Events: What’s on in Cape Town

When: May 3, 2024

Why Go: The Durbanville Sauvignon Soirée comes to Nitida Wine Estate and promises an exclusive tasting journey through Durbanville’s cool climate valley. Discover the ageability of this variety with a special showcase of international selections and Sauvignon Blanc SA’s official Top 10 Sauvignon Blancs from 2020. The Durbanville Sauvignon Soirée will also offer the opportunity to be the first to taste the highly anticipated 2024 Durbanville Sauvignon Blanc. Tickets, at R250 per person, and more info are available via Quicket.

When: May 3-4, 2024

Why Go: The much-loved Cape Town International Jazz Festival returns to the Cape Town International Convention Centre , after a four-year hiatus. Expect four new-look stages and a line-up of musicians from across the world, tapping into both traditional African jazz and more contemporary creative styles. While the final line-up is still being fine-tuned, expect a truly global roster that will inclue the likes of Matt Bianco, Kokoroko and The Yussef Dayes Experience from the United Kingdom, alongsie local jazz and soul artists such as Mandisi Dyantyis, Radio Sechaba, Zoë Modiga and Carlo Mombelli & The Prisoners of Strange. General admission tickets cost R950 per night, and allow access to the Sapphire and Topaz stages. To manage capacity at the Emerald (Rosies), and Ruby (Moses Molelekwa) stages, additional surcharge tickets are required at R30 per person per show. 

General admission tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

When: Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Why Go: In what will be the fourth series of Chefs on Tour – read all about the concept over here – May 2024 will see Chef Paul Toussaint – from Time Out Market Montreal – fly in to the Mother City for an exciting collaboration with Chef John van Zyl of The Melting Pot. The pair will host a unique fine dining experience for one night only, with an intimate number of seats available for booking! 

Expect a memorable evening of fine food and inspired drinks pairings, all dished up in the buzz and bustle of Time Out Market Cape Town. Ticket prices and booking details via Howler will be revealed soon, so watch this space!

When: Various dates, 2024

Why Go: These world-renowned equestrian performers are based at Mistico Equestrian Centre near Paarl, one of just two locations in the world displaying equestrian history, toe-tapping tunes and stallions to steal your heart.

The South African Lipizzaners host regular performances showcasing the impressive skills of the balletic white stallions. Watch them perform jaw-dropping movements used in ancient battles, and dance to tunes you can't help but sing along with. After the show guests can meet the stallions for an interactive, educational and musical experience.

When: May 17-19, 2024

Why Go: A cultural highlight of the Cape Winelands, held annually on the third weekend in May, the Franschhoek Literary Festival (FLF) brings together authors, publishers and bibliophiles from across the world in a gathering filled with talks, readings and debates about all-things-literary.

It’s a platform for discourse and discussion, with sessions dedicated to topical talking points and light-hearted banter. And the Franschhoek Literary Festival is dusted with a little extra celebrity sparkle in 2024, with the news that actor, comedian, and children's book author David Walliams will take to the stage at this year’s festival.

When: June 7-17, 2024

Why Go: The annual Hermanus FynArts Festival plays host to some of South Africa’s leading artists, musicians, authors, journalists, chefs and winemakers, presenting an engaging programme of performances, workshops, exhibitions and theatre productions across 10 days of arts and culture. Look out for the new Sculpture on the Cliffs exhibition and the FynArts ceramic and small sculpture exhibitions. This year will feature the first FynArts exhibition of bonsai trees, while internationally acclaimed South African artist William Kentridge will receive the 2024 FynArts Legacy Award and present a talk.  

When: June 10 - July 7, 2024

Why Go: Now in its 25^th year, the Jive Cape Town Funny Festival is the Mother City’s most-popular comedy festival, attracting a line-up of international and local comics to the stage of the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch. This year look forward to classical comedic pianist Kev Orkian and American star funnyman Mario Queen of the Circus, while local stars including Emo and Loukmaan Adams, Dalin Oliver, Kagiso KG Mokgadi and Yaaseen Barnes will be kept in check by MC Alan Committie. 

When: June 18-19, 2024

Why Go: A collision of musical cultures creates a memorable evening of African music. Hailing from Mali, Ballaké Sissoko is known as the greatest touring virtuoso on the kora, a stringed instrument of West Africa. A seminal improviser with an ability to unlock every nuance of the kora, he’ll appear alongside Derek Gripper, a classical guitarist from South Africa. Gripper’s love of the kora has seen him transcribe and record some of the greatest works of the instrument, changing the face of classical guitar and giving the instrument its very first African repertoire. In the complex web of theme and variations spun by Sissoko’s twenty-two strings and Gripper’s six, a new African string theory is elaborated.

When: February 17 – August 11, 2024

Why Go: The life and work of world-famous Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu is celebrated in a landmark exhibition at the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town’s Company Gardens. ‘Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting’: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective, is curated by Nontobeko Ntombela, and highlights Dr Esther Mahlangu’s meteoric rise as a contemporary artist, earning her global acclaim.

Through the language of colour and form, the exhibition charts Mahlangu’s contribution to contemporary art in a career stretching across close to seven decades. More than 100 artworks have been loaned from international collections, carefully curated alongside historic photographs and a short film. Also included in the exhibition is Mahlangu’s BMW 525i Art Car which makes its historic return to South Africa for the first time in more than 30 years.

When: Saturday, October 26, 2024

Why Go: The 2024 Tokara Rare Plant Fair and Open Garden is a unique opportunity to enjoy the private farm gardens of this acclaimed wine estate on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Along with vendors selling rare plants to delight garden-lovers, visitors have the rare opportunity to enjoy the rolling farm gardens on walks dotted with magnificent sculptures by local artists.

Explore the dedicated oasis of indigenous plants, discover the climbing terraces of the picking garden, the rising path at the wetlands, and the mountain stream dipping down into a soothing lily pond. A highlight is the Adamastor Moss Garden, settled into the hills near the Boat House. Pre-order picnics are available, or book a table one of Tokara’s two restaurants. Entry, R50 per adult, supports local charities.