Out & About SA · Western Cape

Western Cape Events & Festivals

What's on across the Western Cape — the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival and Jazz Festival, the winelands harvest and MCC festivals, Hermanus Whale Festival, the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees in Oudtshoorn, the Knysna Oyster Festival and the West Coast flower season. Dated events show soonest-first and drop off once they've passed; seasonal and annual events are listed below them. Filter by region and type.

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📅 Where these come from

Event listings move around and dates shift year to year — these are the best live sources to check for the latest:

Quicket – Western Cape ↗Cape Town Travel – Events ↗KKNK, Oudtshoorn ↗Hermanus Whale Festival ↗Computicket ↗Webtickets ↗SA-Venues – Western Cape events ↗

Full list

AfrikaBurn — Tankwa Karoo. South Africa's Burning Man-inspired festival of art, performance and self-reliance in the remote Tankwa Karoo
Aurora Sandveld Skou — Aurora. Annual agricultural show with entertainment, food stalls and family activities
Baardskeerdersbos Art Route — Baardskeerdersbos. Open-studio weekends held around Easter, spring and year-end by the resident artists
Barrydale ARTs Festival — Barrydale. Annual festival celebrating local art, music and Karoo culture
Barrydale Giant Puppet Parade — Barrydale. Annual community giant-puppet parade and performance staged by Net vir Pret
Berg River Canoe Marathon — Paarl. Four-day canoe marathon that starts in Paarl and follows the Berg River to Velddrif
Berg River Canoe Marathon (Finish) — Velddrif. Four-day K1 canoe marathon from Paarl finishes on the Berg River at Velddrif each July
Blombos Craft Fest — Stilbaai. Annual craft and food festival held in Stilbaai
Bot River Barrels & Beards Festival — Botrivier. Harvest-time celebration of the Bot River wineries with food, wine and music
Bot River Spring Festival of Wine — Botrivier. Springtime open-cellars weekend across the Bot River Wine Route
Breedekloof Soetes & Soup — Rawsonville. Winter weekend when Breedekloof cellars pair their dessert wines with soup
Caledon Wildflower Festival — Caledon. Spring festival of local fynbos and protea displays, running since the 1890s
Calitzdorp Port & Wine Festival — Calitzdorp. Town's flagship festival celebrating its port-style wines and Klein Karoo food
Cape Town Carnival — Cape Town. Free night-time street parade of floats, dancers and music along the Green Point Fan Walk
Cape Town Cycle Tour — Cape Town. The world's largest timed cycle race, a roughly 109 km route around the Cape Peninsula, held each March
Cape Town International Jazz Festival — Cape Town. Africa's grandest gathering of local and international jazz artists, staged over two nights at the Cape Town ICC
Cape Town Minstrel Carnival (Kaapse Klopse / Tweede Nuwe Jaar) — Cape Town. Thousands of costumed minstrels parade through the city centre on 'Tweede Nuwe Jaar', a century-old Cape carnival…
Cape Town Minstrel Carnival (Kaapse Klopse) — Cape Town. Colourful Cape Malay minstrel troupes parade through the city on Tweede Nuwe Jaar (2 January)
Cape Town Pride — De Waterkant. Annual LGBTQ pride festival centred on De Waterkant and Green Point
Capitec Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival — Franschhoek. Celebration of Methode Cap Classique and Champagne sparkling wines, usually held the first weekend of December
Citrus and Wine Affair — Citrusdal. Local celebration of Citrusdal wines and citrus produce
Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show — Clanwilliam. Renowned annual spring wildflower show held at Ramskop
Clifton Open Water Swim — Clifton. Timed open-water swim from Fourth to First Beach held the first Sunday of the month
Concerts at Cape Town Stadium — Green Point. Major international and local music concerts staged at the Green Point stadium
Concerts in the Park — Somerset West. Outdoor summer concert series at Helderberg Nature Reserve
Constantia Fresh Fine Wine & Food Festival — Constantia. Premium wine and food festival featuring Constantia estates
Darling Wildflower Show — Darling. Century-old flower show displaying the region's indigenous spring blooms alongside markets and wildflower walks
Design Indaba — Foreshore. Annual creative and design conference staged at the Artscape/CTICC on the Foreshore
Detour Music Festival — Greyton. Live music festival drawing crowds to the village in spring
DHL Stormers (United Rugby Championship home matches) — Cape Town. The Stormers host their United Rugby Championship home fixtures at Cape Town's DHL Stadium through the season
Dias Festival — Mossel Bay. Annual harbour festival marking Bartolomeu Dias's landing, with music, food and heritage events
Elgin Cool Wine & Country Festival — Grabouw. Flagship valley festival celebrating cool-climate wines and country living
Elgin Cool Wine & Country Food Festival — Elgin. Celebration of the valley's cool-climate wines paired with local country food
Elgin Open Gardens — Elgin. Private country gardens across the valley open to the public each spring
First Thursdays — City Bowl. City-centre galleries, shops and restaurants stay open late on the first Thursday of each month
First Thursdays Cape Town — Woodstock. On the first Thursday of each month galleries and venues in Woodstock and the city centre stay open late for an evening…
Franschhoek Bastille Festival — Franschhoek. French-themed winelands celebration of wine, food and Gallic revelry (2026 edition ran 11–12 July)
Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival — Franschhoek. Annual celebration of Cap Classique and Champagne sparkling wines
Franschhoek Literary Festival — Franschhoek. Annual gathering of authors and readers with talks and book events
Franschhoek Uncorked — Franschhoek. Valley-wide festival where wine estates open for tastings, food and music
George Old Car Show — George. Large annual classic and vintage car show, one of the biggest of its kind in South Africa
Greyton Classic MTB — Greyton. Popular mountain-bike race through the surrounding mountains and farmland
Greyton Classics Festival — Greyton. Classical music festival held in and around the village each autumn
Greyton Genadendal Classics for All Festival — Genadendal. Annual classical music festival staged across Greyton and Genadendal
Greyton Rose Fair — Greyton. Annual village celebration of roses, gardens and community stalls
Hands-on Harvest — Robertson. Harvest-season festival where visitors pick and stomp grapes at participating cellars
Heidelberg Landbouskou (Agricultural Show) — Heidelberg. Traditional country agricultural show
Helderberg Book Festival — Somerset West. Annual literary festival held in the Somerset West area
Hermanus Flower Fair — Hermanus. Fynbos flower show at Fernkloof Nature Reserve
Hermanus FynArts Festival — Hermanus. Ten-day visual and performing arts festival showcasing local and national artists in Hermanus
Hermanus Kalfiefees — Hermanus. Afrikaans arts and theatre festival
Hermanus Whale Festival — Hermanus. South Africa's only enviro-arts festival, timed for the peak of southern right whale season along the Hermanus cliffs
Hopefield Fynbos Show — Hopefield. Annual show displaying over 200 species of West Coast fynbos with guided walks and a beer garden
Hopefield MTB Challenge — Hopefield. Mountain-bike race held during the Fynbos Show weekend
International Cricket at Newlands — Cape Town. Newlands Cricket Ground stages Test, ODI and T20 internationals plus domestic and SA20 fixtures each summer
Investec Cape Town Art Fair — Foreshore. Leading African contemporary art fair held annually at the CTICC
Kalfiefees — Sandbaai. Annual Afrikaans arts and theatre festival held in Hermanus
Kalfiefees Hermanus Kunstefees — Hermanus. Afrikaans arts festival of theatre, music, comedy and lifestyle held during the winter school holidays in Hermanus
Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts — Cape Town. Weekly Sunday-evening open-air concerts on the lawns of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden through the summer season
Klein Karoo Klassique — Oudtshoorn. Winter classical music festival staged in Oudtshoorn venues
Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) — Oudtshoorn. One of South Africa's biggest Afrikaans arts festivals, filling Oudtshoorn with theatre, music and visual art each…
Knysna Oyster Festival — Knysna. Ten-day Garden Route festival combining oysters, sport events and family fun (2026 edition ran 3–12 July)
Lamberts Bay Crayfish (Kreef) Festival — Lamberts Bay. Annual West Coast seafood and cultural festival celebrating the local rock lobster
Langebaan Kite Festival — Langebaan. Annual festival filling the skies with display kites over the lagoon shore
Lions Karoo to Coast MTB Challenge — Uniondale. Annual 100 km mountain-bike race starting in Uniondale and finishing in Knysna
Matroosberg Snow Season — Ceres. Ceres and Matroosberg are among the few Western Cape spots to see snow, drawing winter visitors
McGregor Poetry Festival — McGregor. Annual festival of poetry readings, workshops and performances held around the village
Muizenberg Festival — Muizenberg. Community festival celebrating the beachside village with music, art and surf culture
Namaqualand Flower Season — Vanrhynsdorp. Spring wildflower displays carpet the surrounding Knersvlakte and Namaqua West Coast each year
Napier Patatfees — Napier. Village festival celebrating the local sweet potato (patat) harvest, with food, wine and music
Om Die Berg Challenge — Aurora. Annual mountain bike and trail-run event with routes around the Piketberg
Pink Loerie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival — Knysna. Long-established LGBTQ+ pride, mardi gras and arts festival held around late April/early May
Pinot Noir Celebration — Hermanus. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley pinot noir wine event
Plett Ocean Festival — Plettenberg Bay. Winter celebration of the ocean with cruises, talks, sport and conservation events
Plett Rage — Plettenberg Bay. Large end-of-school festival with concerts and beach parties for matriculants
Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival — Plettenberg Bay. Showcase of the Plettenberg Bay wine route's cool-climate wines and MCC
Porterville Paragliding Open — Porterville. International paragliding competitions flown from the Dasklip Pass site
Postberg spring flower season — West Coast National Park. Annual wildflower display when the Postberg section opens to visitors
Prince Albert Olive, Food & Wine Festival — Prince Albert. Annual festival celebrating the town's olives, food and wine
Prince Albert Town & Olive Festival — Prince Albert. Karoo village celebration of local olives, olive oil, food, wine and country crafts
Pringle Bay Festival (PringleYAY!) — Pringle Bay. Community arts, music and food festival held in the village
Rhebokskloof events — Paarl. Estate hosts markets, harvest and food-and-wine events through the year
Riebeek Valley Olive Festival — Riebeek-Kasteel. Annual olive and food festival across the Riebeek Valley, usually held in May
Riversdale Agricultural Show — Riversdale. Annual agricultural show and community festival hosted in Riversdale
Robertson Slow Festival — Robertson. Winter 'slow living' festival celebrating food, wine and country hospitality
Robertson Wine on the River — Robertson. Riverside wine-tasting festival on the banks of the Breede River featuring dozens of Robertson Valley producers
Rocking the Daisies — Darling (Cloof Wine Estate). Major multi-stage outdoor music and camping festival held at Cloof Wine Estate near Darling
Saldanha Bay Hotel Seafood Festival — Saldanha. Popular annual seafood festival celebrating the bay's mussels and oysters
Scarborough Fair — Scarborough. Annual community festival showcasing local artists, musicians and performers
Season of Sauvignon — Durbanville. Annual Durbanville Wine Valley festival celebrating the region's flagship Sauvignon Blanc
Sedgefield Lakes Festival — Sedgefield. Annual festival featuring a paragliding fly-in and watersports competitions on the lakes
Silver Mountain Music Festival — Heidelberg. Outdoor music festival held on a farm near Heidelberg
Stellenbosch Wine Festival — Stellenbosch. Flagship showcase of Stellenbosch wineries with tastings, food pairings and live entertainment
Stellenbosch Woordfees — Stellenbosch. Major multi-day Afrikaans arts, music, theatre and literature festival held across Stellenbosch
Struisbaai Yellowtail Festival — Struisbaai. An annual angling and food festival around Easter celebrating the yellowtail catch, with a fishing competition and…
Summer Sun Festival — Mossel Bay. Summer holiday festival with live music and family entertainment along the bay
Swartland Olive Festival — Malmesbury. Annual olive, food and wine festival held in the nearby Riebeek Valley of the Swartland
Swellendam Big Bee Festival — Swellendam. A community festival celebrating bees and honey with a market, food and family activities
Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon — Cape Town. The scenic 56 km ultra and 21 km half marathon around the Peninsula, billed as 'the world's most beautiful marathon'
Toyota US Woordfees — Stellenbosch. Major Afrikaans arts, music and culture festival hosted across the town
Tulbagh Christmas in Winter — Tulbagh. An annual winter festival recreating a European-style white Christmas with lights, carols, markets and mulled wine…
Two Oceans Marathon — Cape Town. Renowned 56 km ultra-marathon and half marathon run around the peninsula
Up the Creek Music Festival — Swellendam (Breede River). Long-running riverside camping music festival on the banks of the Breede River near Swellendam
Villiersdorp Harvest Festival — Villiersdorp. Annual festival celebrating the end of the winter fruit season
Viva Arts Festival — Stanford. Community arts festival celebrating local creativity and street art
Vlakte Marathon — Heidelberg. Road marathon and long-distance qualifier
Voorkamerfest — Darling. Annual arts festival with performances staged in the front rooms (voorkamers) of local homes
Wacky Wine Weekend — Robertson. Robertson Wine Valley estates open their cellars for tastings, food and entertainment over a winter weekend
Wellington Wine Harvest Festival — Wellington. Annual celebration of the Wellington wine route with tastings and food
West Coast Spring Wildflower Season — Klawer. In spring the surrounding Namaqualand veld bursts into carpets of wildflowers along the flower route
West Coast Wildflower Season — West Coast (Darling, Langebaan, Postberg). Spring transforms the West Coast and Cederberg veld into carpets of wildflowers, best seen in reserves like Postberg…
Whale Season (Walker Bay coast) — Vermont. Southern right whales are frequently seen from the Vermont and Hermanus shoreline during winter and spring
Wildebraam Berry Festival — Swellendam. An annual berry festival at Wildebraam Berry Estate near Swellendam featuring berry liqueurs, produce and food
Winelands Autumn Expo — Worcester. Annual Worcester showcase of wine, food, music and crafts across the Breede River Valley terroirs
Winter Wonderland Festival — Gordon's Bay. Seasonal community festival held in Gordon's Bay
Yzerfontein Oyster Festival — Yzerfontein. Annual coastal festival at Strandkombuis with gourmet oysters, a bubbly bar, food trucks, market stalls and live music