Seafood fans in Windhoek had something to smile about this past weekend as the popular Windhoek Seafood Festival made its return.
The event served up food, live music, and a feel-good vibe. However, this year’s turnout was smaller than expected.
Held on 9 and 10 May at Olympia Swimming Pool and organised by Connect People to People in partnership with Seawork Fish Processors and Bank Windhoek, the fourth edition of the festival once again raised funds for the Seawork Cares Trust, which supports local community projects.
Since its launch in 2022, when it attracted over 1 500 visitors and raised N$43 000 for charity, the festival has grown in scope but also faced some new hurdles. Despite a solid entertainment line-up that included favourites like the Vaughn Ahrens Band, DJ Mickey, Janelle en die Wandelaars, Groove Alliance and Cadence Collective, organisers and vendors noted fewer people in attendance.
Dave Hammond from Connect People to People says the turnout may have been affected by other events taking place in the city, such as graduations, and possibly by the entrance fees. Ticket prices ranged from N$50 to N$100 for kids, N$200 to N$400 for adults and up to N$900 for VIP access.
“Every year brings its own challenges,” Hammond says. “We just try to take those and do our best. The music has been phenomenal and we’ve had a wide variety of food with around 10 chefs, including two international ones.”
Saturday saw a slightly larger crowd than Friday. Children and pensioners took advantage of discounted rates while guests explored expanded food stalls and cooking demos.
One vendor, who preferred to remain anonymous, says she was disappointed. “We thought Saturday would be better than Friday, but it was about the same. The turnout was quieter than we expected.”
Despite this, the spirit of the event remained strong.
“We’re very grateful to our sponsors and the people who came out,” Hammond says. “We’ll use this year’s experience to make the next one even better.”
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