TIPS

The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees is an inclusive cornucopia of opinions, backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. We create a platform in the hope and expectation that we will find and celebrate unity and each other through diverse expression and our particular experiences. In the spirit of our festival theme, we ask festival-goers to be respectful of difference and to engage with it in a constructive manner.

Please switch off your mobile phone before all shows, leave the baby and the dog with the sitter, visit the restroom before you take your seat, and share your stories and opinions once the show has ended. No latecomers are admitted to performances. Food stalls and cash bars are available at most venues. Please support our suppliers. Your own food and drink is not permitted in venues. Allow at least 30 minutes to purchase refreshments and drinks before shows.

The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees is expanding organically and for optimal use of space, the festival centre looks different in 2024:

• Ryneveld and Victoria Street are the main streets of the festival.
• The EasyEquities Book Tent and the SU Museum annex host the greater part of the EasyEquities Writers’ Festival programme.
• The Boektent and ATKV bookstore, operated by Exclusive Books, can be found at Die Plataan behind the SU Museum. There is also a cosy restaurant with, among other things, coffee and scrumptious “roosterkoek”.
• Our Discussion Programme, which includes the Network24 conversation series, takes place primarily at the Book Tent. Other Discussion presentations are held in the SU Museum Annex and the Adam Small Seminar Room, and some other venues.
• RSG broadcasts from Die Khaya Café in the car park next to the Kruiskerk. The Netwerk24 festival cafe is at Die Khaya Café.
• DiThe Woordfees exhibitions will be held in the City Hall and the SU Museum. Exhibitions in collaboration with festival friends and partners can be seen in various spaces in and around Stellenbosch.
• Adults can release their inner child in the Woordfees Playroom at the SU Museum square. Here you can jump rope, play with puzzles and words, have fun with numbers and much more.

Follow the Woordfees on Facebook, Instagram, X and on our WhatsApp channel. Subscribe to our newsletter. Visit our one-stop website for information, additions, new shows, programme changes and festival news. Enjoy our free festival newspaper, INK, with reviews, profiles and comments, available on our website: woordfees.co.za.

The Woordfees is a cashless festival. Pay with any debit or credit card, or use SnapScan.

DROSTDY THEATRE

Come and enjoy a drink at the bar before or after the show. Thanks to a new lift, this theatre is now wheelchair-friendly.

JAN MARAIS NATURE RESERVE

Enjoy an outdoor concert in this beautiful park with several food stalls (no own food or drink is permitted). A special VIP ticket offers access to a private lounge and bar. Remember to bring warm clothing.

THE DAISY JONES BAR

At this one-stop music venue on the Summerhill wine estate along the Agter-Paarl road about 5 km outside the town you can eat, drink and dance. Allow plenty of time to get there, or use the convenient festival shuttle service. A VIP ticket offers access to a private lounge and bar.

Power schedules can change at very short notice. The Woordfees uses generators in most venues and shows continue when the power goes out. Shows will rarely be cancelled or postponed due to load shedding.

Stellenbosch is an old town with narrow streets and very limited parking. Allow enough time to get from one show to another. Park for free opposite Rhenish Girls’ High in Koch Street (entrance from Park Street) or at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre. Use the festival shuttle from these car parks – it costs R20 per trip to all festival venues. Day tickets (R50) are also available, as well as a festival ticket (R180) that can be used for the full duration of the festival.

With the exception of three spaces, all of the Woordfees venues are equipped for people in wheelchairs. Only the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden and Neelsie Cinemas 1 and 2 are not accessible to wheelchairs. It is essential to make arrangements in advance for assistance with access and especially parking on 072 231 7073.

October is spring in Stellenbosch – the days are warm but the evenings get cold quickly. Bring a sun hat and sunscreen, and drink lots of water. Bring warm klere of ’n kombers vir buitelugvertonings. For evenings and outdoor shows bring warm clothes or a blanket.

An extensive panel of experts attends all shows during the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees to acknowledge outstanding achievement by artists and presentations in 18 categories. The awards will be presented during an awards event in October.

Emergency services from any cell phone: 112

Netcare: 082 911 of 0860 638 2273

ER24: 084 124

Mediclinic Stellenbosch (emergency): 021 861 2094

Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital (emergency): 021 808 6100

Campus Health: 021 808 3494/6

SU Campus Security (emergency): 021 808 2333

Stellenbosch Municipality

Emergency 24/7: 021 808 8890

Stellenbosch Fire Department: 021 808 8888

SAPS

Emergencies (national): 10111

Stellenbosch: 021 809 5015 / 5000 / 5012

Woordfees Office (general enquiries): 072 231 7073

Wheelchair reservations: 072 231 7073