It can be rewarding to choose when to visit South Africa to include a date of one of its lively festivals since the country offers several annual music festivals like the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, Innibos in Mbombela, and the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in Oudtshoorn.
Here are some events to consider when planning your itinerary for South Africa:
January:
The new year is welcomed by the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, or the “Kaapse Klopse” in Afrikaans, on 2 January and continues through the first week.
February:
The Cape Town Pride Pageant is a series of LGBTQ-themed events held in late February.
March:
The Dance Umbrella, the country’s leading contemporary dance festival with a variety of local dance forms is held in Johannesburg early in March.
The Cape Town Carnival is a Rio-style street extravaganza with floats and parades that celebrates Cape Town’s cultural diversity and richness, held in mid-March.
April:
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is Africa’s largest jazz festival and attracts big stars. It is held in late March or in April.
The Afrika Splashy Fen Music Festival is one of the country’s oldest music festivals and is held in Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal in mid-April.
The Pink Loerie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival is held in Knysna on the Garden Route over a long weekend in April.
AfrikaBurn is a unique week-long event not unlike Burning Man in the U.S. It is usually held in late April, near Ceres and the Tankwa Karoo National Park.
May:
The Franschhoek Literary Festival is a three-day festival of books, writers and wine in the Winelands food capital of Franschhoek. It is usually held in mid-May.
May – July:
The annual sardine run is the marine equivalent of the Great Migration. Up to 15 kilometer long shoals swarm up the coast of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal from May to July, creating a feeding frenzy among sharks, dolphins, whales, and birds.
June/July:
The Innibos Festival is usually held during the last weekend in June or the first in July, offering local festival goers the opportunity to visit during their winter holidays, while it coincides with the northern hemisphere’s summer holidays.
July:
The National Arts Festival is held in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape in July. It is Africa’s largest arts jamboree, with jazz, classical music, dance, cabaret, and theatre.
The Knysna Oyster Festival is held in Knysna, Western Cape in early July and comprises days of partying and oyster eating on the Garden Route, beginning with the Knysna Cycle Tour and ending with the Knysna Forest Marathon.
July/August:
The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival, a month-long comedy festival, is held at the Baxter Theatre from mid-July until early August.
September:
September is the month when Joburg’s largest arts event, Arts Alive Johannesburg, with dance, theatre, poetry, and music, is celebrated in Newtown.
The Hopefield Fynbos Show takes place every August and September, with food stalls, tractor races, and more.
In September, more than 10 000 Zulu maidens in traditional dress head toward the Zulu king’s KwaNyokeni Palace in KwaZulu-Natal Province as part of a four-day procession.
The Hermanus Whale Festival, a weekend festival of arts and the environment, is held in Hermanus, Western Cape in late September to coincide with peak whale-watching season.
Joy of Jazz Johannesburg, Joburg’s flagship jazz festival offers three days of varied music in late September.
November:
The Swartland Heritage Festival takes place in November, celebrating different wine producers and food from the region.
December:
The Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival is held in Franschhoek, Western Cape in early December.