Out and about in Cape Town: Best things to do this weekend

How excited are we for the inaugural Nelson Mandela Marathon? If you’re planning on cheering for a worthy cause, set your Sunday alarm for 5am, sharp. The marathon route starts on Strand Street and finishes at the Grand Parade. 

It’s also Garden Day on Sunday, and the Norval Foundation has something extra special planned for the kiddies. 

Saturday marks the final edition of The Craving at Outlore Base on Hout Street.  The immersive theatre experience has received warm reviews. A theatre show that hits different, The Craving puts you, the audience, in the middle of a psychological thriller unfolding within a fictional restaurant.

For the after-dark folks, Sinful IV at SPECTRA will keep the drinks and beats flowing until 4am, Sunday morning.

And because we look after your financial security at Time Out, we’ve thrown in a couple of freebie events around the Mother City. 

CBD

ICA Live Arts Festival

• Wednesday, 14 October - Saturday, 18 October
• Venue: Various venues across the CBD
• Cost: Free for selected events, bookings via Quicket

This is work that challenges your perception of live art in a non-commercial environment. Presented by UCT’s Institute for Creative Arts, the four-day festival explores art through visual and performing artists, breaks boundaries, flouts aesthetic conventions, tackles controversy, and confronts audiences. It’s meant to make you feel uncomfortable.

African School of Coffee Open Day

• Friday, 16 October, 10am - 3pm
• Venue: 36 Buitenkant St 
• Cost: Free options, bookings via Quicket

The African School of Coffee invites you for a full day of coffee, free training, cuppings, competition and spending time with the people who make up Cape Town’s coffee community. Booking is essential for the free training courses.

Time Out tip: The live Latte Art Throwdown is going to be lit. Compete. Support. Or see what people can do with a jug of milk and a little pressure. 

ATLANTIC SEABOARD

Silent Disco Camps Bay Beach

• Saturday, 17 October, 4:30pm - 7:30 pm
• Venue: Camps Bay Beach
• Cost: From R100, bookings via Quicket

Dance freely, connect with friends, and lose yourself in the rhythm. It also helps that you’re vibing to a Camps Bay sunset. Choose from three curated music channels. Bring your besties and end the evening at one of the many restaurants along the beach strip.

Public Stargazing Event

• Saturday, 17 October, 7pm - 9pm
• Venue: Clock Tower, V&A Waterfront  
• Cost: Free, visit the website for more details

A more interactive take on the stars and astronomy. At the Public Stargazing Event, you learn how to use a telescope and spot a planet or ‘ET’. Experts share their planetary advice and experience. Visitors are welcome to bring their own telescopes or join the group for an evening of stargazing and astronomy. 

SOUTHERN SUBURBS

Albie Sachs: Fathers, Sons and Soft Vengeance

• Tuesday, 13 October - Saturday, 31 October, 3pm and 8pm
• Venue: Baxter Studio, Baxter Theatre Centre, Ronderbosch Main Rd
• Cost: R250 - R285, bookings via Webtickets

Written by Gail Louw, directed by Fiona Ramsay and starring Graham Hopkins, Albie Sachs: Fathers, Sons and Soft Vengeance traces the anti-apartheid activist’s lifelong commitment to justice. The story details family, resilience and forgiveness, and asks what soft vengeance means in a world still learning to heal. 

Garden Day at Norval Foundation

• Sunday, 18 October, 10am
• Venue: Norval Foundation, 4 Steenberg Rd, Tokai 
• Cost: R250, bookings via Webtickets

The Norval Foundation Sculpture Garden comes alive on Garden Day. Surround yourself with art, nature and the mountains of Steenberg. Every ticket includes a complimentary tasting of three Simonsig wines, flower crown workshops, children’s activities, face painting, a balloon artist and a live performance by Jungle Theatre.  

CAPE FLATS

Photography & Filmmaking Workshop at The Studio

• Friday, 16 October, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
• Venue: The Studio, 12 Ravenscraig Rd, Woodstock 
• Cost: From R150, bookings via Quicket

Light, Lens & the Wild is an evening of photography & filmmaking at The Studio. RIGR and The Studio are joining forces for an event centred on the craft behind the camera. Two of the Mother City’s most respected image makers (Aidan Tobias and Sacha Specker) will talk all things light, lens work, and the stories that pull them out into the field.

Cycling in Cape Town’s largest Township

• Wednesday, 13 October - Saturday, 31 October, 10:30am and 2pm
• Venue: The Spade Boutique Hotel, Mandela Park, Khayelitsha 
• Cost: R1,350, bookings via Webtickets

Explore Cape Town’s largest township on a bike, courtesy of ABCD Concepts. Visit local landmarks, including Khayelitsha Remembrance Square. Meet inspiring entrepreneurs. Experience the rich history, culture, and everyday life of a vibrant community. This is a tour every local should add to their bucket list.

Behind HER

• Sunday, 18 October, 11am - 4pm
• Venue: La Casa sul Lago, Carp Rd, Zeekoevlei 
• Cost: From R599, no under-13s, bookings via Quicket

Behind HER is not a workshop or a “how to start” event. It’s honest conversations, real experiences and golden nuggets from women who have built, grown, pivoted and learnt along the way. Connect, feel inspired and remember your WHY.

NORTHERN SUBURBS

Ne-Yo

• Saturday, 17 October, 6pm
• Venue: GrandWest Grand Arena, 1 Jakes Gerwel Dr, Acacia Park 
• Cost: From R990, bookings via Webtickets

Ne-Yo fans, expect a night of legendary R&B hits. The man with the fedora brings his smooth moves and velvety-soft voice to the Grand Arena. And if ya’ll are lucky, he’ll close his set with that mega hit ‘Closer’.

Music For The Soul Concert

• Saturday, 17 October, 1pm
• Venue: Jakes Gerwel Hall, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Rd, Bellville 
• Cost: R80 - R200, bookings via Webtickets

Or you could take your Ne-Yo funds and invest in community upliftment, like the UWC Creative Arts Choir. The group takes the stage at the historic Jakes Gerwel Hall for an unforgettable night of song. The 75-piece ensemble will deliver a sweeping repertoire spanning African choral classics, soulful contemporary arrangements, and inspiring songs of hope and healing.

WEST COAST

Power Series 8

• Saturday, 17 October, 8am
• Venue: Killarney International Raceway, 6 Potsdam Road, Table View 
• Cost: R10 - R100, bookings via Webtickets

The Power Series returns to Killarney International Raceway for Round 8, and this one is big! With only two rounds left, the pressure is on. Every lap counts. Every position matters. Every point could make a difference. 

Sinful IV

• Saturday, 17 October, 8pm - 4am
• Venue: SPECTRA, 5 Perfecta Rd, Paarden Eiland
• Cost: From R550, bookings via Quicket

Think of Sinful IV as HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ but without the snarky teens and outlandish outfits. That doesn’t mean mid; quite the contrary. What you’ll get is elite decadence, risqué artistry and pure sonic ecstasy.

CAPE WINELANDS

Aletta Francina de Kock: Jussie Sussie

• Friday, 16 October, 7pm
• Venue: Drostdy Theatre, Cnr Alexander St & Bird St, Stellenbosch 
• Cost: R230, bookings via Webtickets

Filmmaker Aletta Francina de Kock has moved to another province, and things have changed since her last show, Effens Anders. These days, she’s living life to the absolute fullest and doing pretty much anything for the plot.

Paarl Gimnasium Gala Musiekkonsert

• Sunday, 18 October, 6pm - 8pm
• Venue: Nelson Wine Estate, R44, Windmeul, Paarl 
• Cost: From R50, bookings via Quicket

Paarl Gimnasium’s young, talented musicians, choir and orchestra invite you to a late-afternoon extravaganza at Nelson Wine Estate. Relax and enjoy light refreshments while listening to music that makes the flowers bloom.

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