Every exhibitor gets access to the UFS grounds. Every exhibitor will receive 2 week passes. If more weekly or daily passes are needed, they can be purchased at the festival office for R50.
Most venues for productions are within walking distance of the Arts Market.
The University of the Free State’s facility management conducts strict inspections, and will give out warnings to stall owners who do not comply with the rules.
The Callie Human Hall and Exam rooms are available for inside exhibitors.
No vehicles are allowed in the Market Area during Market trading hours. Deliveries are only permitted in the mornings until 08:30, after which each car must leave the site.
For the safety of the public, vehicles will only be permitted on the festival grounds between 06:00 and 08:30. No vehicles will be allowed on the grounds in the evenings.
Only vehicles belonging to staff members with valid special permits, employed at the George du Toit Building, will be granted access during working hours. This access is restricted to the route from the entrance alongside the Callie Human Building up to the parking entrance of the George du Toit Building.
PLEASE NOTE:
Food stalls:
- prepared food (takeaways),
- pre-prepared food (sweets, cookies, dried fruit, etc.)
- unsealed products (biltong, ice cream, etc.).
- Drinks (alchoholic and non-alchoholic)
APPLICATIONS:
- Read carefully through all the information.
- Hand in your application on time. Applications close 27 February 2026.
PLEASE NOTE: Stall placement is strict. A stall is only guaranteed once the full stall tariff is paid! The applicant should submit only one application per stall. The applicant must submit a second application if they desire a second stall.
- An administration fee of R350 (VAT included) per application is payable. It is not refundable. Your application will only be submitted for approval with proof of payment of the administration fee.
- Only online applications will be accepted. Call the Arts Market Organiser during office hours at 084 806 9989 if you need assistance.
PRODUCTS:
Indicate ALL products you are going to sell. You are not allowed to change the main product listed on your application form and can only sell the products listed on your application. If you want to add a product after submitting your application, you must contact the Art Market Organiser to apply for approval in writing. The Vrystaat Arts Festival strives to offer only handmade products. However, there is a need for a small number of factory-manufactured products from other parts of the world. The Arts Festival has a list of exhibitors selling these products, with a good record.
The Vrystaat Arts Festival will not allow any products or packaging material with racist, sexist, or xenophobic messages. The Festival will confiscate such products/wording. The Festival requires all stalls and the products sold to meet a high standard of quality. Take note: NO COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS ARE ALLOWED! Electronic massaging machines will NOT BE ALLOWED.
SELECTION:
The Festival will strictly review application and accept or deny applicants accordingly. A committee will consider each application according to the guidelines (see below). The committee’s decision is final and will not engage in correspondence or discussions. Please note that this is an Arts Market and not a Flea Market.
GUIDELINES FOR SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS:
- Fully completed application form.
- Paid R350 admin fee and sent proof of payment to the Arts Market Organiser.
- Unique South African handmade products.
- Good quality products.
- Sustainable and environmentally friendly products.
- Stalls, where production takes place, will enjoy preference.
- Only registered institutions can apply for charity fundraising.
- A good record of punctual payment of fees.
- Evacuation and cleanness of the site at the end of the Festival.
SELECTION RESULTS:
We cannot guarantee that vendors will be assigned the exact stall location as in the previous year of 2025. Email the Art Market Organiser for any queries: frida@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za
TRADING HOURS:
Monday, July 6th Building of the stalls
Tuesday, July 7th 10:00 - 20:00
Wednesday July 8th - Saturday July 11th 09:00 - 20:00
The halls will close at 20:00. Outside stalls can trade until later, but it is not an obligation. Festival management, in conjunction with Protection Services of the University, does everything possible to ensure the safety of stalls and their merchandise but will not be held liable for any damage.
Sunday, July 12th - Removing of stalls, clean up done by 10h00
RENT OF STALLS:
The stall rental is fixed for the duration of the Festival and includes VAT. To secure your stall space, 50% of the rent must be paid immediately. The remaining 50% must be paid no later than 6 May 2026. Use the invoice number as reference when making payments. The stall number is also displayed on the invoice along with the layout of the arts market 2026. The map of the market area is available on the website:
www.vrystaatkunstefees.co.za
ELECTRICITY:
Each stand is entitled to only one electrical outlet. This electrical outlet is only for a light and a card machine. You are responsible for indicating what other electrical equipment (e.g. kettle, stove, deep-freeze or refrigerator) you will use. If you need more electricity, you must also specify how much electricity will be required. An additional fee will be charged for using multiple electrical apparatuses.
No electric heaters will be allowed, that is not in accordance with the rules.
Only the use of quartz heaters (maximum 800 watt) are allowed. A recommended product would be Goldair GHQ-100G (available at Kloppers, Makro and Builders Warehouse). The use of fan, ceramic or oil heaters is strictly forbidden due to high energy consumption and/or safety risks.
The Festival will take action against those who use more devices than the ones they have applied for and have been approved by the Vrystaat Arts Festival. Those who violate the rules will be subject to fines, and any additional devices found in use will be confiscated. You must provide your own extension cord and electrical accessories. All appliances must be in good working order and not pose a danger to festival goers.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are found responsible for requiring the services of an electrician, you will be held financially accountable for the costs incurred.
ACCOMMODATIONS DURING THE FESTIVAL:
No one is allowed to sleep over on the festival grounds or in their vehicles. There is a small camping area available for tents only. No caravans or campers. Ilze Nikolova handles residence accommodation.
E-mail Ilze for more information for residence accommodation:
nikolovai@ufs.ac.za.
BEST STALLS:
The Vrystaat Arts Festival presents an annual Best Stall competition. Every year four new judges and representatives of our sponsors take care of judging the stalls. Each judge looks at the products and layout differently.
There are 5 categories:
- Best sustainable & environmentally friendly product/stall
- Best food stall (inside or outside)
- Best outside stall
- Best inside stall
- Best original art or painting (no galleries)
We will judge the stalls based on their neatness, originality, artfulness, and user-friendliness. The prize is a free standard stall (3m x 3m) at the Vrystaat Arts Festival in 2027. As mentioned earlier, the Festival will also award an encouragement certificate in each category.
2026 has one new category for the festivalgoers who can vote for their favourite stall.
GENERAL RULES, CODE OF CONDUCT AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Vrystaat Arts Festival reserves the right to prevent any stall-owner from setting up a stall, or to remove a stall or instruct the vendor to remove their stall if the vendor violates or fails to comply with any rules or regulations, including but not limited to:
- Still owes a payment to the Vrystaat Arts Festival.
- Makes themselves guilty of misbehaviour.
- Water drainage pipes may not be used to dispose of oils, fats or food. If you need to use oils, fats or dishwashing water at your stall, indicate it on the application form.
- The Festival request that vendors use recyclable and environmentally responsible packaging and materials.
- The stall’s infrastructure does not conform to the standards set by the Vrystaat Arts Festival.
- No tent pens or gazebos are allowed on asphalt or grass. Vendors may use cement or water anchors only. Contact the office at 084 806 9989 if you need clarification! (during office hours!)
- Neglect to supply a fire extinguisher in good working order.
- Sleepover at the stall.
- Suppose the exhibition space is dirty and untidy. The exhibitors are responsible for placing garbage in black garbage bags and bringing them to the garbage containers or the strategically placed Skippies. Cooperation is sincerely appreciated.
- Stalls selling alcohol and soft drinks will also be held responsible for removing their own packaging, bottles and cans at their own expense every day or bringing it to the strategically placed Skippies.
- Hawk wares around the Festival without permission.
- Sublet the stall without the written permission of management.
- Not keeping to trading hours.
- Violating the rules and schedules for setting up and dismantling of the stall.
- All stalls and tents must be evacuated and dismantled by Sunday, July 12th, at 10:00. Big tents will have other arrangements due to their size and complexity.
- The vendor commits any legal offence.
- Exhibitors may not obtain sponsorships or provide exposure for any entity at the Festival. Sponsorship agreements may only be established between the Vrystaat Arts Festival and the sponsors. Marketing and promotion material that the Vrystaat Arts Festival has not approved will be removed.
- Move to a different exhibition area without permission from the arts market manager.
- The stall’s location must be left as the vendor found it.
- ALL garbage must be removed and taken with you or placed in the skippies around the festival grounds. FINES will be issued to those who do not comply to these rules.
- Stalls are not allowed to expand their stall and must comply with their designated areas.
PENSIONERS:
Stall owners older than 60 receive a 10% discount on their rent upon providing their identity documents. Only if the pensioner will be present at the stall during the Festival.
CANCELLATION FEES:
If your tariff has been paid and you have to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances 30 days (5 June 2026) before the Festival starts, the Festival reserves the right to withhold a 50% amount of money. If there are any cancellations 21 Days (16 June 2026) before the festival starts, the complete amount will be withheld as cancellation fee.
Cancellation applications must be done in writing and sent to the Vrystaat Arts Festival to Frida@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za. If cancellation is not communicated to the festival, the exhibitor will be held accountable for the entire fee of the stall.
PAYMENT OF STALL INVOICES:
50% of the invoice is payable as soon as possible to ensure the stall space. The final payment must be paid in full on/or before 6 May 2026. Please use your invoice number as your reference with your payment. E-mail the proof of payment to atie@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za
Strict actions will be taken against trespassers. Trespassers will also be placed on the Black-list of the Festival.
PAYMENTS:
EFT: please pay R350 into the account provided below and send the proof of payment to the Art Market Organizer: atie@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za.
The administration fee of R350 is non-refundable and no checks will be accepted.
BANK DETAILS:
Account name: Vrystaat Arts Festival
Bank: ABSA – Brandwag
Current account
Account no.: 406 667 6437
Reference: Name of Business
VERY IMPORTANT:
EFT and cash payments: Please remember to erase the previous reference numbers and use the new invoice number as reference with your payment.