[category]
[title]
There’s magic in a festival that invites you to slow down, pull up a chair and discover the stories unfolding right on your doorstep. Add a seaside village, a mountain backdrop and a gathering of writers, poets, musicians and artists, and you have the makings of something worth celebrating.
Kleinmond is an Overberg coastal town in the Western Cape, about 90 to 100 kilometres east of Cape Town, nestled between Betty's Bay and Hermanus - with its Kleinmond inniebos Kunstefees (KliK) returning from Friday, 27 to Sunday, 29 November. It brings a growing community of creatives and culture lovers for a festival as much about connection as art.
It takes a village
Following its inaugural outing in 2025 as the Mthimkhulu Kleinmond Kleine Kunstefees, KliK is expanding into a village-wide celebration. The gathering will feature more than 40 authors, poets, visual artists and performers across 16 scheduled events and six community venues.
The programme stretches from Kleinmond Harbour to the mountains and coastline, weaving creativity into the everyday spaces where the community lives and works.
And that is precisely the point.
Organised through a collaboration involving the Grail Centre, Mthimkhulu Community Development, local businesses, the Hangklip Kleinmond Business Forum and the Cape Cultural Collective, KliK reflects what can happen when a community comes together around a shared purpose.
Rather than keeping culture behind the doors of a conventional arts venue, the festival brings it into cafés, restaurants, public spaces and the shoreline.
Why Kleinmond?
The coastal town is a fitting home for this approach. Known for its rugged cliffs and natural landscapes, it offers a setting where art and the environment can converse.
Here, a festival programme can move from a conversation about literature to an open-air performance, with the sea and mountains providing a backdrop that needs very little embellishment.
Choosing Kleinmond also places the local community at the centre of the experience, creating opportunities for residents, visitors, artists and businesses to meet on shared ground.
SEE: Overberg road-trip: Wine, whales and the tip of Africa
The festival’s programme mirrors that inclusive spirit.
View this post on Instagram
Friday opens at The Shed in Kleinmond Harbour with a tribute to celebrated poet Dr Diana Ferrus, featuring poet Khadija Heeger, musician and performer Frazer Barry, and the Mengelmoesdigters collective.
On Saturday, published writers take their chats to Kleinmond Central Café for The Writer’s Café, hosted by Frank Meintjies. The speakers are a stellar lineup: Eugenia Zantoto, Andries du Toit, Khadija Heeger, Jennifer Pape, Barbara Boswell, and JuliJana Rossouw.
Elsewhere, the Grail Centre will host storytelling, creative writing workshops and collaborative performances. Visual art, Sip & Paint, a marching band parade and a youth talent competition bring different creative disciplines into the mix.
Sunday is a chance to connect with the natural environment through the Strandlooper Kruie Kuier shoreline foraging walk, followed by an open mic. The KliK Market and activities for children and young people ensure the festival reaches beyond established arts audiences.
Community outreach
The investment in young people is particularly meaningful. In September, Mthimkhulu Community Development hosted a holiday programme. It introduced local children to poetry, dance and visual arts.
The initiative creates a pathway for young participants to engage with the festival not as spectators, but as emerging creatives with stories and talents of their own. Kleinmond Has Talent allows young performers to take the stage before a judging panel.
This is where community is visible. The Cape Cultural Collective’s mission is to foster inclusion, unity and personal and collective development through the arts. KliK brings that philosophy to life, giving established and emerging voices a shared platform while making room for accessible activities alongside ticketed events.
More info:
- KliK takes place from Friday, 27 to Sunday, 29 November 2026 in Kleinmond.
- Tickets, including two-day and three-day passes, are available through Quicket.
- Visit the Cape Cultural Collective website for more information.
Sign up to Time Out Cape Town's free newsletter for expert recommendations on new things to do, see, eat and drink in the Mother City. You can also follow Time Out Cape Town on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!