For the second year in a row, Rocking the Daisies (RTD 2021), Mzansi’s premium music and lifestyle festival, has been cancelled.
RTD 2021 cancelled: Here’s why
Things looked positive at the start of the year, a time when South Africa was at a reduced Alert Level and COVID-19 cases were relatively low.
However, seven months into 2021, the picture looks startlingly different. A new variant, Delta Plus, first discovered in India, has ravaged metropolis provinces like Gauteng and the Western Cape.
At Alert Level 4, and with daily infection rates on the up, it seems very unlikely that restrictions will be eased in the near future. For RTD 2021, this is an absolute nightmare and a massive financial loss.
Marquee international acts like Saint JHN and Duckworth were all tipped to be part of this year’s line-up. However, three months before the festival’s return, organisers pulled the plug on the two-city event.
“From the time we announced the 15th Year Anniversary postponement last year, up until this very point, our team has worked tirelessly behind the scenes alongside all the relevant officials, and stakeholders, in order to do everything in our power to make this year’s event viable.
“However, with the latest announcement of increased, stricter regulations, as well as the ongoing uncertainty of the months to come in South Africa, it has become clear that an event of our size in 2021 is not an option, and most importantly is not safe for our most important stakeholders – you, our loyal fans and supporters,” the festival noted in its open letter.
How to process your RTD 2021 refund
Every artist announced for RTD 2021 has effectively been cancelled. The only information available, at this time, is that RTD will return in October 2022. Hopefully, by then, South Africa would have caught up with the rest of the world and allowed for the return of normalcy in our lives.
Ticketholders who held onto their 2020 purchases have the option of clinging on until the tentative October 2022 reschedule. The same rule applies to anyone who purchased a ticket for this year’s festival.
However, if you would like your money back, then not only will you have between Monday 12 July and Saturday 31 July 2021 to process a refund, but you will get back the value of the ticket price minus 15% and VAT. This, the festival says, is to cover “admin and bank charges incurred.”
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to process an RTD 2021 refund:
- Login to your Quicket account;
- Go to ‘My Tickets;
- Find your Daisies order and click ‘Request Refund’
For more information, visit the festival’s FAQ page.