Admittedly the usual festive cheer that takes hold of Durbanites and visitors around December, has been a bit wanting over the past two years, with the covid pandemic scuppering the holiday plans for many.  

The team that brings you KZN’s largest holiday light show got thinking about a complementary experience that would cater to the many that would not be able to enjoy a walk in event due to capacity restrictions, being aged, vulnerable or immuno-compromised.  To help, they called on Durban’s ‘king  of lighting’ Nevon Singh from Magic Lighting and between them they hatched a plan, that promises to bring joy to young and old alike.

“Reminiscent of days of yester-year many Durbanites have fond memories of viewing holiday lights from their cars, driving though the main streets of Durban,” says Nevon Singh. “We’ve designed Candy Cane Lane to evoke those same feelings of awe and wonder. It’s an immersive drive-through lighting experience, that’s been designed to transport  visitors into a festive wonderland of lights, festive characters and selfie opportunities, all in the comfort of your own vehicle.”

“This is a first for Durban and we’re thrilled that The Pavilion Shopping Centre could bring this event to local audiences this year,” says Julie-Anne Zuma, Marketing Manager for The Pavilion.  “Similar events around the country have sold out soon after bookings opened and we’re expecting a similar reaction.  We encourage early booking to avoid disappointment.”

Candy Cane Lane will feature just under a kilometre of lights and activations, as well as KZN’s tallest and brightest Christmas tree, standing at almost 10m tall.

The Candy Cane Lane Holiday Light Drive Through Experience is being held on the rooftop (Parking D & E) of The Pavilion Shopping Centre from 8 December 2021 – 2 January 2022  (closed on Christmas Day) from 18h30 – 21h30 each night.  A fully contactless experience a number of covid protocols have been implemented to make the encounter comfortable and safe at the same time. These include, timed slot entries to prevent overcrowding or traffic jams; the scanning of tickets through the vehicle’s window and sanitising stations at key points along the route.

Tickets are R199 per vehicle and are available online on http://www.howler.co.za/candycane2021.  

Due to traffic and space limitations, limited tickets will be sold at the gate each night, but entry is not guaranteed without pre-booked tickets.  #CANDYCANELANESA

SPLASHY FEN IS SET TO WELCOME 3000 FANS AFTER A 2 YEAR BREAK.

3 000 eager fans can let out a sigh of relief, as the promise of another beautiful Splashy Fen Music Festival is confirmed by event organisers, Impi Concept Events. Finally, something to look forward to, Easter 2022 is set to be one to remember as the Splashy Fen Farm in Underberg, KZN is once again transformed into a magical music festival for those who have been missing out not only on the festival’s traditional music, arts, crafts and lifestyle festivities, but a sense of freedom and normality.

Tell your friends, gather your families, mark your calendars and get ready to secure your limited #splashy2022 ticket to what will truly be the best, most anticipated, Splashy Fen Music Festival ever. South Africa’s longest-running music festival will take place over the traditional Easter weekend from Thursday the 14^th of April to Monday the 18^th of April 2022, and tickets, which are limited to 3000, will open on Wednesday the 6^th of October.

All ticket holders from the cancelled 2020 festival will have first dibs on purchasing tickets for next year’s event. These 2020 ‘ticket holders’ will be sent an exclusive clickable link via email, which gives them access to buy the same amount of tickets as they had in 2020 at the discounted Otter Club ticket price. There will be a 2 week period in which to purchase these discounted tickets, thereafter, general and normal priced ticket sales will open to the public. Those who became a #splashyhero back in 2020 when they donated a portion of their 2020 ticket to the festival, will be eligible for the promised 20% discount – which will be applied to the Otter Club ticket price.

The year 2020 would have been Splashy Fen Music Festivals’ 31^st edition. It would have been 4 days of music, merriment, and time away from the hustle and bustle of city life for fans looking for a fun, safe, inclusive home away from home in one of the most beautiful parts of our country. But the year 2020 was a non-event for the music industry, and the world at large, as festivals across the globe were shut down due to the global pandemic that was, and is, Covid-19.

“It seems like a lifetime ago when we made the announcement to cancel our 2020 edition festival,” says Stu Berry, Festival Director. “Collectively, with our fans, we were devastated, but the choice was not ours to make. None of us had any idea just what we were up against, how long we would be away for, and what the music scene would look like when we eventually returned. For months we have waited patiently for the green light from authorities and for the infection rate to drop. We have also watched, longingly, as international festivals have taken the lead with a number of entry regulations that allow hundreds of thousands of fans to return to packed stadiums to enjoy live music and entertainment again – something that we are determined to be able to offer to both our South African fans and musicians; as we continue to champion the local entertainment industry that has been hit so hard with the shutdown of events and festivals.”

The Splashy Fen website – www.splashyfen.co.za – has been updated with all the important information that fans need to navigate the latest ticket options. In keeping with the festival’s ethos of transparency and integrity, event organisers have done everything they can to ensure no risk to ticket holders, and fans are therefore guaranteed a 100% refund on their ticket, should the festival be cancelled due to COVID lockdown regulations. At this stage, no day visitors will be allowed to the 2022 festival.

“We are sure our fans will have many questions regarding the 2022 festival,” says Festival Creative Director Andrew van Rensburg. “Our website should be able to address all of these queries, including what we envisage will be the COVID regulations at Splashy Fen 2022. It has been great watching the European Festival season operating with full capacity crowds and we cannot wait to get back out there and deliver a world-class experience once again. It has been a tough 2 years, in which we have all been taught to stay away from each other and disengage, and we hope to get everyone back sharing, laughing, and smiling together again. Now more than ever, we need it.”

Summary of pricing options:

Otter Club Ticket            R1050**            Available 6^th Oct – 20^th Oct
20% Discount                 R840
Early Bird Ticket             R1300*             Available 21^st Oct. Limited to 1000 tickets
General Festival Ticket    R1450*
Kids 4-12                       R450*
Kids U4                         R50*
Early Camping                R180*               Limited to 500 passes
Family Camping              R180*               Limited space: 1^st come, 1^st serve
Reserved River Camping  R1200*             Limited to 80 sites. 4 adults per site
Powered Campsite          R2000*             Limited to 50 sites. 4 adults per site

* Excludes bank charges (4%). All tickets are fully refundable on the ticket price (not the bank charges) should the event be cancelled due to COVID regulations. Should a ticket holder test positive for COVID-19 and be unable to attend, the normal refund policy will apply.

** R840 (excluding booking fee) for 2020 ticket holders

To secure your ticket to Splashy Fen Music Festival, please visit www.splashyfen.co.za or personally drop us an email at info@splashyfen.co.za.

With nobody travelling internationally at the moment The Oyster Box’s Executive Chef, Kevin Joseph and his culinary Team, decided to take guests to exotic places through their food instead. So the Flavour-cation concept was born. Through a variety of food experiences ‘flavour vacations’ are put together to showcase exciting new tastes… literally on our doorstep.

With the Tapas menu (Spanish word for small savoury dishes), each item, has a main ingredient and everything else on the plate contributes to the overall taste sensation. “We looked at what is popular with diners,” says Chef Joseph, “such as oysters, prawns, sharing platters etc. and then added our own taste profile and flair to each dish, to give it an Oyster Box twist. The babotie spring rolls are an example; our steamed buns are baked in-house; the Oysters harvested from our own beds and the pear chutney and hummus cooked from scratch.” The menu also offers ample choice for Vegetarians.

Tapas will be on offer in The Lighthouse and Oyster Bars until the end of November, with new and exciting dishes being added to the menu on an ongoing basis, so that our guests always have something new to look forward to.

Alongside the menu, a wide selection of wine, beer, Champagne and sparkling wine is on offer. A special mention should be made of the House Wine Selection, from our internationally-acclaimed sister winery, Bouchard Finlayson in the Hemel en Aarde Valley in Hermanus. Known for producing exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and renowned Pinot Noirs.

The TAPAS Menu is served in The Lighthouse and Oyster Bars from 12:00-19:30 daily.

Booking is essential on 031 514 5000 or by e-mail restaurants@oysterbox.co.za