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Emerging Gqeberha artist Liam Tuffy is making his lifelong dream come true as he officially joins the lineup for this year’s SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees.
He will be performing from Friday through to Sunday.
Festivalgoers can catch his energetic live shows across two different platforms, namely the ATKV Stage and the SA Tourism Main Stage.
For Tuffy, landing a spot at the festival is the reward for years of hard work and big goals.
“The feeling was absolutely unreal; I had to pinch myself a couple of times to come back to the realisation that I’ve been given the honour of being a part of this,” he said.
“It was truly a dream come true, as it has been a long-term plan of mine to be a part of this festival.”
The upcoming weekend is particularly special for Tuffy because he will be sharing the stage with the same music icons he grew up listening to.
Tuffy’s love for music started early. He taught himself to play the drums, guitar and piano when he was just three years old.
He describes his current style as a mix of pop, indie, rock and folk, but loves experimenting with new sounds.
Though he has played instruments his whole life, Tuffy only realised he wanted to be a professional singer in April 2025.
He went to school in Cape Town before moving with his family to Gqeberha, where he attended Pearson High School.
He said he was excited to use the festival to share his music with new communities and grow as a live performer.
It is, meanwhile, all systems go for the 23rd annual festival as final preparations transform what was once empty land with newly planted grass into a bustling hub at the Sentraal-Suid Koöperasie, known as SSK Agriland.
Running from Friday to Sunday, the region’s wildest family festival is set to benefit from a relatively mild winter weekend, with daytime temperatures reaching highs of 25°C.
Thrilling live action will take place daily in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality Demo Arena, including precision herding displays by the JABAS Working Dog and Duck team, high-speed equestrian action from Horse Barrel Racing SA, and a specialised SANParks K-9 anti-poaching demonstration on Saturday afternoon.
Families can also enjoy wild rides in the Family Play Park, all-day jumping at the Bubblehouse Bounce Park, and a chance to meet the festival’s official mascot, Kallie the Wildsfees kuDUDE, alongside popular kykNET celebrities.
Festivalgoers can also look forward to browsing more than 300 specialist stalls selling handcraft, decor, clothing and freshly prepared delicacies, wine tastings at the kykNET WynPlein, or join the Isuzu team to test out their vehicles on the brand-new, purpose-built ISUZU Dry Dam 4x4 Track.
Car enthusiasts can also view an exclusive display by the Eastern Cape Porsche Club on Sunday morning.
More than 26 national stars will perform live on the giant SA Tourism main stage.
Late-night festivities continue at the popular Lagerville beer tent, where partygoers can experience the epic Lagerville Laataand Partytjie on Friday night alongside Early B and Biggy, followed by another massive after-party on Saturday night featuring Dirk van der Westhuizen and Loufi.
Gates open daily at 9am. Day passes are priced at R250 for Friday, R250 for Saturday, and R200 for Sunday, while a weekend package is available for R500.
Tickets for children aged seven to 17 are priced at R120 per day or R250 for the weekend, while children under the age of seven enter for free.
Pensioners aged 65 and older can access a special half-price rate of R100 on Sunday.
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The Herald