Cape Town Events

Cape Minstrel Carnival
On the 1st of January a parade of traditional colorfully dressed minstrels march through the streets of Cape Town playing traditional songs. The event originally known as the Kaapse Klopse, originated in the 1800s when Malay slaves celebrated the only day in the year that they had off work. The parade starts in District 6 and winds its way through the city.

Argus Cycle Tour
The Argus cycle tour takes place on a Sunday in March. It is the world’s largest cycle tour, attracting entrants from all over the world. The 105.5 km route starts in the city centre and has for the last few years finished at The University of Cape Town. The route winds around the mountains of Cape Town, including Ou Kaapse Weg and Chapman’s Peak drive. It is a spectacular and challenging route. It is either ridden as a hotly contested race or as a slower ride where the achievement of completing the course is satisfaction enough. Thousands of spectators line the route spurring the competitors around the strenuous course.

Two Oceans Marathon
The Two Oceans Marathon and Half Marathon take place on the Saturday of the Easter Weekend. The half marathon offers competitors a challenging course while the ultra-marathon is a real test of endurance. The marathon is 56 km long, 14 km longer than a traditional marathon. The marathon course allows runners to run along both the Indian and Atlantic oceans, therefore the name Two Oceans Marathon. Spectators line the course partying and cheering on the runners.

J&B Met
The J&B Metropolitan handicap is a horse race run in Cape Town in late January/early February. Although the Metropolitan is one race, the whole day is known as the J&B Met. It is an event filled with fashion, parties, glitz and glamour and the celebrating goes on long into the night long after the last race has been run.

Big Wave Dungeons surfing competition
Cape Town hosted the first Big Wave Surf contest in Africa in 1999. It is now an annual event attracting international and local surfers. It is held at a surf spot named Dungeons which is just off the Sentinel in Hout Bay. Dungeons catches massive sea swell around May and June when the contest is held. Although not easily viewed from the shore, there is a view point situated on the Sentinel which can be accessed from the Hout Bay Harbor. Vehicles will take you up the mountain and you then have a short walk to the viewpoint. Alternatively you can watch the surfing action from boats that launch from Hout Bay Harbor. The surf dictates the actual day of the competition, with surfers waiting until the waves are deemed large enough

Cape Town International Jazz festival
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival takes place annually in March. A host of international and local jazz musicians perform over 2 days on 5 stages. The event is compared with Switzerland's Montreaux Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. It usually takes place in the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)

Fashion Week
The Cape Town Fashion Week is South Africa’s premier fashion event, showcasing collections of some of South Africa's & Africa’s top designers. The Cape Town Fashion Week attracts international and local celebrities. The fashion week takes place in August.

Kirstenbosch summer concerts
Kirstenbosch hosts a series of summer sunset concerts each year from November to April. The popular concerts take place on Sunday evenings at the open air amphitheatre in the gardens. It is a unique natural setting with Table Mountain providing a spectacular backdrop to the concert stage. Concertgoers bring picnics and sit on the grass banks that slope down towards the concert stage. The concerts vary from light classics, jazz, big band swing to rock.