City unveils performing arts brochure to boost tourism
24 August 2025
This week, the City unveiled its latest publication spotlighting Cape Town’s vibrant arts and culture scene. The booklet comes as the Mother City heads towards the busy holiday season.
The Theatres, Galleries, and Classical Music Guide highlights Cape Town’s colourful cultural landscape, drawing a link between flagship venues such as Artscape and Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) to more intimate spaces where talent is nurtured, like Makukhanye Arts Room in Khayelitsha and the Magnet Theatre in Observatory.
‘We are exceptionally lucky and proud of the fact that Cape Town is such a haven for a cultural scene that reveals and celebrates our heritage and communities. To be able to watch a big opera production at Artscape, a bit of jazz at the Guga S’Thebe Cultural Centre, or get a taste of all this and more at First Thursdays shows that art is the lifeblood of our great city. Tourists want to experience that scene and this booklet gives a perfect peek into many of the great venues and art forms on offer,’ said Alderman James Vos, the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
The publication speaks to findings that travellers are increasingly seeking out experiences that centre a destination’s distinctive character. The 2025 Viator Travel Trends Report found that tourists are most eager to immerse themselves in ‘cultural, historical and heritage tours’.
‘This launch follows the unveiling of our food guide that similarly showcases our city’s delectable gastronomic offerings. These booklets are a personal highlight as they have been carefully designed by our Place Marketing Branch, who will also be issuing the fifth volume of This is Cape Town magazine and hosting a workshop for our content creation partners as part of Tourism Month in September. All of these tools are designed to position Cape Town as a top destination while giving our local businesses resources to shine on the global stage,’ said Alderman Vos.
September will also see the release of the City’s draft Tourism Development Framework for Cape Town.
‘The goal of this framework is to turbocharge tourism by increasing volumes and value. By preparing our destination and working closely with businesses and communities, we will ensure that Cape Town has the readiness to welcome more visitors while spreading the benefits across the economy. The framework places strong emphasis on destination management, exploring new markets, and driving conversion-led campaigns to secure forward bookings so that when demand grows, Cape Town is ready to respond,’ said Alderman Vos.
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Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town
