Andrew Hallett

As if the mountain, oceans, vibrant city and dynamic culinary scene weren’t enough to keep you busy, Cape Town also brings the goods when it comes to a jam-packed schedule of concerts and events. We're tapping into all the vibes with our updated and expanded Events Guide to Cape Town. Across the city, you’ll find live music, vibey markets, special shows and fun events that are a total jol (that’s a ‘party’, in local lingo). Here's our hand-picked selection of the hottest events to head for in the Mother City. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Cape Town🍝 The best restaurants in Cape Town🏖 The best beaches in Cape Town🛍 The best shops in Cape Town🏠 The best Airbnbs in Cape Town 🏨 The best hotels in Cape Town Richard Holmes is a travel writer based in Cape Town. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

From kids’ events to workshops and classes, live music to pop-up events, here are all of the events coming up at Time Out Market Cape Town. 

People who don’t live in cities will tell you they’re busy, lonely and expensive places. But there’s a reason so many people choose to live in them: with world-class art and culture, unbeatable food and nightlife, buzzing neighbourhoods and a dizzying amount of stuff to do and see, there’s simply no better place to be.  Every year, we take the pulse of city living by quizzing thousands of locals across the planet about life in their hometowns. This year, more than 18,500 city-dwellers shared their insights on everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and the overall city vibe. When urban living can sometimes feel isolating and costly, this year we wanted to get a sense of what, exactly, makes a city feel like home. Sure, the nightlife is great, but is the city safe and walkable? Is good quality food and art available at a reasonable price? Is it easy to make friends, find love, and access nature?  Livability was a key factor in our ranking this year. But a great city to live in is, naturally, a great city to visit. So, along with the thousands of responses from locals around the world, we asked Time Out’s global network of city experts to vote on the places they think are particularly exciting right now. After crunching all that data, here we are: Time Out’s definitive ranking of the world’s best cities in 2025. Read on to see how your hometown fared… RECOMMENDED:🛍️ The coolest neighbourhoods in the world right now🌎 The best things to do in the

Trouver la ville la plus cool du monde chaque année, c’est notre passion chez Time Out ! En 2025, on a tout passé à la moulinette pour mieux comprendre ce qui rend une ville vraiment vivable. Est-ce qu’on peut marcher dans la rue sans flipper ? Est-ce que l’art et la bouffe sont accessibles sans braquer une banque ? Est-ce qu’on peut facilement se faire des potes, tomber amoureux, ou juste respirer un peu d’air frais ? Parce qu’une ville où il fait bon vivre, c’est aussi une ville où il fait bon voyager. En plus des votes de notre réseau d’experts, cette année, on a demandé à 18 500 citadins de nous filer leur avis sur leur chez-soi. Gastronomie, vie nocturne, culture, coût de la vie, baromètre du bonheur… On a tout mixé, trituré et recoupé, et voici le verdict : le top ultime des meilleures villes du monde en 2025, by Time Out (dont deux Françaises, Paris, 19e, et Marseille, 38e).

Breakfast: a meal so revered it can be enjoyed at any hour. As Cape Town’s dining scene grows more impressive by the day, so does its ability to whip up quality breakfasts. The vibrant streets of the Mother City are dotted with vibey breakfast spots and brunch places to help you start your day right – whether it’s 6am or well past noon. Amble through Cape Town’s seaside and central neighbourhoods alike and you’ll come across an enormous range of essential breakfasts and brunches. This place has it all: from whitewashed coffee shops brewing artisanal blends to eclectic, art-filled spaces where you can linger over a boozy brunch; bagel joints serving up cream cheese-stuffed goodness to bakeries dishing out South African baked delicacies; and nourishing, plant-based spots for all the yogis and health food junkies out there. Whether you’re looking to linger awhile in one of Cape Town’s favourite brunch establishments or get your breakfast to go and start your day with a picnic on the beach, soaking up the endless ocean and mountain views, here are this city’s finest places for breakfast and brunch. RECOMMENDED: 😋 The best restaurants in Cape Town🍣 The best sushi in Cape Town🍕 The best pizza in Cape Town🍷 The best wine farms in and around Cape Town📍 The best things to do in Cape Town🛏 Where to stay in Cape Town Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

When it comes to artistic excellence in Cape Town, the Artscape Theatre Centre is the place to visit. Located in central Cape Town, the Artscape was opened on 19 May 1971 as the Nico Malan Theatre Centre. Ever since, it has been the home to world class productions and has become the venue of choice for all genres of performing arts. Described as an "iconic cultural beacon in the Western Cape", the theatre provides theatre-goers with an experience to remember.

The Grand Arena has a capacity of up to 7,000 people and hosts large local and international acts and bands. In addition, the venue is equipped to host shows, launches, conferences, banquets, and other events of varying size. It is located within the GrandWest Casino.

Capetonians, mark your calendars for 12 to 16 March if you love yourself some cocktails and spirits. Sin+Tax, Smoking Kills, Saint, Obscura, Cause Effect, Kloof Street House, The Drinkery, Hacienda, Tjing Tjing, Fable, Talking to Strangers, House of Machines and ANTHM have all signed up to take part in the AJABU Cocktail and Spirits Festival for 2025. AJABU is Africa’s first-ever bi-annual international cocktail and spirits festival. It was created by Col Asare-Appiah - Bar World's 100 Most Influential Figures 2023 and co-author of Black Mixcellence - and Mark Talbot Holmes - the founder of multiple award-winning U’Luvka Vodka, with their mission to make AJABU the continent’s leading hospitality community gathering. The duo also aims to connect the industry across Africa and beyond to inspire innovation, collaboration and creativity.As a result, bartenders from some of the finest bars around the world are being flown into South Africa to participate. Panda and Son (Edinburgh, Scotland), Tommy’s (San Francisco, USA), Front/Back and Soul Lounge (Accra, Ghana), Library Bar (Toronto, Canada), Hero (Nairobi, Kenya), Sips (Barcelona, Spain), NoMad’s Side Hustle (London, UK) and Atwater Cocktail Club (Montreal, Canada) are all set to work alongside the local bars mentioned above. It's shaping up to be quite the drinks extravaganza. Cocktail seminars and masterclasses In addition to these collabs, a series of seminars and masterclasses for cocktail aficionados, bartenders, and bever

Taylor Swift fans in Cape Town are longing for the day when the words, 'Taylor Swift announces Cape Town shows', are plastered all over the web. After Swift's hugely successful Eras Tour took the world by storm, some destinations - like Cape Town and the rest of South Africa - have been left yearning for the superstar to make a turn their way and give them what they so badly crave. Well, while this may not quite be the real thing, there is an event happening soon that promises to be the next best thing. 'TAYLOR: A Tribute to the Eras of Taylor Swift' has been dubbed as the 'ultimate Taylor Swift tribute experience' and is making its way to Cape Town on 3 May 2025 at the Grand Arena, GrandWest.'This electrifying concert event brings the magic of Taylor’s music to life with a dazzling production, a live band, dancers, and over 30 of her biggest hits spanning every era of her legendary career,' promoters for the show explain. Who is playing Taylor Swift? Josette will star as Taylor for the day, with mega hits such as Shake It Off, Anti-Hero, Cruel Summer, Love Story, I Knew You Were Trouble, Blank Space, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Bad Blood, Our Song and more set to be performed. So, if you are tired of waiting for the real thing, now's your chance to get your Taylor on, but act Swiftly, as tickets are likely to sell out fast. You can grab your tickets HERE. Ticket prices range from R395 to R495 and is open to everyone aged 3 and above. Concert review... My Green

We all know how good the Cape Town food scene is - winning a plethora of awards over the years, but the Mother City's food industry has just received another big boost and some extra recognition thanks to the South Africa Restaurant Awards (SARA). A whole host of Cape Town restaurants are up for awards at the second annual SARAs, which will be held on 7 April 2025 at Hotel Sky in Sandton, Johannesburg. The delicious usual suspects such as La Colombe, FYN, Pier and Nobu feature (all of which you may have read about in our guide to the 40 Best Restaurants in Cape Town), while Cape Town newcomer Room 91 and Mill St Bistro in neighbouring Stellenbosch crack the nomination nod too. The extra cool part about these awards is that the winners are decided by a public vote, which you can take part in HERE. Voting is open until 30 March 2025. According to the SARAs, the awards 'reflect the richness and diversity of South Africa’s culinary landscape, with this public-driven recognition serving as a testament to the vibrant and exceptional quality of the country’s restaurants, bars, chefs, and hospitality professionals'. Check out the awards our Cape Town restaurants are up for below: Best Culinary Experience 2025 La Colombe (Cape Town) Kolonaki Greek Kouzina (Randburg) Post & Pepper Restaurant (Stellenbosch) FYN (Cape Town) The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Cape Town) Salsify at the Roundhouse (Cape Town) Belly of the Beast (Cape Town) Encore Restaurant (Three Rivers) Pier (Cape Town) Eike

For those of you who know me, you will know that I love a braai. For me, there are few better ways of spending your time than around a fire, cooking food the way nature intended. So to be invited to an event such as the Rare Tour, which celebrates glorious meat and the art of fire cooking by bringing together the world's top talent, was something I was both excited and intrigued by. To give you some context, the Rare Tour is a series of global culinary events showcasing some of the globe’s finest chefs from the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants ranking. A host restaurant - in this case Vuur located on Remhoogte wine farm in Stellenbosch - acts as the home kitchen, as a guest restaurant - in this case Los33 from Madrid, Spain - collaborates with the host to showcase their talents, meat creations and the reason for their ranking on the global list. While I knew the steaks were going to be of the highest quality, cooked to perfection on the fire, I didn't realise the amount of effort that goes in behind the scenes. I was afforded the opportunity to sit at the chef's table, where I had a first-hand experience of what goes into a service for an event such as this. The organised chaos was something quite interesting to behold; think a theatric performance with massive flames and tiny tongs to plate the variety of dishes on offer. Shaun Scrooby from Vuur (ranked #88 globally) and Oswaldo Gonzalez from Los33 (ranked #15 globally) - along with their teams - worked their magic to pro

Now here's something different for those who love a hike in and around Cape Town. Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West has announced a pretty interesting new activity, which incorporates hiking, food and wine. Bookings are now open for a 12km guided hike around the wine farm's grounds, with hikers taken behind the scenes and given an opportunity to see what most visitors aren't privy to. The hike is set against the ridiculous beauty of the area, which includes the Helderberg and Hottentots Holland mountain ranges. You'll want to take your camera along for this one! When does it take place? Vergelegen says the first hike is set to take place on Saturday, 15 March 2025, with further hikes taking place twice a month from April. Hikers will have a chance to see the likes of eland, rare Rau quagga, black wildebeest and small antelope while on the adventure, as well as Nguni cattle and resident bontebok. The hike will take in sights such as the manor house and gardens, Lourens river and orchards, a fynbos biome, and Vergelegen's vineyards and wine cellar. Frank Dwyer, an experienced hiking guide and tourism expert, will lead the hikes. Upon completion, those weary walkers will be served a three-course, a la carte lunch at the Stables bistro-style restaurant, with wine included, obviously. What does is cost and must I be experienced? Look, it isn't cheap, as the cost per person is R2,900, but from an adventure perspective, if you can afford it, it will be worth it. You will also

The much-loved Bluey is heading to Cape Town later this year for 23 live performances at the Artscape. From 27 June to 6 July 2025, Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show will be brought to life for kids of all ages (Yes, even you, dad). This live show is a theatrical adaptation of the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning animated children’s television series produced by Ludo Studio. Cape Town families will be able to experience the joy of seeing Bluey, Bingo, Mum and Dad in their first ever theatre show. All performances will feature brilliantly created puppets, iconic sets, live actors and all-new music. Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show has received rave reviews after touring the world and has even been nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2024. For those unfamiliar with Bluey, it was 2024’s most-watched series globally on Disney+, while in South Africa, Bluey is ranked #1 on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and CBeebies. The show follows the lives of Bluey, Bingo, Mum and Dad Heeler as they go about their lives in Australia, with each episode providing either a lesson or an emotional rollercoaster ride - with the latter often affecting the parents watching more than the kids (Yes, I am speaking from experience. No, I am not ashamed to admit it). Bluey ticket information Venue: ArtscapeDates: Thursday, 26 June to Sunday, 06 JulyPrices: Babes in Arms/Infants under 12 months: R100; Midweek (Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays): R200, R250, R350, R400; Weekend (Saturdays a

All the nature lovers out there need to take note of this important announcement from the City of Cape Town. From 1 February 2025, visitors will no longer be able to pay cash to enter the following nature reserves: Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve (for permitted activities only, general admission is still free) Tygerberg Nature Reserve Table Bay Nature Reserve Helderberg Nature Reserve Blaauwberg Nature Reserve With entrance fees ranging from R15 to R28, the decision to move to card-only payments was taken with the safety of staff in mind. “We have made the decision in the interest of the safety and security of staff and visitors who will no longer need to handle cash on the Nature Reserve premises. This is in line with many other biodiversity tourism options in Cape Town and around the world," Eddie Andrews, Cape Town's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, told IOL. Cape Point has been running as a cashless operation for some time, so it comes as no surprise that other nature reserves in and around the city have followed suit. “I encourage all our residents to visit the many City Nature Reserves and conservation areas in Cape Town, some of which I am sure many are still not aware of. These spaces offer a refreshing break from the hustle of our city lives and are right on your doorstep," Andrews added. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Cape Town😋 The best restaurants in Cape Town🏄‍♀️ The best beaches in Cape Town🛍 The b

Earlier this month, Cape Town was named Time Out's Best City in the World for 2025 after 18,500 locals in 118 cities were asked to rate their city using 44 different criteria, which included food, nightlife, culture, affordability and happiness. Interestingly, despite taking top spot overall, the Mother City finished second in a criterion which many would have thought it was nailed on to win. When it comes to beauty, Cape Town scored highly (obviously!), with 82% of locals saying that the South African city is beautiful. However, Chicago just pipped Cape Town with a score of 83% thanks to the city's pretty parks and gardens, gorgeous Lake Michigan views and alluring Chicago River waterways. Other cities which made the top 10 for beauty include Australia's Sydney in third, Portugal's Lisbon in seventh, and Spain's Bilbao in tenth. The world’s most beautiful cities, according to locals 1. Chicago, USA: 83 percent2. Cape Town, South Africa: 82 percent3. Sydney, Australia: 79 percent4. Porto, Portugal: 78 percent5. Edinburgh, Scotland: 74 percent     = Tbilisi, Georgia: 74 percent7. Lisbon, Portugal: 73 percent8. Medellin, Colombia: 72 percent    = Hamburg, Germany: 72 percent10. Bilbao, Spain: 71 percent While we shall agree to disagree on this one (Table Mountain, anyone?), congratulations to Chicago. Check out the full list: The 50 best cities in the world in 2025

Call me biased, but having been fortunate enough to attend concerts in various cities around the world, very few come close to competing with Cape Town when it comes to the full package for a day of fun.  We decided to head through early to grab customary pre-drinks at the V&A Waterfront. After a stint in some stinking traffic entering the Waterfront complex, we found parking and headed over to Kapstadt Brauhaus near the Clock Tower... which was packed with enthusiastic punk rockers and concertgoers of all ages. I won't lie, it was a struggle to get drinks, as the poor wait staff were being pulled all over the show. I also won't lie when I say that the first sip of a cold beer before an event like this always hits different. It definitely did. The next step was to grab a bite to eat at the food court before making the festive walk up to the stadium, past an overflowing Time Out Market, Ferrymans, Mitchells and Cause Effect. We really are spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drink options before a stadium event, which speaks to my earlier comment on it being the 'full package'. To say Cape Town was ready for this concert would be an understatement. Upon reaching the stadium, we were ushered through the gates and led under the stadium towards the standing zones. As a big fan of both Green Day and The Offspring, I wasn't going to skimp on tickets and ensured I was as close as possible to the action. The money spent would prove to be well worth it in the end. The sounds of

Time Out’s annual ‘Best Cities in the World’ list has just landed… and Cape Town has taken the number one spot. That’s lekker! Over 18,500 people from around the world weighed in with their thoughts on their city, including Time Out’s regular readers, for the seventh Time Out global survey of city-dwellers. The survey’s questions covered everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and overall city vibe… and you know us Capetonians, we’re all about the vibe. Cape Town’s rise to #1 is no surprise to us, given the fact that locals and visitors alike can hang out with a colony of African penguins, taste world-class wines, stroll Blue Flag beaches, enjoy views from one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature and visit one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, East City, all in one day. Throw into the mix historic sites and cultural hubs, and you have a city worthy of the title of ‘World’s Best’. Oh, and of course we have the Time Out Market Cape Town, with all the delicious flavours that make Cape Town unique under one roof. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Cape Town (@timeout.capetown) After being pipped by New York in 2024, Cape Town – which is also known as ‘The Mother City’ (should that be ‘The Mother of ALL Cities’ now?) - faced fierce competition from the likes of Bangkok (#2), Melbourne (#4), London (#5), and The Big Apple (#3) once again to take the coveted title in 2025. Cape Town scored highly across the 44 dif

If you haven’t heard the news yet, where have you been? Cape Town has been named as the best city in the world by Time Out! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Cape Town (@timeout.capetown) Over 18,500 people from around the world shared their thoughts on their city, including Time Out’s regular readers, for the seventh Time Out global survey of city-dwellers. The survey’s questions covered everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and overall city vibe. A panel of over 100 city experts, drawn from Time Out’s global network, was also asked to name the most exciting cities in the world right now. Time Out then combined all the data to rank the best cities in the world for 2025. So, how did Cape Town pip the likes of Bangkok, Thailand (#2), New York, USA (#3), Melbourne, Australia (#4) and London, United Kingdom (#5) to take the title in 2025? Cape Town scored highly across the 44 different criteria used in the survey, with some of the key takeaways listed below: 97% of locals say Cape Town makes them happy 81% of respondents view Capetonians as positive 82% of Capetonians describe their city as ‘beautiful’ 95% of respondents believe Cape Town has amazing food and restaurants 83% of locals believe they have easy access to nature and green spaces 89% of Capetonians love the cultural scene, including arts, performances, and live music 77% of respondents are big fans of Cape Town’s nightlife 82% of locals love th

Are you ready for Calabash 2025 featuring Green Day, The Offspring, Robbie Williams, GoodLuck, Matthew Mole and Fokofpolisiekar at Cape Town Stadium this week? From what I could see on social media and from reports from friends, the Johannesburg Calabash festival at Soccer City was pretty amazing, so let's hope that same energy and vibe is brought by the acts to Cape Town this Wednesday, 22 January, and Thursday, 23 January. If you are heading to the show(s), there are a few important pieces of information to take note of, according to organisers Big Concerts. Firstly, this is a digital ticket only event, so don't print your tickets. You need to download the Ticketmaster app or have their mobi site open with your tickets when entering the turnstiles. If for whatever reason you can no longer go, then you can transfer your tickets to a mate using the Ticketmaster transfer function. You can log in to your account to find out how that's done. In terms of when the stadium opens and when the acts will hit the stage, here is a timeline of events: Wednesday, 22 January Gates open at 15h00 Suites open at 16h00 Live acts start from 18h00 Robbie Williams is the headline act at approximately 21h00 Thursday, 23 January Gates open at 15h00 Suites open at 16h00 Fokofpolisiekar are on stage at 18h00 The Offspring will melt your face from 19h15 Green Day will bring the nostalgia from 21h00 for approximately two whole hours! In order to get to the stadium, the are Park and Ride services a