Live Events
Festivals, fairs, & fun in South Africa.
The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show
June 21–July 8
Johannesburg
thewhitneyhoustonshow.com
The widely acclaimed show about Whitney Houston’s life is now playing at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. With a six-piece live band, the musical features Belinda David playing the iconic singer and singing her most memorable worldwide hits.
Kynsa Oyster Festival
June 29–July 8
Kynsa
oysterfestival.co.za
Don’t let the name fool you: The Kynsa Oyster festival has more to it than just tasty shellfish. It is South Africa’s premier sports, lifestyle and food festival that features everything from cycling races to live entertainment.
Gordon’s Bay Winter Wonderland Festival 2018
June 30–July 9
Gordon’s Bay
winterwonderland.co.za
Located 50 minutes outside of Cape Town is the seaside village of Gordon’s Bay, which transforms itself every June into a winter wonderland with dramatic lights, a carnival, and two-day festival abounding with art, live music, food, and kids activities.
Lipton Cup Challenge
July 6–13
Durban
liptoncup.com
A popular sailing race among local watermen, the Lipton Cup serves as a trial for young sailors seeking to exhibit their skills before moving on to international platforms.
Durban International Film Festival
July 6–13
Durban
durbanfilmfest.co.za
The oldest and largest film festival in South Africa features mostly African talent, and offers not just screenings of some of the best new African movies, but also filmmaking workshops and industry seminars.
Plett Food and Film Festival
July 8–10
Plett
plett-tourism.co.za/events/plett-food-and-film-2017
Food and film merge in a spectacularly unique way, as some of the best chefs in the area serve their own artistic creations to correspond with those being featured on screen.
Cape Town Funny Festival
July 10–August 6
Cape Town
facebook.com/CapeTownFunnyFestival
The 13th Annual Cape Town Funny Festival is a beloved month-long event that highlights some of the best stand-up comedy acts from South Africa and around the world.
Turbine Art Fair
July 12–15
Johannesburg
turbineartfair.co.za
Galleries and artists — both established and emerging — come together in the iconic Turbine Hall for a three-day art experience that also features live music, food and drink vendors, and a lecture series.
Slow Food and Wine Festival
August 3–5
Robertson Wine Valley
robertsonslow.com
A slow food and wine festival that gives people the chance to dine on a diverse selection of culinary delica- cies, from seafood paella to vetkoek (a traditional Afrikaner fried dough bread). Cellar tours, boat rides and cooking classes round out this world-class experience.
OppiKoppi Music Festival
August 9–11
Northam
oppikoppi.co.za
Widely considered the festival that kickstarted South Africa’s live music movement in the 1990s, OppiKoppi has evolved from a largely rock music event to festival featuring a smorgasbord of fantastic acts crossing multiple genres.