when we get a go ahead guaranteeing the safety of the grandstand at the AR Abass Stadium.”