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

You have two options. Which is it: DHL Stormers vs the Scarlets at DHL Stadium or Springboks Women vs Ireland at Athlone Stadium? 

Two matches. Two venues. An hour apart. Tough call, isn’t it? Choose wisely. But as the Sabrina Carpenter song goes, “Please, please, please don’t prove I’m right.” Wear your patriotism on your sleeve and take it to Athlone Stadium. Bring your cheers. Bring your war cry. Bring it!

The rest of the weekend brings the International Kite Festival, from Saturday to Sunday. Design Week South Africa takes over the CBD. Check out the event’s Cape Town programme for a list of events, from workshops to art installations to product launches.

We also have an Italian opera, sip-and-paint fundraiser, and Nataniël in concert.

CBD

Design Week South Africa

• Thursday, 22 October - Sunday, 25 October
• Venue: Various venues across the CBD
• Cost: Booking fee applies to various events; bookings via website

A platform dedicated to celebrating design as an expression of creative thinking, Design Week South Africa encourages informative dialogue and open-source knowledge sharing. Presented by Pinterest, this year’s event takes place across the CBD’s activating studios, galleries, showrooms, retail spaces and public venues.

The Khaltsha Academy: Sip for Something Bigger Fundraiser

• Friday, 23 October, 6pm
• Venue: Southern Sun, the Cullinan, 1 Cullinan St
• Cost: R600 - R700, bookings via Webtickets

Khayelitsha Cycling Academy’s first-ever paint night fundraiser at Southern Sun, the Cullinan, Sip for Something Bigger is an evening of art, good food, wine, and music. An artist will guide you through a beginner-friendly acrylic painting inspired by Cape Town’s beauty and Khayelitsha’s energy. For some lighthearted humour, an award-winning comedian will roast your “masterpieces”. Picasso could never!

ATLANTIC SEABOARD

Masibuyel’embo: Heritage Edition

• Saturday, 24 October, 5pm - 9pm
• Venue: Makers Landing, The Cruise Terminal, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront 
• Cost: From R600, bookings via Quicket

Masibuyel’embo: Heritage Edition pays tribute to South Africa’s culinary roots. The harvest table experience honours indigenous ingredients, from forgotten pantry staples to treasured flavours passed down through generations. Each dish is thoughtfully reimagined through a contemporary lens while remaining connected to the land and the people who came before us. Think of it as ubuntu in comfort food.

The Queen’s Brunch

• Sunday, 25 October, 11am - 2:30pm
• Venue: Tiger's Milk Green Point, Shop 105-107, 47 Main Rd, Green Point 
• Cost: From R120, bookings via Quicket

Queens, how about adjusting each other’s crowns and having fun while doing it? The Queen’s Brunch invites you to indulge in an afternoon of glamour and laughter. Each ticket includes a welcome drink on arrival, and bottomless mimosas at an extra cost. 

SOUTHERN SUBURBS

Don Giovanni

• Thursday, 22 October - Sunday, 25 October, 7pm and 3pm
• Venue: The Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter, Main Rd, Rondebosch 
• Cost: R18 - R550, bookings via Webtickets

Staged by French-American director Talia Stern, the Opera UCT cast and chorus bring Don Giovanni to the Baxter stage. The opera, in two acts, features music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This is Italian opera at its most dramatic. Don Giovanni seduces and deceives women without conscience. When one of his conquests leads to the murder of the girl’s father, a sinister force is unleashed from beyond the grave. Yes, it’s that gripping. And you don’t have to understand Italian to be spellbound.

Simon’s Says LAUGH Alan Committie

• Friday, 22 October - Saturday, 24 October, 6pm - 10pm
• Venue: Simon’s Restaurant, Groot Constantia Wine Estate, Groot Constantia Rd, Constantia
• Cost: From R280, no under-16s, bookings via Quicket

Alan Committie is an OG of local stand-up comedy. He will find you, and he will roast you. In his latest show AVA-LAUGH-TA!, Committie talks about passport photos, whether SA could win a war against America, and rental car stress.

Time Out tip: Word on the street is that the comedian will present a flipchart. Because what is an Alan Committie show without a flipchart?

CAPE FLATS

Cape Town International Kite Festival

• Saturday, 24 October - Sunday, 25 October, 10am - 6pm
• Venue: Youngsfield Military Base, Youngsfield, Ottery
• Cost: From R60, bookings via Quicket

The Cape Town International Kite Festival returns with a vibrant new theme, #ColourTheSky, encouraging residents to come together in the name of hope, connection and mental wellbeing. Hosted annually by Cape Mental Health, this year celebrates the power of kindness, understanding and community. 

Springboks Women vs Ireland

• Saturday, 24 October, 3pm - 6pm
• Venue: Athlone Stadium, Cross Boulevard, Athlone 
• Cost: R37.50 - R50, bookings via Ticketmaster

As part of the new WXV Global Series, the  Springbok Women will host the fifth-ranked Irish side in a historic Test series on the Cape Flats. In the first meeting between the two nations in 20 years, the Springbok Women will have the home-ground advantage. Show your support and bring the gees.

The Greatest Showman: The Musical

• Sunday, 25 October, 2pm and 5:30pm
• Venue: The Academia, 409 Imam Haron Rd, Lansdowne
• Cost: R175, bookings via Webtickets

The groundbreaking stage adaptation transforms the beloved original musical into a spellbinding theatrical experience. Every scene is meticulously crafted. Every step is choreographed with purpose. Every note is delivered with raw passion. 

NORTHERN SUBURBS

IBF World Championship 

• Friday, 23 October - Sunday, 1 November
• Venue: Bellville Velodrome, Carl Cronje Drive, Bellville Park 
• Cost: N/A, visit the website for further details

The IBF World Championship for Blackball brings the world’s sharpest cues, steadiest hands, and fiercest competitors under one roof. For nine days, international players go head-to-head in a sport built on precision, nerve, and split-second decision-making. 

Build-a-Bear X Panarottis Tyger Valley Play Date

• Saturday, 24 October, noon
• Venue: Panarottis Tyger Valley, M30 Shop 570, Tyger Valley Shopping Centre, Bellville Park 
• Cost: R443.90, bookings via Webtickets

Build your own bear. Add a special heart. Give it a name. Design a tee that best fits your furry friend’s BEARsonality. Or you could let the kiddos have a go at it. Top the day off with a build-your-own-pizza activity.

WEST COAST

Nataniël In Concert

• Friday, 23 October - Saturday, 24 October, 7pm - 8:30pm
• Venue: NG Kerk Bloubergstrand, 3 Batavia Rd, Bloubergstrand 
• Cost: From R300, no under-13s, bookings via Quicket

Two spring concerts featuring delightful stories in Afrikaans, Nataniël brings evergreen favourites to original compositions, with English lyrics. He shares the stage with pianist Marcel Dednam. 

Oktoberfest

• Saturday, 24 October, 1pm till late
• Venue: Killarney International Raceway, 6 Potsdam Road, Table View
• Cost: R150, bookings via Webtickets

Why travel all the way to Munich when you can join in the fun at the Trackside Clubhouse? Grab your dirndl and join in the festivities. R150 includes your first beer and a beer mug. I’ll say Prost to that.

CAPE WINELANDS

Welcome to Wonderland Halloween Party

• Friday, 23 October, 7pm - 1:15am
• Venue: DORP Bar, 62 Andringa St, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch 
• Cost: From R60, no under-18s, bookings via Quicket

Do you dare to go down the rabbit hole? DORP is turning into a slightly crazy version of Wonderland. Expect curious characters, questionable decisions, and a dance floor that gets stranger as the night progresses. Now, I’m curious…

Conservation Nursery Open Day

• Friday, 23 October - Sunday, 25 October, 9am - 2pm
• Venue: Olive Yard, off Devon Valley Rd, Devon Valley, Stellenbosch 
• Cost: Free options, bookings via Quicket

Stellenbosch Garden Town invites attendees to discover Renosterveld, the only conservation nursery in the Winelands. The initiative works with farmers, developers, landowners, and communities to grow endemic and threatened plants, and restore fynbos and renosterveld habitats. For the first time, the nursery and restoration nursery are open to the public.

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