Cape Town Carnival: A guide to the Mother City’s colourful extravaganza
15 March 2026
Cape Town Carnival, the Mother City's colourful celebration of creativity, culture and the performing arts, takes over Green Point on Saturday, 21 March 2026. Here’s a guide on what to expect on event day.
Under the theme Follow Your HEART, the Cape Town Carnival will deliver a spectacular show with around 1 500 performers representing diverse groups from areas across the province.
The carnival includes the large three-hour street parade, carnival villages with food and bars, entertainment stages, spectator stands and an after-party.
The street parade will be led by 12 creative champions who will share stories of following their passion while highlighting Cape Town’s role in shaping their careers and artistic voices.
During the parade, the carnival will celebrate hip hop artists and Khayelitsha’s own Bravo le Roux, who passed away in January.
He contributed to the creative and served as an inspiration for one of the floats on the parade.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services as well as Law Enforcement officers will be part of the pre-parade activities, which has become one of the highlights of the carnival.
‘The City is always proud to support and be part of the Cape Town Carnival. It is one of the Mother City’s premier events and has been going strong for the last 16 years. It is an event that attracts around 36 000 people to its footprint and contributes millions of rand to our economy annually.
‘We’re looking forward to seeing all the work the carnival teams have been preparing over the last few months come to life and, of course, the friendly rivalry between our Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers as they bring their own energy and creativity to the parade. We encourage residents and visitors to line Somerset Road and experience this spectacular extravaganza, a uniquely Capetonian celebration of creativity, culture and community,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
In addition to the traditional parade along Somerset Road and Green Point Main Road, carnivalgoers can also enjoy an entertainment village near the parade starting point.
The village will feature performances from some of the city’s entertainers, along with a variety of food trucks.
The entertainment village will run from 15:00 until midnight, including an afterparty headlined by DJ Ready D, YoungstaCPT and DJ Summer Heynes.
The carnival pre-parade will start at 18:00 and the main street parade will kick off from 19:00, moving from the intersection of York Road and Green Point Main Road to the endpoint at Chiappini Street.
Entry to watch the carnival is free. However, members of the public who would like a premium viewing experience can reserve seats in the seated stands (R480) or purchase VIP tickets via Quicket.
Limited viewing options are also available on the Red Bus.
Road closures and transport
Residents and motorists are advised that several roads in the Green Point area will be affected.
Somerset Road will be closed from 12:00 until 02:00 on the day of the event. This will impact all traffic movement from the side streets on Somerset Road. Green Point Main Road from P14 will be closed from 14:00.
A comprehensive list of road closures is available here.
Carnivalgoers are encouraged to make use of parking areas in the vicinity, some of which are paid parking facilities:
- Heritage Square – Buitengracht Street
- Cape Quarter – Hudson Street
- Battery Park and Breakwater Parking – V&A Waterfront
- P14 – Green Point Main Road (Sea Point approach)
- Green Point Park – Helen Suzman Boulevard
MyCiTi service along Somerset Road will be impacted by the carnival road closure.
Visit the MyCiTi website for more information on the route impact and deviations.
For more information on the Cape Town Carnival and other events hosted in Cape Town, visit www.eventsincapetown.com
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
