Plant more than your feet in the forest at Reforest Fest

Tree planting, wellness fest, and a kids Easter weekend rolled into one

Last updated: Friday, 13 February 2026 

Reforest Fest, happening over Easter weekend from 3 to 6 April 2026, isn’t just about planting trees (although you’ll do plenty of that, because this year's goal is to plant at least 5 000). 

It’s also where kids spend hours in the soil and forget about their iPads, while parents try laughter yoga, Veld and Sea’s Botanical Bar, and gardening workshops. Set between milkwood trees and fynbos trails, it’s a one-of-kind weekend where you do some good, and it does you good right back.

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Reforest Fest began in 2011. Image: Reforest Fest 

MAJOR CONSERVATION ORGANISATION 

Greenpop, the organisation behind Reforest Fest, has restored over one million square metres of forest in Southern Africa since it started in 2010. Just one year after its inception, Greenpop hosted a small tree planting weekend, which has since grown into one of Africa’s largest restoration festivals.

Reforest Fest contributes to Greenpop's Uilenkraal Forest Restoration Project (through which they have already planted 162 645 trees), helping to rejuvenate degraded forest while making conservation a source of joy. 

It’s a weekend filled with music, wellness and meals hosted at Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat in Overberg, a protected valley just two and a half hours from Cape Town. The nature retreat has ancient milkwood forests and fynbos, with fruit trees, courtyards and veggie gardens where you can join workshops. 

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You don’t have to be a hardcore greenie to join. Image: Reforest Fest 

PLANTING INDIGENOUS TREES 

Saturday morning is when everyone heads to the planting sites, a 15-minute walk from the retreat. Each group is led by a facilitator and guided through tasks like digging holes and moving mulch. 

There’s a separate, easier site for kids and adults take on the main planting area. Kids dig holes, build walls, and collect water, while parents stomp mulch and settle their clusters of saplings into their new homes.

This year, the goal is to plant between 5 000 and 10 000 indigenous trees, like wild olive, wild peach, milkwood and stinkwood. All saplings are grown locally from seeds collected in the surrounding forests. 

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The goal is to plant between 5 000 and 10 000 trees. Image: Reforest Fest 

IT’S A WELLNESS FESTIVAL TOO

The planting is finished by Saturday afternoon, and after that, there are loads of wellness experiences to explore over the weekend. Expect laughter yoga (a yoga practice that combines laughter with deep breathing exercises), breathwork, and classes like incense making and food gardening. 

The Veld and Sea Botanical Bar is a highlight of the programme. Veld and Sea offer premium foraging excursions, and during this tasting experience, founder Roshana Gray will turn wild-harvested indigenous herbs, vegetables and botanicals into gins and mocktails. 

There are also sustainability workshops led by South African experts. Alex Kruger, one of the leading voices in the field, will host an agroforestry workshop where she explains how to grow food sustainably by working with nature. 

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There are traditional Easter elements over the weekend too, like a harvest feast and a sunrise Easter service. Image: Reforest Fest 

EASTER EGG HUNT + CRAFTS 

Kids have their own corner, which will be run by organisations that specialise in outdoor learning. Nature Play Forest School and Earth Child Project will lead activities in and around the forest, from collecting stones and sketching, to fort-building and clay workshops. 

Since Reforest Fest is happening over Easter weekend, kids can also look forward to an egg hunt. They’ll hunt for little stones instead of chocolate and learn about fairness and how their choices matter (like discovering the chocolate they receive at the end supports fair-trade farmers). 

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The kids’ activities are run by organisations that specialise in outdoor learning. Image: Reforest Fest 

LIVE MUSIC & A SILENT DISCO    

Of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without music. On Friday and Saturday night, live music will take over the main stage. 

Headliners include local favourites Crimson House, known for their high-energy blend of blues, rock and jazz; Nomadic Orchestra with their brass-dance sound; and Sibusile Xaba, a guitarist, vocalist and composer known for his spiritual music. 

The lineup also features international stars like Japan’s eclectic FUNKIST, and Siso Nkambule from Swaziland. And on Sunday, the festival winds down with a guided silent disco set among the trees.

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Live music takes over the main stage on Friday and Saturday night. Image: Reforest Fest

FOOD TRUCKS & SUNDAY HARVEST    

For food, expect wraps and poke bowls from Nourish’d, sweet and savoury waffles from Colossal Catering (think egg and tomato or blueberry and raspberry), and wild-sprouted bean and legume burgers from Sunshine Food, served on fermented buns. 

On Sunday, you can look forward to a harvest feast, with acoustic performances and dishes made with organic produce sourced from local farmers. The dishes are designed to pair with wines; think char-grilled asparagus with pine nuts, and a wooded reserve Chardonnay. 

There’s also a curated wine tasting featuring Creation, Bosman and Hasher from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hazendal from Stellenbosch, and Lubanzi from the Swartland.

The harvest feast and curated wine tasting are separate ticketed experiences. You can book yours here. 

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There’s also a harvest feast and curated wine tasting. Image: Reforest Fest 

GLAMPING & SHUTTLES  

Your festival ticket includes a plot where you can bring your own tent and set up camp. If you’d like to upgrade your camping ticket, there are various glamping options available, from luxury bell tents to fully furnished dome tents. Browse all the accommodation options for Reforest Fest here.

A shuttle service is also available at R700 for a return trip to and from the festival. It departs on Friday, 3 April at 9am from Green Point McDonald’s and returns on Monday, 6 April at 12pm, dropping guests back in Green Point.

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The event is hosted at the beautiful Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat. Image: Reforest Fest 

REFOREST FEST 2026 TICKETS    

Phase one and two tickets are already sold out, and Phase three tickets are R1 250 for adults, R425 for kids (ages 4 to 12 years), and R695 for teens (ages 13 to 17 years). 

Phase Four tickets will be R1 400 for adults. You can buy your Reforest Fest 2026 tickets here. 

GO TO REFOREST FEST 

Whether you come for the tree planting, the workshops or the wine, you’ll leave with muddy shoes and the satisfaction of having contributed to something real. Reforest Fest turns conservation into an experience that’s just as fun as it is good. 

Reforest Fest is happening: Friday, 3 April to Monday, 6 April 2026
Find it: Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat, R43 Grootbos Road, Stanford
Learn more: reforestfest.com

Book: Via Fixr
Contact on: info@greenpop.org, 076 803 5729

By Saarah Gierdien 

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