Although Calabash Cape Town has come and gone, memories of the entertaining night remain.
Choosing the middle of the week to entertain music lovers, the music festival called the DHL Stadium in the Mother City it’s home for the day. Doors opened at 14h00, and the first musical act only graced the stage after 17h00, giving attendees enough time to prepare themselves for the headliner Maroon 5 at 22h00.
According to the festival’s emcee, radio personality Darren ‘Whackhead’ Simpson, the show was sold out and was to hold a whopping 40,000 people in the stadium.
The lineup included both local and international acts. Sunset Sweatshop, a local rock band with reggae and folk influences, took the stage first to warm up the good vibes of the festival-goers. Next up was American singer Ava Max, who tried to get the crowd to jump and scream, and had fans swaying their hips to her hit song Sweet but Psycho towards the end of her set. Unfortunately, the stadium had not yet reached its full capacity.
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Third to entertain was Italian music group Meduza, who added a unique element of electronic dance music. Even though they experienced technical difficulties, this did not stop the growing crowd from dancing. The lineup then switched back to local talent when Idols SA season 11 contestant Lloyiso graced festival-goers with his presence and soothing voice.
With two acts to go until the much-anticipated performance by Maroon 5, English alternative rock band, Keane, performed a few hits under the night sky, with their most popular song, Somewhere Only We Know, having folks singing along to every word and shining their phone torches to add to the melancholic yet heartwarming mood.
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Bringing it back to South Africa, South Africa-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Will Linley had many fans in the crowd singing along to his songs. The singer, who performed in his home city, revealed on stage that he had dropped out of university to pursue a career in music. “Look at me now,” he proudly said before closing his set.
After taking in the talent of six local and international acts, the crowd finally got what they were waiting for… Maroon 5!
Starting strong with Moves Like Jagger, many people got up off their seats and, well, moved a bit like Jagger. Although, a few songs into the set, standing turned to sitting which could have been due to less popular songs from the award-winning group.
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Fortunately, the band ended the festival on a sweet note when they performed the much-anticipated hit song Sugar, leaving festival-goers on a musical high.
For those who might have missed the festival or those who would like to enjoy the sounds of Maroon 5 again, Calabash does not end here. All of the acts, except Sunset Sweatshop, will make their way to the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday, 3 February with tickets available at Ticketmaster.
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