Cape Town - Karoo 62 has officially opened its doors to outdoor festival lovers with a zest for adventure. Nestled in the heart of the Klein Karoo along Route 62, this new venue caters for unique events and is located on the Oudekloof farm.
Surrounded by the tranquillity of nature, bergs of luscious greenery and valleys of rocks and bush, the recently launched Karoo 62 is a melting pot of culture and diversity.
We caught up with the owner Wessel Kriek, 58, a former resident of Cape Town who grew up in Parow and moved to the Oudekloof farm a year ago.
Kriek, who purchased the farm 22 years ago for leisure, said the plan was to have the farm as a “ beach house”, but when he moved into the space as a resident, he decided to expand on a greater purpose.
The former construction business owner told the “Weekend Argus”: “I love this space so much. I wanted to do something and share that with the rest of the world and that was the seed that was planted and it’s what we’re doing here. We want to build a festival space focusing primarily on large festivals that can accommodate up to 10 000 people.
“One of the events we have booked for early this year is ‘Karoo Rocks’, where we are getting top rock bands to come. This is one of eight events planned for this year.”
Kriek says there is also a space for the smaller events on the 1 500 hectares of farmland. The list of possible events also include biker rallies, cultural events and other visual arts exhibitions.
Kriek also plans to accommodate artists who need inspiration, at no cost.
“I want to build a little community of artists, those who paint and do visual art but need inspiration. They can come and stay here for short periods in order to gather that inspo that they need, and I wont charge them for it.”
The venue boasts various tiers of accommodation, including the Bush Motel, chalets, the Luxury Bush Lodge, A-frames and tents, all of which are self-catering accommodations that only require guests to rock up without having to set up.
“Very few people know this area. We are building a sustainable business, but we really want to share this with the world. The goal is to make Ladismith the first town in SA with zero unemployment, we want to make this town flourish. ”
Kriek hosted the official launch on November 10–12 and invited guests to a full experience of what’s to come.
Among the list of activities were a 4x4 trail drive in the mountains, live music performances by a host of DJs and a live concert by Denve Jacobs and the Rockstone Band, street-style foods from the local food truck, and drinks activations to keep the heat at bay.
Vernon Adams, head of marketing and events at Karoo 62, said: “With our launch, it’s not just about making waves; it’s about supporting Ladismith’s economy and the region’s resurgence, redefining tourism through integrated local partnerships, and creating sustainable job opportunities.
“As the region’s first full-service event logistics provider with its own event and hospitality space, Karoo 62 promises to deliver seamless and unparalleled experiences to all kinds of events and outdoor adventures.We are so proud that we can pioneer a tourism and event economy not only for Ladismith, but joined to the attraction of Route 62 and the whole of the magical Klein Karoo.”
The venue is eco-friendly and relies on dam water and solar panels to generate electricity.
Upcoming festivals include: Go Local February 23–25; Jazzathon Easter Camp March 29–April 1; and Exodus Reggae Festival May 3–5 .