PLAY IN THE FOREST UNDER THE AFRICAN STARS
THE STAGE
Music Has Always Found Its Way Here
Tucked into the sacred land of Khoinania, on the edge of the Tsitsikamma National Park, Wild Spirit Lodge has long been a crossroads for wandering souls and musicians. From solo acoustic troubadours to full bands passing through on tour, performers of every style and genre have graced our outdoor stage with their voices and instruments.
"A beautiful acoustic stage overlooking one of the most pristine coastal forests in South Africa. Come play it."
We are a down-to-earth, family-friendly eco-lodge on the Garden Route. A real community of guests, a fire, and the sounds of the forest as your backdrop. Big names and first-timers alike have found something special here. We'd love to have you too.
THE EXCHANGE
Play for your Stay,
details below...
We don't offer or pay a set performance or appearance fee but we do offer a bed for the night, delicious meals, and every rand in the magic hat goes directly to you.
Hearty Meals
Home-cooked Buffet Style Dinner & Breakfast. Meatless Mondays, Soup Sundays, traditional Potjie Saturdays, the menu rotates weekly. Meat and vegetarian options available.
Donation Hat
Every cent collected goes straight to you. No splits, no deductions. We pay it out the next day via EFT or cash. We usually get the hat going with a contribution from the bar.
Place to Sleep
Subject to availability: a shared dorm for larger groups, a cosy family-style room, or a double/twin safari tent. We will chat accommodation options with you once we've confirmed your performance.
GOOD TO KNOW
A Few House Rules
01
Code of Conduct
We are a fun but peacefull family-friendly lodge. Please keep this in consideration when making a booking with us as well as when choosing your set-list. Please no crude language, inebriated behaviour before, during or after your performance and strictly no illegal substances allowed on the premises. All ages are welcome here and we'd like to keep it that way.
02
Band Size
We can accommodate a maximum of 8 performers depending on availibity of beds and number of guests.
04
Response Times
Please allow a couple of days for us to respond to your enquiry. For last minute gigs follow up with a WhatsApp. +27 (82) 828-8008. Give us a nudge if you haven't received a reply within five days.
03
Your Gear
We expect musicians to have most of their own instruments, mics, speakers and amps. If you need help with specific equipment, let us know in your application and we'll do our best to help you. Generally musicians mix their own sound
05
Promotions
We'll try to get your event out at least a week in advance, on our local Groups and Socials. Our reach is organic, no boosted posts, but it's local and engaging.
06
Cancellations
Life happens, we get it. But please let us know the day before, or at the very latest that morning, so we can push a cancellation notice in time.
07
Weather
Our Acoustic stage in the outdoor boma area of Wild Spirit can fit between 1 and 4 musicians max. For bigger bands, overflow will be onto the paving in front of the stage. Alternatively we might decide to set you up on the main lodge deck. This would also be the back-ip plan in the event of rain
WILD SPIRIT
FESTIVAL OF FRIENDS
Once a year, Wild Spirit transforms into something altogether different. The Festival of Friends is our annual multi-day celebration of music, community, and the wild beauty of this corner of the Garden Route and it would be nothing without the right artists.
Festival of Friends runs from the 28th of December to the 2nd of January each and every new year. Find out more below using the button. It will take you straight to the Event Page.
If you'd love to be considered for the festival lineup, or for any other multi-day events and special celebrations we host throughout the year, let us know in your application. We keep a shortlist of artists who've caught our ear, and when the time comes to build a lineup, that's the first place where we start looking for new talent.
Please note there are various factors that inform our selection process for the line-up each year. Although it helps to get your festival application form submitted early, it is not a strictly first come first serve basis.