Whether you’re into homegrown hip-hop, swinging inner city jazz, cutting edge house and electro grooves or Proudly South African Afro-pop and rock, the Mother City is destined to live up to its billing as the country’s party capital this New Year’s Eve.
- Melodic rock stalwarts Just Jinjer join indie rock hipsters aKing, Zebra & Giraffe, Dance, You’re on Fire and emo-pop punks Crashcarburn at 5FM’s NuWave NYE Concert at the Canal at the V&A Waterfront entrance. 5FM’s Anele, Rob Vember and Elma Smit are the MCs. Doors open at 6pm, music starts at 8pm. Admission is R200 (pre-sold) and R250 (door) to R350 (VIP, pre-sold) or R400 (VIP, door).
- Homegrown hip-hop and house heads can expect a blinging good New Year with rapper Slikour at the Joburg’s Greatest Rocks the Mother City Street Party. Skwatta Kamp’s emcee is joined by a VIP line up of Mzansi house DJs including Fistax Mixwell, Naves, Glen Da DJ, Leo Large, Ozy and Odi.
Starts at 8pm. Admission is R100 or R300 (VIP).
- Inner city party animals looking to bid farewell to 2010 with a bang should diarise the first-of-its-kind East City Block Party which brings together more than 30 DJs and live acts on seven dancefloors, in four venues with thunderous sounds rigs, trippy visuals, fire dancers and more. It promises to be something of a club hopper’s Holy Grail with filthy indie electro on offer in The Assembly, driving electro in the Annex, dubstep at The Temple, hip-hop, R&B and house in swanky Chevelle, and even some salsa and commercial anthems at Que Pasa. Headline UK DJs Hijack, Jeff Doubleu and Qatar’s Sam World lubricate the festive floor fillers alongside homegrown heroes El Gordo, Pascal & Pearce, Sex & Smut and many, many more.
Admission is R150 (early bird), R200 (pre-sold) or R300 (pre-sold VIP)
- Cool, but what if CBD street parties are a tad too hectic? No worries, more sophisticated supper clubbers who prefer a swanky old school dinner and dance NYE can unfurl their feathers, shine their spats, polish their pearls and comb their pencil moustache while enjoying a spectacular five-course set menu and a playlist of jazz, swing and popular music from a five-piece party band and DJ Bryan at the 1920’s Spectacular at Pigalle’s Restaurant in Green Point.
Starts at 7.30pm. Admission is R1Â 250 (excludes 10% gratuity, includes martini cocktail on arrival).
- If you’re after a more ”all ages”, ”family friendly” way to ease into the New Year then join Afro-pop icon Johnny Clegg and funky fusionists Loading Zone at Amarula’s New Year’s Eve Concert in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Gates open at 7pm, music starts at 8.30pm. Admission is R240. Book at www.webtickets.co.za
- Coastal cruisers keen to rock their way into 2011 aren’t exactly spoiled for choice, but Kenton on Sea’s line-up of Prime Circle, Wonderboom, Evolver One, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Southern Gypsey Queen, Wrestlerish, City Bowl Mizers, The Modes and electro-house pin-ups. Flash Republic is probably the pick of the party pack.
Gates open at 1pm. Admission is R162 to R270. Book at Computicket.
- Finally, the Rezonance outdoor music festival at Boschendal Wine Estate outside Franschhoek promises to be the discerning dance fiend’s first choice with its cutting edge mix of psy-trance, funk, soul, hip-hop, electro, dubstep, breakbeats and beyond courtesy of more than 70 local and international live acts and DJs including Goldfish, Jax Panik, Mix ‘n Blend, Funafuji, Kalahari Surfers and many more.
Gates open at noon on December 30. Admission is R330 (online) or R350 (gate). Website: www.rezonancefestival.com.
