Join us as we take you through our epic weekend of music and magic at Splashy Fen, South Africa’s friendliest music festival.
Words by Michaela Naidoo | Photos by Trevino Lee Morgan WHAT. A. WEEKEND!
Splashy Fen 2025 was pure magic. I set off with my fianc̩ Jenaylen, my brother Sean, and our good friend Trevino, buzzing with excitement for three nights of camping, music, and mountain air. We left Durban at about 15:00. (a little later than planned), determined to be well-prepared for our adventure. After a scenic drive, we arrived at the Underberg Country Club at about 20:00 to collect our armbands. The moment we stepped out of the car, the icy Underberg breeze welcomed us Рit was pitch black, but we could feel the mountains around us.
From there, it was a bumpy 14km dirt road to the festival grounds. Splashy’s staff were nothing short of amazing – friendly, warm, and genuinely helpful. They took time to chat with us and guided us toward a solid camping spot. Finding one in the dark was tricky (and a little stressful), but Sean and Trevino, the Splashy veterans, used the map from the festival’s site to navigate. After about 15 minutes of exploring the general camping area, we got lucky and snagged a great spot. With teamwork, headlights, and lots of laughs, we had camp set up within an hour.
Now it was time to dive into the festival! We took a 600m stroll toward the main eating and entertainment area. The path was beautifully lit with string lights and laid out with wood chips – no muddy shoes here! It created this warm, inviting farm-style vibe that immediately put us at ease.
The Acoustic Tent was our first big stop – and wow, were we spoiled for choice! Over 30 food stalls surrounded the tent, each bursting with aroma and flavour. Whether you were craving loaded nachos, sizzling ribs, vegan curries, wood-fired pizzas, gourmet burgers, or sweet treats like churros and bubble waffles – Splashy had it all. We hadn’t packed any food, so we were counti
Later that night, we stumbled upon the Treehouse Stage, a dreamscape nestled deep within the forest. Picture glowing mushrooms dotting the ground, fluffy neon clouds hanging from the tent’s ceiling, and lights that shifted in sync with the music. It felt like a scene fromAlice in Wonderland.Â
By day, the beauty of the festival grounds came alive in a whole new way. Giant metal sculptures were scattered across the farm, each one unique and intriguing. Every twist and turn led to a discovery – whether it was a towering dragon or a twisted tree-like structure, it added a layer of wonder to the experience.
Splashy also had a vibrant market area with over 30 stalls selling hand-crafted jewellery, boho fashion, quirky accessories, art pieces, and essential supplies. They even had a pop-up pharmacy for any forgotten bits and pieces. And for the ladies – an on-site salon offering braided hairstyles that was perfect for festival life! I treated myself to fresh braids with colourful extensions to match my outfits, and honestly, it was a lifesaver.
The mornings kicked off with energy – trail runs, yoga under the sky, flow classes, and drum circles. Early risers were rewarded with free coffee and warm drinks at the Marley Coffee tent, courtesy of ECR, which made those chilly mornings that much better. We did the trail run, then relaxed with breakfast while watching the drummers energise the crowd.
One of our favourite daytime spots was the river. Families and groups made their way down early, picnic baskets and floaties in hand, ready to spend the day lounging to live music and DJs. The boys jumped into the icy water while I soaked in the sunshine, munching on a loaded Doritos nacho bowl.
Splashy had a variety of performers, offering different genres of music at each stage. There were times we were left hoping that we could be in two places at once. The best we could do was to carefully divide our time between each of the stages. Splashy truly lit up at night when the headline performers hit the stage. Our favourite performers were GoodLuck and Housewife. GoodLuck delivered a breathtaking performance at the main stage whilst Housewife played on the decks by the BOMA tent with people dancing like nobody was watching – yes, we are those people.
Despite the cold, nights were comfortable with the right gear. The warm showers in the morning were a pleasant surprise – clean, hot, and well-maintained.
Splashy was exceptionally well-organised. The Woov App helped us stay on top of the music lineup, activities, and even track friends if we got separated. On Sunday morning, Easter was celebrated with a beautiful sunrise service hosted by the Red Frogs and complimentary Nutella pancakes – a sweet send-off.
This trip was everything we needed and more. Amazing music, thoughtful details, breathtaking views, and memories we’ll never forget. Splashy Fen, we’re hooked and we’re definitely coming back next year!
