Last week Saturday saw the return of The Succulent’s highly successful annual Afrika Burns fundraiser – ‘Pablo’s Summer Send Off’ – at Ibis House and as expected, this tribute to beats under the sun was one hell of a jam.

The Succulents are an open collective of Capetonians who raise funds throughout the year for their annual Afrika Burns project.  This year they’re building a giant cactus dance dome to host the best in psychedelic trance way out in the dusty, hot nowhere. Whether it’s a real cactus or just a few drops in your water bottle, it’s still all about the burning. But back to Pablo…

Pablo’s Summer Send Off has become a regular feature on the Cape Town party calendar over the past couple years, with its mid-April date firmly entrenched in the minds of its loyal devotees. The event is held at what has become affectionately known as ‘Ibis House’ – a palatial private manor in the heart of Constantia – with rolling lawns, vegetable gardens, countless dark corners and an oversized swimming pool. Nothing like being trashed amongst the tomatoes and green grass, with a slushy.

The event was brilliantly put together, with meticulous attention paid to all the finer details that make a party, well, a PARTY. The décor was understated, rather than in your face; the booze was cold and plentiful (with even a frozen margarita machine on hand when sweats were being broken); the sound was loud and crisp with one crazy line up of local DJ’s; and the crowd was limited to just 250, lending a feel of both intimacy and exclusivity. The dreaded munchies were also catered for, with a pop up Butler’s Pizza booth dispensing life saving party fuel.

With a midday kick off, the party was a marathon and not a sprint. Early afternoon beats were provided by (the mercurial) Fletcher and Haasbroek, before 7ft Soundsystem graced the decks with their stellar early evening dub set. If you haven’t seen these two live before, make sure you get to their next gig. A fresh change to what most clubs seem to offer these days, their style is a feel-good flavour of reggae, dub, dancehall and (on occasion) even dubstep all featuring in the mix – ideal sunset beats! The real dance floor destroyer of the night however proved to be Kennedy, with his high-energy electro monsters that turned the crowd into a frenzied mess of bodies. Frozen margaritas flew everywhere as banger after banger blared through the speakers, leaving an aftermass of pink fabric and sticky skin. It was the stuff of summer dreams!

If Pablo’s was anything to go by, then make your way to the giant cactus in the desert. These Succulent folks sure know how to throw a party…

Words By: Cameron Duncan