Haitian-Canadian superstar Kaytranada saves the day

Milk + Cookies festival far from sweet

Poor planning, disorganisation are unforgivable

Emmanuel Tjiya S Mag Editor-in-chief
Kaytranada performs onstage during the 2024 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Kaytranada performs onstage during the 2024 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Image: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

Milk just goes with cookies, it’s a food pairing that exquisitely awakens generations of flavour, fond nostalgia and is made in culinary heaven. The delightful mix has the right balance of sweetness from the oven bakes and creaminess from the fresh dairy. It’s a smooth, easy and delicious snack or dessert. 

The Joburg leg of the two-week outdoor music festival Milk + Cookies at Huddle Park in Linksfield, Johannesburg, failed to live up to its delectable name. It was far from smooth and sweet but rather fraught, dreadful and unsavoury. After Mother Nature made an unwanted guest appearance, the festival headlined by Haitian-Canadian superstar Kaytranada was wet, muddy and close to disastrous. 

While music lovers can overlook unpredictable torrential downpours, poor planning and disorganisation from any festival organisers or promoters are unforgivable. The lack of contingency plans for any foreseeable incidences quickly turned what was supposed to be an enjoyable and memorable concert experience into a nightmare. 

Purgatory began at the main entrance, where the security check was more invasive than airport screening or prison contraband raid. Many concertgoers were left gobsmacked as to why chewing gum was confiscated at the gate.

How is that dangerous goods? Later, a fellow journalist would detail witnessing an awkward exchange between security and a female festival-goer wrestling over her birth control pills. Whether the story was true or not, it best captured the level of shared frustration at the gate. But because we were excited to experience Kaytranada live, there was no pushback, just compliance. 

Kaytranada spins on stage during the Broccoli City Festival 2024 at Audi Field on July 28, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Kaytranada spins on stage during the Broccoli City Festival 2024 at Audi Field on July 28, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Image: Brian Stukes/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Inside, there was nothing VIP about the barricaded area on the far right side of the stage. Accessing the VIP entrance was more like maze-solving – with limited guides and clear directions, it was confusing to find the doorway. Tom Cruise, we have found the new plot-line to Mission Impossible. 

Once you made it inside VIP (hopefully under 30 minutes) the joke was on you. It was a VIP area with little-to-no-perks. The bar selection did not have much variety. The reserved seating arrangement was giving “first come, first served”. Good luck finding enough space and shelter under the tent in case the rain got overwhelming. 

Then after 5pm (the event started at 12pm) came the icing on top. Suddenly there was overcrowding in the VIP area. While concertgoers were soaking wet, throats were certainly dry, with extreme queues for topping up the cashless system for payments. The line to the mobile toilets was just as long. Outside VIP in the general admission area, it was equally a cesspool as many lined up in mud to top-up their cashless cards or wristbands. 

What was heartening was the performances by supporting acts DJ Lag, Mörda, Muzi and Kitty Cash. Not even the rain or poor organisation could dampen the spirit of the youthful crowd. Come hell or high water, we endured in the name of Kaytranada.

Just after 8pm he graced the stage. Many rushed closer, the stage faded from stark black to kaleidoscopic lights. The crowd marinating in light showers erupted into loud roars and the Grammy-winning artist emerged – he was perfect. Kaytranada saved the day. He killed it from beginning to end, dropping favourites like Witchy, Intimidated and Vex Oh. Was it worth all the misery leading up to it? The jury is still out on that one. 

If like me, you were huddled in a corner called the “VIP area”, it was often difficult to see all the magic on stage or big screen. The sound wasn’t the best too on that side. As one annoyed fan shouted on her way out of VIP: “What a waste of money, what is this VIP?”

When I laughed at her in amusement, she turned back, our eyes locked, she shook her head in disappointment and murmured: “Kaytranada was way better at Afropunk [in Joburg in 2018].”

I agree with her; and it rained there too. 


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