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Thousands of South Africans, both at home and abroad, carry a Prime Circle song somewhere in their memories and the band knows it.
Festival season is heating up, and Prime Fest, now in its third edition, took place at Syringa Park in Muldersdrift on Saturday, 3 October.
The venue is a prime location (pun intended) for a rock festival. Curated by Prime Circle, the event brings together some of the band's favourite local artists and gives them room to shine. The grounds are easy to navigate, with food stalls, handmade crafts and, because no festival is complete without one these days, a matcha stand.
The production value was impressive. The main stage was massive, the lighting crisp and the sound quality world-class. Despite its scale, the festival still managed to feel surprisingly intimate. With performances from Zaan Sonnekus, Lee Cole, GoodLuck, Jesse Clegg and Jeremy Loops, there truly was something for everyone.
Prime Circle is betting on big festivals
With so many festivals competing for attention, what makes Prime Fest stand out? According to Prime Circle frontman Gavin Edwards, the festival's first edition in 2019 attracted around 10 000 people before the pandemic brought live events to a halt. Now, he believes audiences are ready to embrace festivals once again.
"Everyone is back into festivals; Afrikaans festivals are doing great. I think the whole of South Africa has been yearning to get out more again," Gavin said. "So yes, Prime Fest is going to be happening more."
As the headline act, Prime Circle delivered a crowd-pleasing set packed with fan favourites. The band also hinted at new singles on the horizon and a possible album release in 2027.
Among the day's standout performers was Lee Cole, whose soulful pop songs had fans singing along from the very first note. The Risk singer's latest single forms part of his debut EP, Letter to Myself Pt. 1, set for release on 9 October. Lee described the project as a blend of R&B, pop, soul, house and electro-pop. Looking ahead to the new year, he revealed plans for international performances, the release of the second instalment of the EP and plenty more live shows.
It's easy to see why Lee's star continues to rise. Since breaking through with hits such as I Don't Wanna Wait and Pink Dragons, he has steadily built a loyal fan base. Equal parts charisma and charm, the singer has a natural ability to connect with an audience.
GoodLuck and Jesse Clegg look ahead
GoodLuck brought infectious energy to the stage and had the crowd on their feet in no time. Speaking to TimeOut, singer Juliet "Julz" Harding said she was blown away by the audience response and excited for the group's upcoming "Get Lucky Summer" series: 10 concerts scheduled across the Garden Route during the holiday season. With preparations already underway, the group is busy finalising line-ups and plans for what promises to be a busy summer.
Jesse Clegg was equally excited to be performing in his hometown of Johannesburg. The singer-songwriter has spent much of his time abroad in recent years and has had the honour of performing South Africa's national anthem for the Springboks on two occasions, including a recent appearance in Australia.
To close out the night, Jeremy Loops took to the stage armed with little more than his guitar, his trademark charisma and a catalogue of crowd favourites.
As thousands of festivalgoers sang along under the night sky, it felt like the perfect ending to a celebration of South African music. If Prime Fest's growing success is anything to go by, Prime Circle's vision of creating a festival that brings people together through great local talent is only just getting started.
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