Jsik Bouhbot: The man behind SA’s top music festivals

The warmer months in South Africa signal all manner of outdoor entertainment. It usually starts slowly with jazz festivals and then reaches fever pitch with the likes of Spring Fiesta and the Ultra Music Festival.

If you’ve ever attended these two, then you’re familiar with the awesome international and local DJs and musicians who play at these events. But have you ever wondered who puts all of this together and what goes into attracting throngs of heaving crowds to these world-class events?

The Citizen chatted to Jsik Bouhbot, the man who brought Boy George to South Africa when he was just 18 years old and hasn’t stopped making us dance since then.

You’ve created three South African mainstays in the dance and music festival landscape. When did your affinity for live entertainment and events begin?

My journey in the dance industry began when I was 18 years old – I hosted my first major event featuring Boy George, who was an icon of his time.

The event had an attendance of 12,000 people which was a record in the festival scene at the time. The success of the event gave me such satisfaction and drive to create a life in the entertainment arena.

H2O was an annual institution for many South Africans. Why would you say it took off the way it did, creating such a dedicated following?

There was a huge void in the South African dance music scene with regards to well-organised festivals and H2O managed to fill this gap and was one of the pioneers in giving South African DJs a platform to be recognised and consumers to enjoy a festival in a safe and well-organised environment.

Year after year H2O raised the bar and created a dedicated following of partygoers, and after 20 years I still see familiar faces from the very first events which gives me pride in what we have achieved.

Ultra and Spring Fiesta SA are, for lack of a better description, the younger siblings of H2O. And siblings are unique in their own way. How is Fiesta and Ultra different to H2O, and what did you do to create their uniqueness?

After many years of experience and knowledge gained through H2O it was easy to expand into other markets, and these two events are definitely unique in their own ways. Spring Fiesta is home to Africa’s top DJs and performers and is currently in its ninth year.

We have cultivated this festival by listening to our consumers throughout the years and it has evolved in to one of the most anticipated events in the dance music calendar each year.

Ultra was South Africa’s first taste of what is on offer of one of the world’s leading music festival brands, this event boasts the world’s best music artists and production on an international level.

What level of safety and security goes into any of the events and how important is this?

Safety is one of our main priorities so we work very closely with the City to ensure we comply with the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act, which governs all events in South Africa. In addition we meet with the police and cities’ disaster management teams to ensure that all requirements are met and we have visible policing on the day.

In the venue itself we have additional security and marshalls to help with the flow of people to ensure a safe environment. Paramedics are also available throughout the day in strategic locations within the venue.

People need to feel safe when attending festivals and I believe that we have created this over the years and this has helped our brand grow and succeed into what it is 20 years later.

SA is already buzzing about H2O’s 20th anniversary coming up on September 28. How are you feeling about this and what can we expect?

We have an impressive international and local line up this year including Cosmic Gate, Justin Martin, Juicy M, Superflu and Tony Cha Cha.

Our loyal customers can expect an unbelievable experience for our 20-year anniversary, we have a few tricks up our sleeve so get your tickets as this event will surely be a sell-out.

Info

H2O celebrates 20 years of existence with the H2O Decade 2 Decade Fest. The dance music festival has grown in size to house more than 12,000 electronic dance enthusiasts every year.

Headlining the festival are German duo Cosmic Gate, Ukranian sweetheart Juicy and the legendary Dutch DJ Tony Cha Cha.

Fifty local artists including Goldfish, Nasty C, DJ Fresh and many more feature across six dance floors.

• Venue: Wild Waters, 1 Margaret Ave, Bardene, Boksburg
• Time: 12pm to 2am
• Cost: R150 | VIP R300 – R2,000
• Visit Howler to book your tickets

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