“The time has come”. When the sounds of this much-loved song ring out on air, VOC listeners know only one thing – the 2017 VOC Summer Festival.

It is official – festival goers can now mark off the dates between the 7th to the10th December as the days to attend the annual summer festival at the Vygieskraal stadium in Athlone.

The VOC Summer Festival was the first of its kind in Cape Town and over the past 22 years, has become a fixture on the South African calendar. The festival was initiated as a means to raise funds for the radio station and the overwhelming community support over the years is testament to the presence VOC still has in Cape Town society. The festival gives a major financial boost to the VOC Bursary Fund which is now in its tenth year already.

“For this year we want to raise the bar a bit more and look at how we can entice more people to come to the festival,” says the festival convening team.

As usual, the festival will feature the best of local entertainment, community sports, a tea-garden, fun rides, local designers and cuisine by Cape Town’s people.

Events co-ordinator Rashida Davids has urged local entertainers that want to share their talents at the VOC Summer Festival to contact her to participate.

The general increase in the cost of basic goods and services in South Africa over the past year has also affected the planning of the event. Organisers said the public liability insurance for the event has increased from R2 million to R20million this year. In this regard, the organising team had to make slight adjustments to the festival costs.

Food stalls will now cost R3000 and non-food stalls R2200. Stalls will go on sale at VOC studios on Saturday 7th October. The early birds get the best locations.

For entry, adults will be charged R25 and as kids and pensioners, will pay a low cost of R10.

The organisers have promised three days of endless entertainment. As the days draw closer, many details of this year’s festival will be revealed. Stay tuned to 91.3fm.