On the Thursday before the first weekend of every October, there’s a long tedious line of cars awaiting the parking bay of Cloof Wine Estate in Darling. These festival-goers are eager to start the long haul from their designated parking spot to where they will be setting up camp for the next three nights. Despite the wind and the weight of the cooler boxes every single person will be smiling from ear to ear. Because it’s Daisies; and they’ve been waiting for this weekend since they had to leave the gates from this very festival the year before.
As someone who enjoys sleeping and being social about once a week, at most, going to this festival was quite a big decision, and one I didn’t make lightly. But my best friends are a part of those frequent visitors, and they swore that this festival is for everyone.
Since they are regulars, they chose our camping spot and gave me a very accurate list of things to bring with (Wet wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, toilet paper, 15 liters of water, earplugs, and a very warm jacket just to name a few items). After being packed and ready I budgeted around R120 per day which added to R480 for the weekend to buy food and beverages, and that was enough. But then you need to understand that I actually don’t really consume alcohol, so the amount I spent would not necessarily be accurate if you’re planning on buying alcohol when you are there. Which, I must warn you, if you are planning on taking all your alcohol with you it might be a bit unwise, since they don’t allow liquids into the “festive area” which means you’ll have to go back to your campsite once you are parched or buy just enough alcohol for when you are at your campsite and then budget for a beer or two when you are enjoying the performances. This is something I wish I realized beforehand since I bought all this water and now was forced to either only hydrate when I am at the campsite or spend extra money on water once I’ve entered the festive area.
Apart from that the food that was available to us was fantastic, the variety included breakfast rolls, Asian cuisine, curry, pizza, brownies and so much more. I have to say that grabbing something to eat definitely was a highlight for me, but then again when isn’t food one of the most exciting things in my day?
Then there’s the vibe, everyone is humming to their own tune. Each person’s personality displayed by their choice of sunglasses and attire. With over 250 performing artist the different stages, with each sporting their own unique look, made it quite interesting. There’s the trap house which looked like an actual house, the main stage, the beach bar- which you guessed it had a true beach vibe, and the arena.
I have to say that I enjoyed this experience more than I initially thought I would. But due to my intolerance to successfully converse with drunk people and my love for sleep I doubt I will be attending this event again anytime soon.
I feel that for an event like this I will most definitely need a different person’s perspective;
stay tuned for a feature from one of my best friends who goes every year and recommends it highly!
Route and Review 