About This Festival
Previous Location
Wiesenhof Wildpark Nature Reserve|Stellenbosch, South Africa | Map
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Littlegig is the world’s only 24-hour, everything included festival. The third edition will take place on 17-18 February in Stellenbosch. It is a showcase of musicians, DJ’s, chefs, winemakers, artists, designers, and performers. Founder Georgia Black started Littlegig in 2014 as a series of music concerts in interesting Cape Town settings. Based on their success, she saw a gap in the festival market for a small (1,500 people), highly creative event, targeting tastemakers and thought leaders – people who are time-poor and need a 24-hour hit of nature, connection and inspiration. Littlegig is unlike any other festival in that all food and drink are included in the ticket price. Only premium alcohol and coffee brands are served throughout the event from a string of pop-up bars (with no queues) in fantastical locations. Lamb riblets, giant Vietnamese crystal rolls, wild mushroom kebabs, butter chicken and more are served from food stations dotted around the festival forest. For the real foodies there are 2 additional experiences, a Paired Food and Wine Tasting featuring 6 top female chefs and winemakers (Ash Heeger X Nadia Newton Johnson; Jenny Ward X Nadia Barnard; Vanie Padayachee X Jocelyn Wilson), and a 6-course Chef’s Table Dinner (sold out) for 50 guests by Eat Out Top 10 chef Arno Janse van Rensburg (Janse & Co.) Surprises - like a convenience store, where you can stock up (for free, of course) on sweets, chocolates, suntan cream, condoms; a 10-meter pavlova brought out after dark, a hot chip station at the 2am secret after party, and a surprise taste experience on a dance-floor when you’re least expecting it – are part of the magical Littlegig food experience. “IN MANY WAYS, LITTLEGIG IS A SOPHISTICATED RAVE. A SPACE WHERE YOU CAN BE HEDONISTIC BUT STILL FEEL LOOKED AFTER” – Georgia Black, founder  The music experience at Littlegig is not about big headline acts but a collection of relevant and diverse musicians and DJs in 6 music areas that open and close as the festival journey progresses. There’s the Forest Day Stage with our favourite live bands in the middle of the food forest, the Basketball Night Stage - on a real basketball court – with our headline electronic acts; an Art Car playing the sundowner set on the island and then moving to a secret forest location after midnight. The Festival Fashion Concept Store has a dancefloor and a steady flow of champagne, the Island has DJs playing funk, Latin, soul and sounds from the continent, and the Gin & Whiskey Bar has late night live music. Our international acts include multi-instrumentalist, carnival-style storyteller Stelth Ulvang (from Billboard No. 1 folk/rock band the Lumineers), Cameroonian-New Zealand singer and beatmaker Estère, Kenyan DJ/producer Blinky Bill. Other highlights are SAMA-award winning Black Motion, afro-folk sensation Bongeziwe Mabandla, electro-soul songstress Nonku Phiri, Giles Peterson and Ninja Tunes-approved Sibusile Xaba (fresh from their first headline European tour), rising indie act Johnny Cradle, gin bar blues act Taleswapper, electronic-folk artist Amy Ayanda and Samthing Soweto, the award-winning new project of The Soil founder Samkelo Mdolomba, and futuristic queer music act Umlilo and the Stash Crew. We have some of SA’s finest DJ’s including Kaya FM radio host and promoter Kenzhero, DJ and 5FM radio host Kid Fonque, queen of bass Doowap, Afrosynth blog and record store founder DJ Okapi, DJ and visual artist Zara Julius, DJ and executive producer DJ Strat3gy, Kaya FM crew The Maestro aka Greg Maloka and Sound Supreme featuring Just Themba, Tha Muzik and the Rhythm Sessions, and fashion designer and publicist Maria McCloy, alongside fixtures on the Cape Town DJ scene K-$, Toby 2 Shoes, Artelligent (AKA Headroom), Retro Rootz, Danalog, Tommygun, DJ Mamba and Marc Who. Each area at Littlegig is designed by a top stylist, under the creative lead of Littlegig’s Bielle Bellingham, former Elle Decoration editor. Architect and artist duo Sean and Justine Mahoney have designed a 6-meter metallic inflatable artwork for the island, there will be a Deep Sleep Experience where festival goers will lie suspended in ‘cocoons’ listening to regenerative brainwave music, a curious Black Box by concept adventure brand Just Like Papa which unravels to become a campfire experience, a Gin Bar designed from reeds and thatch by Debra Parkington, with Rodan Kane Hart’s mind-bending reflective sculptures. Dance, performance, comedy and magic will be making their Littlegig debuts. Performance art pioneers Dear Ribane - a sibling trio who has worked on campaigns for Kenzo, Chanel, i-D magazine, iPhone7 and Nike - will open the Basketball Night Stage. Also on the lineup are London comedian and Pink Floyd bassist Guy Pratt, contemporary dance outfit Indoni Dance Academy, and multi award-winning illusionist Stuart Lightbody. Fashion, dress-up and creative freedom are the heartbeat of Littlegig. The Concept Store - the only place at the festival where money changes hands - presents vintage and bespoke festival ranges by exciting local designers such as Marianne Fassler, Mami Wata, Rich Mnisi, Neo Serati, David Brits for GOOD GOOD GOOD, Sheila Madge, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Dr Pachanga, Shirley Fintz Vintage, Xube, Dionne Campbell-Young, Craig Port, Rufftung, W35T and Beach Cult. Adjoining the store – and sharing its music lineup and free Krone champagne bar – is the Salon, with 12 top stylists and make-up artists who will transform guests, at no cost. “LITTLEGIG IS A CREATIVELY-LED FESTIVAL WITH DRESSING UP AT ITS HEART. IT JUST HAPPENED ORGANICALLY.” – Hannerie Visser, studio-H There are 8 categories of Camping and Glamping, ranging from tents with blow-up mattresses to bell tents the size of a bedroom, with Egyptian cotton linen. For the 2018 event self-camping has been introduced for the first time, at no extra charge. And for those who would rather sleep in their own beds, there’s a taxi rank at the festival, which is just 40 minutes’ drive from Cape Town. 24 HOURS OF CONVENIENCE, CREATIVITY AND CONNECTION. 
