What’s on in Cape Town this July!

No doubt you’re in the thick of things if you’re a parent juggling the school holidays and work. Alas, the end is in sight. The winter school holidays, I mean.

July is bumper-packed with theatre, opera, and a festival honouring French Huguenot settlers. It’s like a mid-year break but with traffic, bored kids, and no sunshine. Chin up. If the cold doesn’t bother you anyway, there’s lots in store this month.

Also, not forgetting Mandela Day on Saturday, 18 July. This year’s theme is “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity.” I reckon a weekend is as good a time as any to dedicate 67 minutes of your time to a charitable cause.

FoodForward SA is calling on South Africans to join its Packing Day event on Friday, 17 July, at the Century City Conference Centre. You’ll be packing food for distribution to underserved communities.

Ronderbosch United Church is hosting Notes of Exile - Voices of Palestine, a Mandela Day concert for Palestine. The concert will feature the world premiere of new Palestinian musical compositions by Mahmoud Abuwarda.

Further out, Dwarsrivier Adventures in Stellies welcomes visitors to celebrate Mandela Day with a unique Art, Culture & Storytelling Experience hosted by Toast Coetzer and Austin Lawrence. 

CBD

The Pirates of Penzance 

• Saturday, 4 July - Sunday, 12 July, 3pm and 7:30pm

• Location: Artscape Theatre, Cape Town CBD
• Cost: R275 - R350, bookings via Webtickets

Comic opera fans will be delighted to know that Gilbert and Sullivan’s swashbuckling Pirates of Penzance is coming to the Artscape. Wit. Romance. Musical brilliance. It’s all there. Just a random tidbit, compliments of Google: Did you know that the comic opera’s premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879? Yes, that’s how long it’s been around. Well, shiver me timbers!

 

Iziko Career Workshop

• Tuesday, 7 July - Thursday, 9 July, 9:30am - 2:30pm

• Location: Iziko South African Museum, Queen Victoria Street, Gardens 
• Cost: R180, bookings via Webtickets

What do you want to be when you grow up? No, that wasn’t a trick question. But if your high school kid is mulling that question, you should suggest they participate in the Iziko Career Workshop. For three days, Grade 9 - 12 learners can explore career options within museums. 

Astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger at The German International School

• Thursday, 23 July, 6pm - 8:30pm

• Location: German International School, 28 Bay View, Tamboerskloof 
• Cost: From R100, bookings via Quicket

Former NASA astronaut, educator, geologist, and STEAM advocate Dorothy “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger visits our shores for the Space Tour 2026. During this time, she’ll pop in at The German International School to share about her time aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on its mission to the International Space Station in 2010.

Clock out Club by 10pm

• Thursday, 23 July, 6pm - 10pm

• Venue: 54 Shortmarket St 
• Cost: From R250, bookings via Quicket

Crack all the aunty jokes you want. If there’s a party that ends at 10pm, I’m there. They basically had me at: “Because the best nights don’t have to end at 2am.” The ladies-only dance party is a great excuse to get out and get back home to tuck the little ones into bed.

ATLANTIC SEABOARD

A Little Night Music

• Wednesday, 1 July - Sunday, 12 July, 2pm and 7:30pm

• Location: Theatre on the Bay, Camps Bay
• Cost: From R275, bookings via Webtickets

I said there’d be opera. Somewhat different to the Artscape’s offering, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is a story of love, longing and second chances in all its complicated forms.

Mojo Jazzy Tuesdays

• Every Tuesday, 8pm - 11pm

• Location: Mojo Market, 30 Regent Rd, Sea Point
• Cost: Free, bookings via Quicket

Every Tuesday evening, Mojo Market comes alive with the smooth, soulful sounds of jazz. Think of it as your weekly escape into pure musical bliss. 

SOUTHERN SUBURBS

To Kill A Hadeda & Crows 

• Friday, 3 July, 7pm - 8:50pm

• Location: The Masque Theatre, 37 Main Rd, Muizenberg
• Cost: From R160, bookings via Quicket

This sounds super exciting. The Masque presents an evening of murder mystery with two live-stage audio dramas, To Kill a Hadeda and Crows. True-crime podcasts for what? Each 40-minute audio drama uses voice actors and a Foley artist to conjure up a radio play.

 

SAMTHING SOWETO presents Good Morning Live

• Friday, 24 July - Saturday, 25 July, 7pm

• Location: Concert Hall - , Rondebosch Main Road
• Cost: R400 - R700, bookings via Webtickets

Marking the official live launch of his album Touch Is a Move: Good Morning, Samthing Soweto’s Good Morning Live follows a day-in-the-life format, moving through his childhood memories, family, love, and growing up in the kasi. 

 

Wild Food Land Forage Weekend Workshop

• Saturday, 25 July - Sunday, 26 July, 11am - 5pm

• Veld and Sea cabin, 7976, Plateau Rd, Cape Peninsula
• Cost: From R3,400, bookings via Quicket

Visiting the Veld and Sea cabin is an experience in itself. The Glasshouse and surrounding fynbos mountainside are worth it. Join Roushanna Gray and the Veld and Sea team for a weekend workshop to strengthen your connection to your food, the seasons and cycles of nature through this immersive learning experience.

Time Out Tip: You will be guided on a foraging walk, searching for wild and seasonal ingredients that you’ll use in your weekend meals and creations. 

CAPE FLATS

 

A Legacy in Every Note: McCoy Mrubata and Gary Wittner

• Sunday, 5 July, 3pm - 6pm

• Location: Guga S'thebe, Langa, Washington St, Langa
• Cost: From R200, bookings via Quicket

A musical collaboration forged over 20 years ago, McCoy Mrubata and Gary Wittner proudly present A Legacy in Every Note, a special celebration honouring the friendship between the South African saxophonist and the American guitar virtuoso.

 

THE LOFT

• Saturday, 11 July, 7pm - 2am

• Location: Hearty / The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Rd, Woodstock
• Cost: From R120, bookings via Quicket

Underground parties are always the most memorable, and that’s what THE LOFT does best. Get ready to vibe to deep house in the spirit of connection and creative energy. 

Cape Town Opera’s The Cunning Little Vixen

• Tuesday, July 21 - Sunday, July 26, 11am and 2pm

• Location: Joseph Stone Auditorium, Athlone 
• Cost: R80, bookings via Webtickets

Well, I wasn’t joking when I said there were operas galore. If there ever was a time to introduce your kids to opera, this would be it. Leoš Janácek’s beloved opera The Cunning Little Vixen is reimagined for Cape Town Opera in this family-friendly adaptation by Alan Olejniczak.

NORTHERN SUBURBS

CG Ice Rink

• Friday, June 26 - Sunday, 19 July, 10am

• Location: Capegate Shopping Centre, Ent 6 Undercover Parking 
• Cost: R70, bookings via Webtickets

Open to ages 3 - 15, the CG Ice Rink is pulling out all the stops this winter school holiday. Think neon lights and glow-in-the-dark. You know, that sort of 80s nostalgia. Trained skating professionals will be on hand to ensure a safe, confidence-boosting experience for all skaters. 

A Night with the Stars Lloyiso

• Friday, 24 July, 7pm

• Location: Grand Arena, Grand West, 1 Jakes Gerwel Dr, Acacia Park 
• Cost: R400 - R750, bookings via Webtickets

Our local boy Lloyiso is doing the things overseas, so he’s giving back to his Cape Town fans. And with the dress code denim, you know it’s going to be a stripped-down show. Expect a clean, elevated production without losing the intimacy. 

WEST COAST

For Ladies Only

• Saturday, 11 July, 1pm - 8pm

• Location: Blaauwberg Beach Hotel, 106 Beach Blvd, Bloubergstrand
• Cost: From R100, bookings via Quicket

Finally, a women’s-only event that speaks to the masses. Real conversations. Real stories. Real impact. The guest speaker panel includes psychologist Dr Lynn Kerchhoff, who will be speaking about the forbidden “M” word, aka menopause. Communications specialist Nokukhanya “Mulan” Zulu gets into how to express ourselves without sounding like unhinged crazies. And then Justice For Women tackles debt and financial freedom.

Disney’s High School Musical 2!

• Thursday, 23 July - Saturday, 25 July, 6:30pm - 9pm

• Location: Parklands College, Secondary Faculty, Curie Hall, 1 College Ave, Milnerton Rural
• Cost: From R150, bookings via Quicket

Who doesn’t like High School Musical 2? When it’s school kids performing it, even better. Packed with energetic dance numbers, iconic songs, humour and heart, Parklands College promises fun for the whole family.

CAPE WINELANDS

The Routes of Sound 

• Friday, 3 July, Saturday, 4 July and Friday, 31 July, 7:30pm

• Location: The Yellowwoods Lounge, Spier Wine Farm, R310, Stellenbosch
• Cost: R300, bookings via Webtickets

In response to the reception The Routes of Sound has received over the past two years, Spier has extended the bite-sized music festival from one weekend to a series of three winter weekends.

Franschhoek Iconic Bastille

• Saturday, 11 July - Sunday, 12 July, 11am

• Location: Church Street, Franschhoek  
• Cost: R450 for a day pass, bookings via Webtickets

Franschhoek’s Iconic Bastille returns this month. Dress in blue, white, and red for the annual French heritage celebration. Come for the wine and cheese. Stay for the live performances by Amy Jones, the Absolutely Fabulous duo, and The Blend Theory. 

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