The highly anticipated Rocking the Daisies festival, scheduled for October, has been postponed due to severe weather conditions that have wreaked havoc in the Western Cape.
In a statement on their social media platforms, the festival organisers expressed their deep concern for the devastating floods and unprecedented weather conditions that have plagued the Western Cape for the last five days.
They noted that this extreme weather, combined with continued rainfall throughout the month of September during the festival’s key site build period, has made it impossible to proceed with the event as planned.
The decision to postpone the festival was made in collaboration with their title sponsor, Johnnie Walker, after extensive discussions with safety teams, suppliers, stakeholders and City officials.
The Western Cape government’s official statements regarding the disaster and the resulting damage to infrastructure were also taken into account.
Rocking the Daisies, often referred to as #JWXRTD, is now officially rescheduled to take place from 17 to 19 November 2023.
Despite the postponement, the festival’s lineup remains unchanged mainly, with key headliners such as Stormzy, The Vamps, J.I.D, Denzel Curry and more still set to perform on the revised dates. The organisers are working closely with all teams involved to ensure minimal disruptions to the lineup.
The festival’s team expressed their gratitude to their title partner, Johnnie Walker, as well as headline partners Heineken, Maybelline and Savanna, and all stakeholders for their unwavering support and guidance during this challenging period.
As a show of solidarity with the communities affected by the severe weather in the Western Cape, Rocking the Daisies and Johnnie Walker have pledged to donate a percentage of all tickets retained by festivalgoers to the Gift of the Givers Flood Relief Fund. This initiative aims to assist those more severely affected by the ongoing weather disaster.
The festival organisers also thanked their extended Daisies family for their support and patience during this unpredictable time. Ticket holders have received formal communication regarding the postponement, and additional information and answers to frequently asked questions are available on their social media platforms.
Compiled by Jules Keohane