Peter Ferraz, Splashy Fen farm owner and founder of the
iconic music festival, passed away peacefully at his home in Underberg on October
14, 2014, at the age of 76 having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in
April.
The idea of holding a music festival first came to Peter
Ferraz and his wife Almary when they attended the Festival of the Flower
Children at Woburn Abbey in England in 1967. The experience made a lasting
impression on the couple and, many years later, after buying a farm near
Underberg in the Southern Drakensberg, they finally started working on making
their dream a reality.
It was to take several decades for the grand plan to come
together when the inaugural Splashy Fen Music Festival made South African
history in October 1990. Since its first show which attracted about 600
supporters, it is now attended by over 12,000 people.
When Ferraz became aware of his condition, he shared a
message on the Splashy Fen website: “I am immensely proud of the festival, it
has given me untold joy all these years and I foresee it continuing for many,
many more. My heartfelt thanks go out to all the people who have made Splashy
Fen what it is.”
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