It's Rock n Rugby with Dobbo and friends July 3/4

Posted on Sun April 26, 2026.

This will be the fourth of the annual hotel take overs where the inspirational Stormers coach and Renaissance man John Dobson takes the conductors baton of the Karoo Art Hotel for a rugby and entertainment weekend of note combined with a powerful development agenda for Barrydale rugby

A rocking new theme .Awesome music, fantastic rugby

Program details 

    FRIDAY 3 JULY 

5pm. Official opening in the Karoo Art bar

With Steven Kitsoff's Bomb Squad beer flowing but a real Spingbok rugby Bomb Squad in attendance behind the bar

  • Deon Fourie 
  • Scarra Ntubeni
  • Frans Malherbe 

Imagine you beer  being served by these legends.

7.30pm. Arno Carstens. 

In the Belanti Ballroom 

SAT 4 JULY

AM. BARRYDALE AT LEISURE

  • kIck off with the early morning swim club in the pass
  • The Barrydale cycle loop
  • The Barrydale market
  • The retail attractions of the village

PM. LUNCH AT JOUBERT TRADAUW

  • In the vicinity Metanoia home of SA's new single malt whiskey
  • Just up the road Karoo Saloon 

4:30 THE PREGAME RUGBY PANEL

  • Join Dobbo and a panel of recent Springboks for an unpacking of the battle ahead

5:40 SA VS ENGLAND TEST

  • With halftime comment by the panel

7:30 Peter G

  • The same  magician / commedian who brought the house down last year 

8:00 SUNSET SWEATSHOP

  • Cape Town's premier party band takes us into the night 

 

 

 

 

2025 images in the gallery bellow give a clue to what these weekends are all about.

Book a room in the room of the hotel now as it fills up fast. 

There is also quality B&B accommodation within easy walking distance of the hotel. 

Accommodation

John Dobson

Further Reading

Helen Van Stolk took our ideal of the hotel as a creative salon and made it a reality Tue August 4, 2026

At the flick of a switch Cape Town artist Helen Van Stolk filled the entire hotel with a group of top artists and sculptors with no agenda beyond just a shared time of inspiration and talent, fulfilling a long held dream that we'd become a home from home for people of this ilk.

Read This Article
A reason to book into Barrydale, The Karoo art hotel's early morning swim club in the Tradauw Pass
The Karoo Art's Barrydale To Do list is leading to longer stays Tue August 4, 2026

When you read our Trip Advisor reviews there's still many a client wishing they'd made more of a stay of it. But it's less and less as case or a one night stand these days thanks to a bulging village To Do list

Read This Article
The town of the year is worth more than just a one night stop Mon August 3, 2026

Two journalists had checked in the night before. It was a our Christmas party. We were closed for the day. But at breakfast they were so full of questions that Wayne never boarded the party bus to Warm Waterberg and committed the morning to showing them the dorp. Only later did we find out why they were in town. The things he showed them are why the town is changing from a...

Read This Article