South Africa Blog

Cape Town is gearing up for festival season with many carnivals, creative and music events coming up later this month and throughout March.

Infecting the City, an annual public arts initiative, presented by The Africa Centre, offers free performance art happenings in public spaces in the City that are relevant to the theme and significant for Cape Town. This year’s theme, Treasure, engages its audiences with free street experiences such as Xhosa stick-fighting, a Goema Symphony, Ratiep, and flash mobs by inspirational artists from 21 – 26 February 2011. (www.infectingthecity.com)

Cape Town Pride, the City’s next ‘pink’ festival is scheduled for 24 February – 6 March 2011 with an eleven day celebration incorporating events such as a Mr. and Ms. Cape Town Pride pageant, a Pink Ball and the Pride Parade. The different aspects of this combinative event will take place across the city from Cape Town Stadium and gay-friendly suburb, De Waterkant, to Mzoli’s in Khayelitsha. (http://capetownpride.org)

Amongst many community festivals presented by the ‘One City, Many Cultures Project’ during the month of March, the annual Cape Town Festival is set to take place from 19 – 21 March 2011 in the Company Gardens. The Cape Town Festival is in its twelfth year of celebrating National Human Rights Day with music performances by diverse local bands over the three-day period. (www.capetownfestival.co.za)

Now in its second year and inspired by the famous Rio Carnival, the Cape Town Carnival 2011 is set to offer a glamorous procession of dancers, entertainers, floats and bikes which will parade down Long Street in the City Centre, after which, DJ Fresh gets the street party started. The Cape Town Carnival will take place on 19 March 2011 from 20h30. (www.capetowncarnival.com)

The annual Southern Suburbs Community Chest Carnival will take place between 2 – 5 March this year at Maynardville Park in Wynberg. This event is in its fifty ninth year and offers families a weekend of fun, international food and a spot of local entertainment.

Also in its twelfth year, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 25 – 26 March 2011. Forty local and international jazz artists, including Grammy award-winning sensation Esperanza Spalding, are set to keep the crowds entertained on five different stages. In addition, there are ‘Gigs for Kids’ and numerous musical workshops available to adults. (www.capetownjazzfest.com)

CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, urges Capetonians to get into the festival spirit by actively participating in the fun; “The month ahead will be a celebration of all that our colourful, creative city has to offer. It’s going to be an exciting time for residents of the Mother City and much of the action is free, so join in and enjoy sharing your city (and its wealth of inspiring creative talent) with the world.”

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