Ah, Oppikoppi, open to everyone (remember to take gran – since the festival still offers free entry for anyone older than 65 this weekend) but experienced differently by all.
When youth is on your side the festival is a debauched weekend where a healthy morning starts with a naartjie and three beers. But when you hit 30 something changes, and the whole festival experience changes with it.
In your 20s: Who’s the designated driver? I already had two beers to get me in the mood, and can we play this mix at max volume?
In your 30s: Well I’ll drive because I want to get there in once piece, please don’t spill your beer – I don’t want the car to smell like First Thursday in Braam.
In your 20s: OMG I found my tribe. We are all beautiful. #OneHumanNation
In your 30s: Urgh, millenials in normcore. We really are the worst.
In your 20s: Decanter a bunch of 440ml beer cans into a 5l water bottle to take into the festival grounds, which gets warmer and flatter as the sun goes higher. Warm beer is still beer. Getting lit. Whoohoo.
In your 30s: I feel personally attacked when you can’t take a bottle of mid-priced oaked wine into the festival grounds and have to decanter it into a reusable earth-friendly bottle. I’m equally sad about the lack of single malts available at Top Bar. Can I speak to the manager?
In your 20s: Braai, skotteleiers, pizza, baked beans – you feel personally violated that there’s tomato and lettuce on the burgers. My body rejects this nutrition.
In your 30s: Coffee and a multigrain rusk in the morning, a light lunch of tapas and a generous dinner of samp and flavourful potjiekos from Kobus se Gat. Lots of fruit and veg snacks inbetween.
In your 20s: Six people in one tent, some I don’t know – what can go wrong? Everyone’s my friend.
In your 30s: I’m willing to walk an extra few 100m to ensure there’s a decent buffer of bush between myself and the next tent. No neighbours, please.
In your 20s: Sees a person with a glowstick around their neck, drunkenly starts to barter with them, “These are the most beautiful things in the world, I will give you six beers for just one.
In your 30s: Do you know this is killing nature? Say no to plastic!
In your 20s: Excellent, I have to come back next year.
In your 30s: Excellent, I have to come back next year.
No matter what age, OppiKoppi is the holy-grail of SA music. Don’t miss out.