Festival info

Main stage

The theatre of screams: an insane line-up of headline-grabbers on a custom-built, outdoor sound-stage of epic proportions. From sonic superstars and electrifying locals to the most wanted breaking acts on the planet, they’ll be giving it their all for three days straight, from early to late. All it takes is you, your mates, spectacular sound and lightning design and the legend starts to make sense: it all comes together on the Main Stage at Synergy Live.

Red Bull Studio Live

Club culture’s superheroes flex their musical muscles. It’s an unashamed, three-night-long tempo tantrum covering every conceivable genre from post-Dubstep and Indielecronics to glitch-hop and Rave revival. If a barrage of big hooks and brain-bending beats is your taste in ear candy, you’ve found it.

Mainstay Beach Bar

How the other half live – and you can too. Blinkinis and cocktails, sunshine and shades, a dip in the dam and super-cool sound chefs serving up a hipsta mix of Balearic beats, Electro-trance and lounge musique. It doesn’t matter if you’re into fancy footwork or extreme leisure, head for the beach and it’ll find you.

Freestyle stage

New for 2013, we’re combining classic crowd-pleasers from previous years into a musical mash-up of sound, comedy, art and live performance. An interlaced three-step program running in a near-field arena: a cast of freestyle acts and artists hell-bent on crowd-flirting.


  1. 1. Take a load off: sofalise with old mates, meet new ones and have your funny bone tickled by improv comedy, theatre sports, lounge acts and laughter, courtesy of Comedia.
  2. 2. Get a taste of indie innovation, a grand list of top emerging talent that’ll put the sizzle on your steak: a veritable who’s who of ‘happening’ acts in the rocklands.
  3. 3. Enjoy a decompression session, get up close and personal with your favorite acts – in an acoustic kinda way. Expect the unexpected: cross genre collaborations, experimental jams, lyrical storytelling. It’s the ultimate backstage pass…

The fairground

It’s white-knuckle time – your shriek for the week. Get shaken and stirred by a funtastic collection of carnival rides from all over the country. They’ll spin you, twist you, get your heart pumping and your head thumping and keep you coming back for more of the same. Are you screaming – or screaming for more?

The Market Square

The Synergy souk – a mall of stalls offering all kinds of festival merch, music and massage, arts and crafts and everything in between. For souvenirs and gift ideas, a cute collectable or something more than memories, here’s where it’s at. And if you’ve suffered a ninjury (‘How did that happen?’), or you’re in need of help or advice, the Square’s also home to the festival info desk.

Activation Areas

Our various partners and sponsors will again be activating at Synergy, with various lounges, bars and activities on offer. Be sure to pop in to one of the stands and say hello to the promo girls, have a drink, enter a competition - chill out and indulge.

The market place

Food court? Meh – it’s more like festival flair. When you need a break from stage-hopping, join the munchtime crowd of gastrocats at a variety of refueling stations. Whether you’re looking to chopstick a noodle, smash a slice of pizza, start the day with a Latte or end it with a nibble, the Market’s your place. It’s the meating point of Synergy Live.

Camping

It’s long been our mantra: go big – and go home. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a sleepover? But popping a dome or pegging a guy doesn’t have to mean mud, ropes and misery. So as always, we’ve put down a groundsheet and made sure the necessary creature comforts are all part of the deal – from hot showers and friendly security to toilets tended 24/3. Seriously, you’ll think you’ve arrived at a campsite competition.

Official Merchandise Tent

The My Music Matrix Team makes a welcome return to Synergy Live, bringing with them all the essential band paraphernalia one could dream of. From T's to CD's and everything in-between, the MMM Merch crew will have you shopping till you drop and leaving with a whole lot more that just good memories. Need some advice or just looking for a place to meet your mates, this is the place for that too.

Merchandise, Arts and Crafts & Info

Amble around our bizarre bazaar: merchandise and mementos, music and massage, arts and crafts and a whole lot more. Want to take home more than memories? This is the place. And if all you’re looking for is a little advice, you’ll find that here too.

Camp site village

Imagine a secret spaza shop for campers, hidden in the pine forest. The Village is a considered mix of stores, cell recharge stations, lockers and a waterside bar. So even though you’re right next to the main festival site, you don’t need to cross the border for essential goods and services: simply roll up your bag, roll out your tent, plug in and chill out.

The heartbreak motel

Calling all glampers! Heartbreak Motel will once again be setting up a luxury tented village at Synergy Live 2013. For the uninitiated, we’re talking a boutique camp experience where you can live festival life to the full – and then retire to your own little glamour patch to relax and sleep in style. It’s still close enough to the action to feel like you’re in the middle, not an outsider – and best of all, since there’s no pitching or packing down necessary, you won’t miss a moment of the time of your life.


To enquire/ book your tent phone 087 354 0578 or email [email protected]


Heartbreak Motel

Graceland tent

Friday 29th November - Sunday 1st December

R 2, 500.00 per/Tent [2 people sharing] Included:

  • Tent (3x4m) with carpet
  • Beds, Mattresses, Full Linen and Towels
  • Plug point and ceiling light
  • Canvas cupboard and dustbin
  • Table and Chairs
  • Private shower ablutions (separate from general camping)
  • Portable toilets (separate from general camping)
  • Full breakfast
  • 24 hour Juice and Coffee station
  • Dining and Chill area
  • 24 Hour Security

The above cost excludes:

  • Festival entry ticket
  • Lockers (R75.00 per locker)

Cadillac tent

Friday 29th November - Sunday 1st December

R 1, 995.00 per/Tent [2 people sharing] Included:

  • Tent
  • Mattresses, Full Linen and Towels
  • Private shower ablutions (separate from general camping)
  • Portable toilets (separate from general camping)
  • Full breakfast
  • 24 hour Juice and Coffee station
  • Dining and Chill area
  • 24 Hour Security

The above cost excludes:

  • Festival entry ticket
  • Lockers (R75.00 per locker)

The venue

Theewater Sports Club. Theewaterskloof Dam. Villiersdorp

Theewater Sport Club, is situated on a peninsula stretching into the Theewaterskloof dam, surrounded by farmlands, majestic mountains and a variety of wildlife. The Dam itself is beautifully set, between Franschhoek and Villiersdorp, about an hour and a half out of Cape Town, and boasts some of the most picturesque vistas in the Western Cape.

With the establishment of the Theewater Sports Club (TSC) in 1979, the dam has grown to become one of the largest water sports clubs in the South Africa and features all kind of activities including keelboat, multihull and dinghy sailing, power boating, jet skiing, water skiing, kite surfing, windsurfing and fresh water bass and carp angling.


GPS Co-ordinates

34°01'32.54" S

19°15'45.65" E

Cash & cards

The motto still holds: cash is king and plastics fantastic. We’ll have ATM machines on-site, but if you want to avoid paying pesky transaction fees and standing in queues, rather bring enough cash to last the weekend. Credit cards? Sorry, no can do – leave them safely at home…

Public safety services

To ensure everyone is safe and sound, Synergy-designated paramedics, security and firefighting crews will be on hand around the clock for the duration of the festival. In the event of an emergency please alert a Synergy Live official immediately.

Lost Property

All lost property can be reported, dropped off or collected from the officials’ office next to the main gate or the info desk at the Market Square on the main festival site. Please report any theft or suspicious activity to the on-site security officers or the SA Police services on duty.

Water sports

A variety of attractions including Water balls, Waterslides, Wake boarding and inflatable's.

RiCharge Stations

Smartphones are hard on batteries, chomping bars as fast as you can recharge, especially when shooting video or pics of your favorite band. However the clever people at RiCharge have got your back, dotted around the festival you will find their nifty RiCharge stations, where you can fill your phone safely & securely and for only a few bucks. New features this year include Solar charging umbrellas that will be located at various spots around the festival & portable pocket charges for those that are not comfortable leaving their phones at the stands. RiCharging has never been this easy!

Festival checklist

Our best advice: just bring what you need. No, really, we mean it: pack light. Depending where you park, you'll inevitably have to carry your stuff a fair distance to where you camp so leave the acoustic guitar and kitchen sink to someone else. And as part of our ‘leave no trace’ initiative we'd definitely encourage you to only bring things which you can take home. Remember, ‘Less is Best!'

  • Tent (lines/poles/groundsheet/pegs)
  • Sleeping mat/sleeping bag/duvet/pillow
  • Comfortable Trainers or sturdy boots
  • Swimming costume
  • Waterproof coat
  • Enough changes of clothes
  • Spectacles/contacts and solution
  • Towels/soap - preferably biodegradable
  • Toilet rolls
  • Toiletries (toothbrush/paste, shaving items, biodegradable wet wipes)
  • Sunscreen & insect repellent
  • A reusable water bottle, to fill up from the free taps on site
  • Contraceptives
  • Torch/batteries/bulbs (spares)
  • Mobile phone
  • Camera
  • Medications (prescriptions/inhalers/chemist sundries)
  • Medical info (allergies etc)
  • Drivers licence
  • Money/cards
  • Shorts/jeans/skirt/dress
  • Socks/tights/underwear
  • A warm sweater (it can get cold)
  • Cap or Hat (it can also get dam hot)
  • Bags (for dirty clothing and footwear)
  • Cooler bags and boxes for food storage
  • Black bags
  • Folding chairs, tables & umbrellas
  • Festival Ticket!
  • Clean clothes to go home in
  • Mark all valuables with your contact number

Traders

Applications to trade at Synergy Live 2013 are still open. If you are interested in trading please email [email protected]. Dozens of food traders, arts & craft merchants and peddlers of the bizarre and unique apply to trade at Synergy each year. Each stall is priced individually, based on the type of organisation, the number of staff, the size of stall, the products being sold and so on. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone, but we do try and give our patrons the very best variety possible.

Campervans and caravans

A campervan/caravan ticket must be purchased in advance to allow access into the campervan/caravan area. Each person entering this area must also be a weekend Festival ticket holder. Please note space in the Camper Van area is limited, get your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Contact us

General Information:
[email protected]

Stall Applications:
[email protected]

Media:
[email protected]

Hotline (office hours):
021 448 7017

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Synergylive

What not to bring

Please do not bring gazebos or Bedouin Tents - they take up valuable tent space in the campsites.


Please don’t bring any glass bottles. They are dangerous and will be confiscated.


Only food and alcohol for personal consumption can be brought into the site, again unfortunately not in glass containers.


Persons suspected of carrying out illegal and/or offensive activities onsite may be searched and face eviction.


NO animals (except registered guide dogs), sound systems, generators, kites, fireworks, fires or burning material of any kind will be allowed on site.


Persons using fireworks or making fires will be evicted from site and materials confiscated.


No unauthorized professional film or video equipment are allowed onsite. Cameras for personal use are welcome.

Toilets & showers

This year at Synergy Live we’ve gone above and beyond in making sure your festival experience is an easy one – and that includes yet again increasing the number of toilet and shower facilities. As always, they’ll be tended to by our support staff to ensure they’re clean and tidy 24/7.

Water points

The Theewaterskloof dam might be the main water supply for Cape Town, however the water in the dam is not fit for drinking unless you are a fish or a freak. Look out for the green water towers with taps located around the festival site to provide fresh water for drinking or the designated safe to drink points in the permanent bathroom facilities. Synergy Live requires hundreds of thousands of litres of water over a period of three days. Please use water sparingly.

Special needs guests

Synergy Live is a festival for everyone, that’s why we’re making sure that all our guests are catered for and all our areas accessible. If you have any special needs, please contact us on [email protected] before the 20 November so we can make any necessary arrangements for a hassle free Synergy Live experience.

Smart Locker

Worried about you stuff going walk about while you giving it horns on the Main stage? Well worry no more, Smart Locker offers a convenient, simple and value added service for all festival goers. Rent a locker by the day or for the whole weekend and revel in the convenience of knowing your valuable, sentimental & important items are securely locked away.

Disclaimer

STRICTLY NONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

Under 18’s (id’s will be requested), glass bottles, fires, fireworks, domestic animals, independent sound systems, illegal substances, graffiti and weapons. Right of admission is reserved and participation in the event is entirely at your own risk. The organizers accept no responsibility whatsoever for injury, death, loss or damage of any nature to persons, vehicles or belongings. This applies even in the case of negligence by the organizers. Due care has been taken to make this event safe and secure.