Vryfees is an organisation without profit.  The first Volksblad Arts Festival  (now Vryfees) was held in July 2001 as part of the Arts Festival initiative of   Media 24.  Volksblad  and the University of the Free State are partners in  the festival.  The University of the Free State provides the theatres and physical infrastructure during the festivities, whilst Volksblad takes charge of the marketing and publicity as title sponsor.  This year, the festival celebrates its tenth birthday.

In 2001 6 000 tickets were sold.  Amazing growth has taken place since and in 2010, 40 000 tickets were sold.  About 250 000 people visit the festival annually.  Vryfees is, apart from the ABSA KKNK and Aardklop, the largest Afrikaans Arts Festival in South Africa with regard to ticket sales.  This festival is also the only one fo the three that boasts of well-equipped theatres for its productions – due to the excellent theatre infrastructure offered by Bloemfontein and the university campus.

After celebrating the tenth Volksblad Arts Festival in 2010 as one of South Africa's most successful festivals , it was decided to embark on the next exciting venture and to launch a new independant identity for the festival.

The two founding partners of the Voklsblad Arts Festival, Volksblad and Kovsies, now celebrate Vryfees.