The Cape Town Carnival inside out

Rio style South African Carnival promises to spice up the inner city

Think fire eaters, feathers, sequins, floats, minstrels, giant puppets, gumboots and costumes you’ll never forget. Then dance the night away to the sounds of Cape Town, the lights and the rhythm of those funky vibrant beautiful people. Cape Town is gearing up to host its very first Carnival and it sounds seriously delicious.

The Countdown to the first Cape Town Carnival:

The first three day, Rio-inspired Cape Town Carnival kicks off, from 18-20th March. The magic and fun promise to bring together people from all walks of life (think final draw on 4 December 2009!), through an eclectic fusion of music, dance and creative expression to showcase the colourful spirit of Cape Town.

“Inspired by carnivals of the world, participants range from the celebrated minstrels, to ballet dancers, Xhosa artistes and oriental performers. Other participants include various choirs, drum majorettes, belly dancers, soccer players, marching bands, drag queens and pantsula dancers,” says CEO, Isabelle Meyer.

18 March - The Starter: The Carnival Fashion Show

To whet your appetite, carnival organizers are offering a fashion show at The Lookout, V&A Waterfront, from 7:30-8pm on Thursday 18th of March.

Fashion lovers will be joined by a host of influential Capetonian designers such as Hip Hop, Paul van Zyl and Rosenwerth, showcasing finely tailored garments on stunning celebrity and runway models. Top hairdressers and makeup artists will add extra glamour to the show.

Not only will this event be the perfect opportunity for you to grab a sneak preview of carnival costumes, but you will have the opportunity to place orders and interact with the designers.

For more information about the designers read our Cape Town Carnival Fashion Show article.

20 March - The Main Course: Cape Town Carnival Concert & Parade!

The mouth watering main course, the Cape Town Carnival Parade, will be served on Saturday, 20th of March, and will transform Greenmarket Square and the upper end of Long Street into a carnival playground.

To start with, head to Greenmarket Square, where festivities will kick off at 18:00 with a concert, headed by popular artists: hip-hop R&B sensation Loyiso, lively Emo Adams and the other super hot MTV featured local newcomers, Locnville.

See the videos of the performers in our article about the Greenmarket Square concert.

Get your friends together on any of the balconies balcony at Zula, Stones, Cape to Cuba, Royale, or The Waiting Room and join thousands of revelers to enjoy a kaleidoscope of colour and sound as the two hour carnival parade gets in full swing, from 20:00 to 22:00.

More than 2000 costumed singers and dancers will fill Long Street, performing six new Cape Town songs in unison, with sound relays and large screen viewings.

The crowning glory will be a giant float, which is 12 metres long, 4 metres high and 3.5 metres wide. The acclaimed urban artist, Mak1One and a team of illustrators and designers collaborated on the float project.

Read more about the Cape Town Carnival Parade.

20 March - The Desert - Greenmarket Square concert:

Once the parade is over, head back to Greenmarket Square for a sumptuous desert of festivities that will continue until the wee hours of the morning. Expect to be entertained by the DJ duo Circuswing, complete with full carnival costumes, jugglers and dancers.

The Bill:

A welcome surprise: This festive bite of Cape Town’s inner city can be enjoyed for free, as there is no entrance charge!