Following the death of rapper Riky Rick, it was uncertain whether the much-hyped Cotton Fest would still take place.
But on Thursday the Cotton Fest team confirmed through a statement, as well as their official Twitter account, that the festival will indeed happen.
The brainchild of the iconic rapper, the festival, which Riky Rick founded a few years ago, brings together well-known and young emerging SA artists. In February, Ricky was extremely excited that the event would take place in 2022 after it was canned in 2021 due to Covid-19.
The Cotton Fest team said the event would be back by popular demand from the public and the entertainment industry. However, it has been moved from March to April 23-24 in Newtown in Johannesburg.
“Following the endless endearing tributes and messages from across the globe over the past two weeks, the decision, together with Riky Rick’s family, was made to move forward with the highly anticipated lifestyle festival,” reads the statement from Cotton Fest team.
Their Twitter statement said because Riky Rick was passionate about the development of young creatives, as well as inspiring positivity within the entertainment industry, they will keep his vision alive by bringing cotton eaters together to celebrate the fusion of music and fashion.
His wife Bianca Naidoo said on Wednesday they will continue to keep his spirit and legacy alive.
Shared Naidoo: “What better way to do this than to continue the work Riky has already started. Cotton Fest needs to go ahead as planned by him. His love and belief in showcasing young and upcoming talent is unquestionable, which is how Cotton Fest came about a few years back.
“And in his own words – we never die, we multiply! Let’s build on this energy and continue to spread the love and light at a time when we need it the most.” said Naidoo.
The Cotton Fest team apologised for any inconvenience caused to current ticket holders who might not be able to attend on the new days. The weekend line-up will be announced later in March.
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