Festival Style in South Africa

Outfit guides for 3 South African festivals, from Ultra South Africa to Rocking the Daisies.

3Festivals
3Cities
February–OctoberSeason

South Africa has 3 festivals in this guide, spread across 3 cities. They run in February, April and October, and festival-day temperatures range from 24°C (75°F) to 30°C (86°F), with nights down to 5°C (41°F). That range is the reason there is no single "South Africa festival outfit". The answer changes by month and by site.

1 of them runs in real heat (28°C or more), where loose natural fabrics beat coverage and a brimmed hat does more than any garment. 1 carries a high rain risk, which makes waterproof footwear a requirement rather than a precaution.

The ground matters as much as the sky. You will find city park, desert and open field, which puts waterproof boots at the top of the list for most of these events. 2 of the 3 have camping on site, so outfits have to survive living in a bag on the ground for several days.

Stylistically the crowd here leans rave, edm, amapiano and neon. Ultra South Africa is the largest of them at around 40,000 people, and it sets the tone the smaller ones react to. None of that is a dress code. It is what you will see, which is worth knowing if you would rather blend in or deliberately not.

Festival dressing in South Africa: FAQ

It depends on which one and when. Festival days in South Africa range from 24°C (75°F) to 30°C (86°F), with nights down to 5°C (41°F), so a light base plus one carryable warm layer covers most of them. 1 of these festivals have a high rain risk, so add a packable shell and waterproof footwear for those.

The festivals in this guide run in February, April and October. Exact dates are set by the organisers each year. Check the official site of the festival you are going to before booking travel.

Down to about 5°C (41°F) at the coldest of these festivals. That is cold enough that a jacket you can carry all day is worth the inconvenience.

2 of the 3 festivals listed here have camping on site: AfrikaBurn, Rocking the Daisies. Camping changes what you pack. Outfits in sealed sets, separate sleep clothes, and a second pair of dry shoes.

Waterproof boots for the field sites, and never anything new. You will walk 15.000 to 30.000 steps a day, and footwear is the only garment that can end your weekend early.