Couldn’t make it to Discworld Day 2024, the fifth ever celebration of all things stemming from the unmatched imagination of author Sir Terry Pratchett? Here’s what you missed from the Johannesburg gathering – considered the ONLY festival dedicated to Sir Terry in Africa.
For the record, Discworld Day is a biyearly event that swaps calendar slots with A Viking Thing, occupying a single Saturday in the first week of November, and taking place at Rusty Hook in Honeydew, Roodepoort. It’s organised by Alter Egos, the same event team behind Joburg’s extremely popular annual Medieval Fayre, and always sold-out Rocky Horror audience participation experience A Jump to the Left.
Discworld Day follows a familiar formula for anyone who has attended an Alter Egos signature event. Activities for attendees of all ages (and species if you include the welcome dogs on leashes) include a quiz, costume contest, sing alongs, tabletop gaming, raffles, a quest sheet for the day, animal interactions, axe throwing, a whole market of local crafters and traders, and more. Pretty much everything, of course, is given Discworld flavour, so, for example, the adults-only drinking game is known as the Assassins’ Guild Pick Your Poison Challenge.
Apart for rampaging Nac Mac Feegles, and Nanny Ogg being expectedly rowdy, one of the most enjoyable things about Discworld Day is its positive, relaxed energy. Friendliness and fan passion permeate the event, which ensure you leave with a smile on your face.
The next big themed Alter Egos event is Fantasy Fayre 2025: The Bestiary, taking place at Rusty Hook on 1 March next year. You can keep track of other smaller scale attractions, like single-night shows, quizzes and the regular alt. lifestyle markets here, or on Instagram here.
You can also check out our coverage of the 2022 Discworld Day, along with last year’s A Viking Thing, and Medieval Fayre 2024.
