Discover a world of imaginative performance art and musicals at these incredible stage shows. This season boasts critically acclaimed acts and visual spectacles suited for all ages.

You can expect the wonder of theatre at its finest, with classic tales reimagined, interactive performances, and local music productions that make the experience all the more immersive for the audience.

Mamma Mia!

The beloved international production of Mamma Mia! is here, returning to South Africa, and it’s a guaranteed feel-good experience that celebrates the magic of ABBA’s music and the beauty of human connections.

Featuring a full South African cast, crew, and band – led by the iconic Amra-Faye Wright, best known for being the longest-running actress in the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago: The Musical on Broadway, as Donna Sheridan – Mamma Mia! combines the finest talent this country has to offer both on and off stage.

Produced by Showtime Management, the musical production also features the timeless ABBA songs composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, including Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dancing Queen, I Have a Dream, Voulez Vous, and many more.

Cost: R280 – R580 per person. Book now on Ticketmaster.

When: Tuesdays – Fridays, 3 September – 11 October 2026 | From 7.30pm | From 3pm (Sat matinee) | From 2pm (Sun matinee)
Where: Artscape Theatre Centre (Opera House), D.F. Malan St, Foreshore, Cape Town

The Rocky Horror Show

The legendary cult musical The Rocky Horror Show, presented by Pieter Toerien Productions in association with the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy (LAMTA), is back in Cape Town after its successful run earlier this year. This electrifying staging by director Steven Stead promises to unleash all the wild energy, wicked humour and rock ’n’ roll rebellion that has made the show a global phenomenon for over 50 years.

The show stars an award-winning South African cast led by Craig Urbani (We Will Rock You), who reprises his role as Frank-N-Furter, with Léa Blerk (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) as Janet, and Robert Everson (Noises Off) as Brad.

Cost: R295 – R495. Tickets available on Webtickets.

When: 28 August – 18 October 2026 | 8pm | 4pm & 8pm (Saturdays) | 2pm (Sundays)
Where: Theatre on the Bay, Link St, Camps Bay, Cape Town

The Craving

An immersive theatre experience that puts audiences in the middle of a psychological thriller unfolding within a fictional restaurant, The Craving is the latest of The Outlore Base’s series of unsettling and experimental stage shows. What seems like a passionate chef preparing an avant-garde seven-course meal gives way to her twisted experimentations on staff and guests in the pursuit of culinary perfection.

As she gets closer and closer to her goals, she uncovers a truth that begs the question: who is creating who?

There are three types of tickets available throughout the run. The “Watcher” is given a phone and tasked with recording the troubling events as they unfold, showing what is happening through their own eyes. “Tasting” tickets allow guests to reserve a seat for the seven-course dining experience, although what exactly they eat is up to the chef (fussy eaters are encouraged to save their stomachs). Finally, general access allows viewers to experience the night as it dives further into madness.

Cost: R180 per person (general access) | R150 per person (Watcher) | R750 per person (Tasting Ticket). Book now on Quicket.

When: Thursdays – Saturdays, 11 September – 17 October 2026 | 8pm – 10.30pm
Where: The Outlore Base, 80 Hout St, Cape Town City Centre

Woordfees 2026

Woordfees, the Stellenbosch-based week-long cultural festival, has a theatre programme that remains one of its strongest offerings, featuring acclaimed productions, celebrated performers, and some of South Africa’s leading directors.

Among the highlights is Grootmeisie, winner of the 2026 Reinet Nagtegaal Text Prize. Written by Rachelle Greeff and directed by Lee-Ann van Rooi, the production explores an unlikely friendship between a mathematics teacher and her former student.

Audiences can also look forward to major productions including My kind druip starring Shimmy Isaacs and Joshwin Dyson, Atropa featuring an ensemble cast led by Anna-Mart van der Merwe and Antoinette Kellermann, and An Iliad, with acclaimed comedian Alan Committie bringing one of history’s greatest epics to life.

Other anticipated productions include FAUSTX, directed by internationally renowned theatre-maker Brett Bailey; Vlindervry by Wessel Pretorius; Die ander dogter starring Sandra Prinsloo; and ’n Middel featuring Tinarie van Wyk Loots and Stian Bam.

Comedy fans can also expect plenty of laughs with stand-up performances from beloved South African names, including Committie and veteran playwright Andrew Buckland.

Cost: Various prices. Tickets are available on Quicket.

When: 3 – 11 October 2026
Where: 37 Ryneveld St, Stellenbosch

Our Bodies Remember

Jazzart Dance Theatre is once again giving talented artists a platform to bring their stories to Cape Town audiences, with Our Bodies Remember premiering this spring.

The first performance, Ancient Souls, choreographed by Lihle Mfene, constructs a reality where people gather in the afterlife to unpack identity and life itself. The second part of the double bill is Chesney Stanfield’s Unveil, a deeply reflective piece about awakening, created with Jazzart alumnus Emile Petersen. Together, the duo form the performance group Gain Collective, which performs shows across the country.

Our Bodies Remember is the latest product of Jazzart’s residency programme, which connects dance artists with new audiences, gives them the opportunity to work with professional dancers, and helps them find their own voice in contemporary dance.

Woordfees
R180 per person on Quicket | 9 & 11 October 2026 @ 1pm – 2.10pm | Adam Small-laboratorium, 15 Victoria St, Stellenbosch

Artscape
R150 per person on Webtickets | 15 & 16 October 2026 @ 7.30pm – 8.40pm | 17 October @ 2pm – 3.10pm | Artscape Theatre Centre, D.F. Malan St, Foreshore, Cape Town

Elysium: Cape Ballet Africa

Cape Ballet Africa presents Elysium, a programme of four ballet works by choreographers George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Kenneth Tindall and Michelle Reid. Debbie Turner, founder and artistic director of Cape Ballet Africa, directs the production and established the company in 2024 after serving five years as CEO and Artistic Director of Cape Town City Ballet.

The confirmed works include Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante, set to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and staged by Diana White, formerly of New York City Ballet; a work known for its technically demanding ensemble choreography and joyful, expansive vocabulary. Nacho Duato’s Remanso, set to music by Enrique Granados and previously staged by Cape Ballet Africa at Artscape in March 2025, returns to the programme, an expressive, lyrical work created for the Nederlands Dans Theatre.

We Met At The Moon, Briefly is award-winning choreographer Kenneth Tindall’s newly commissioned work for CBA. 

“I travel around the world, working with different companies. It can be quite a lonely endeavour, but then you walk into a studio space and, for a brief moment, you all hold this poetry, this art that you’re trying to create among the noise that’s happening around you,” says Tindall.

Closing ELYSIUM is Michelle Reid’s Duende, set to music by guitarist and composer Estas Tonne. 

“When used in everyday modern language, the word Duende is used to describe someone who possesses a magnetic, inexplicable personal charm, charisma or allure,” says Reid. “When I found the music by chance, it was a very interesting sound for me as I have never worked with Spanish guitar before. I feel in love with it and could see something fun and exciting could be created.”

Cost: R200 – R495 per person. Book now on Webtickets or via Pick ‘n Pay stores nationwide.

When: 3 – 10 October 2026 | From 7.30pm | From 3pm (weekend matinee) | From 11am (Seniors Special Performance)
Where: Baxter Theatre Centre (Pam Golding Theatre), Main Rd, Rondebosch, Cape Town

Don Giovanni

Opera UCT and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, two of the Mother City’s most celebrated classical companies, unite for one week this October, bringing Mozart’s Don Giovanni to life at the Baxter.

Created by Mozart and his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, the two-act opera is based on an old Spanish legend of a man who devotes his life to seducing women, and the consequences of his actions. The narrative questions the main character’s identity, looking beyond the legend and asking who he truly is, why he does it, and what he fears. The score encapsulates this inner conflict, combining tense orchestral writing, expressive arias and lively ensembles into one tense character piece.

French-American star Talia Stern stages the show as director of the Jette Parker Artists Programme at the UK’s world-famous, award-winning Royal Ballet & Opera theatre company. The Opera UCT cast and chorus perform alongside the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by company director Jeremy Silver and Jette Parker conductor and pianist Peggy Wu.

Those wanting to see the final Sunday matinee performance can book a special lunch or dinner at La Cuccina, with an all-inclusive ticket costing just R150. This production runs for approximately three hours and 15 minutes (with an interval) and contains descriptions of sexual assault. Free parking is available at the Baxter.

Cost: R210 – R550 per person (full price) | R170 – R380 (pensioners) | R100 (students) | R150 (La Cuccina special on Sunday @ 3pm). Book now via Webtickets.

When: Thursday – Sunday, 22 – 25 October 2026 | From 7pm | 3pm (Sun matinee)
Where: Baxter Theatre Centre (Pam Golding Theatre), Main Rd, Rondebosch, Cape Town

The Legacy of Dance Gala

The South African National Dance Trust (SANDT) brings together eight South African dance companies for a single gala celebrating the country’s dance heritage, joined by Dutch National Ballet principal dancers Anna Ol and Jan Špunda as special guest artists. Both performances are accompanied live by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Brandon Phillips.

Ol and Špunda perform a neo-classical work by incoming Dutch National Ballet artistic director Ernst Meisner, alongside an excerpt from Rudi van Dantzig’s Swan Lake. The South African line-up spans Cape Town City Ballet, Joburg Ballet, WGRUV Dance Company, Cape Ballet Africa and Jazzart Dance Theatre, alongside emerging artists from the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy and Waterfront Theatre School, with additional choreography by George Balanchine, Martha Graham and South African choreographers Veronica Paeper and Sean Bovim.

The programme also honours South Africans who have built international dance careers, with each relevant performance preceded by a short film on their contribution to the field. The gala highlights longstanding ties between South African dancers and Dutch National Ballet, whose repertoire includes Onegin by South African-born choreographer John Cranko.

Cost: R350 – R550. Tickets are available on Webtickets.

When: 24 & 25 October 2026 
Where: Artscape Opera House, D.F. Malan Street, Foreshore, Cape Town

Dracula

After a successful run earlier in the year, Dracula is back by popular demand, showing for a final few nights exclusively on Halloween weekend.

In this ballet adaptation by Cape Town City Ballet, the classic tale is reimagined through movement, music and theatrical design. Set between the refined world of Victorian England and the shadowy landscapes of Transylvania, the ballet follows Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor sent abroad to assist Count Dracula with his English property acquisitions. What begins as a formal business trip quickly transforms into a nightmarish encounter with an ancient force.

As Dracula sets his sights on London, the ballet unfolds into a dramatic exploration of seduction, fear and transformation. Iconic elements such as the haunting female vampires, heightened suspense and ever-present tension between good and evil are brought vividly to life on stage, as Stoker’s dark, atmospheric novel is translated into a visually striking and emotionally charged theatrical experience.

Cost: R250 – R500. Tickets available on Webtickets.

When: 28 October – 1 November 2026 | From 7.30pm | 2pm (Halloween matinee) | 12pm (final day matinee)
Where: Artscape Theatre Centre, D.F. Malan St, Foreshore, Cape Town City Centre

Madame Jojo’s

Madame Jojo’s brings a six-week Thursday night series to 72 Barrack Street, inspired by the original Soho nightclub of the same name in London, which closed in 2015 after decades as a fixture of the city’s cabaret and drag scene.

The Cape Town edition opens with a Cocktail Hour before Madame Jojo takes the stage, followed by a rotating line-up of cabaret, burlesque, drag and other performance acts, alongside DJs and go-go dancers who keep the night running into the early hours. The venue occupies the Empire Lounge, a VIP space within Mavericks Revue Bar, accessed through its own separate street entrance rather than through the main club.

The series is presented by Mavericks, drawing on the venue’s existing production and performance infrastructure. Under-18s are not permitted at any point during the night.

Cost: R200. Tickets available on Quicket.

When: 20 August to 4 December 2026 | Cocktail Hour 7pm to 8pm | Madame Jojo takes the stage at 8pm | Continues until 4am
Where: Madame Jojo’s, 72 Barrack Street, Cape Town City Centre

Step It Up Dance Academy: PAGEBOUND

Step It Up Dance Academy brings its student production PAGEBOUND to the Baxter Concert Hall, following a young girl’s journey through worlds of fantasy, mystery and adventure told entirely through dance. The show combines a range of dance styles across the production, featuring the academy’s students alongside professional guest artists.

The production is structured as a storybook come to life, using shifting settings and dance styles to move the central character through different fantastical worlds before returning to an ambiguous close, leaving audiences to decide how much of the journey was real.

As a dance-only production without spoken dialogue, the show relies on choreography and staging rather than narration to carry its story, making it accessible to audiences of different ages and language backgrounds.

Cost: R190 – R320. Tickets available on Webtickets.

When: 23 & 24 October 2026 | Fri 6.30pm | Sat 11am & 4pm
Where: Concert Hall, Baxter Theatre Centre, Main Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town

Swing With The King

Swing With The King returns to the Artscape Opera House for its third annual staging, blending gospel jazz, big band and Cape Ghoema music with a full orchestra. The production is created by former professional footballer Freddy Arendse, and is musically directed by Brathew van Schalkwyk with US Grammy-winning producer Fletch Wiley as conductor and Jolene Martin as MC.

The lineup features soloists including Hilton Schilder, Julius May, American vocalist Roz Parker, Wesley Rustin, Clinton Viljoen and Natasha Adams, backed by a ten-piece horn section led by Muneeb Hermans and an eight-piece string section led by Rayelle Goodman. Previous editions have opened with a video sequence tracing South African cultural history from Khoisan roots through to the present, framing the concert as a musical journey through memory and heritage as much as a straightforward performance.

The show has run at Artscape since 2023 and has been confirmed to continue there annually through 2027, drawing on a mix of established and emerging performers each year.

Cost: R250. Tickets available on Webtickets.

When: 13 & 14 November 2026 | From 7.30pm
Where: Artscape Opera House, D.F. Malan Street, Foreshore, Cape Town

Roméo et Juliette

Cape Town Opera presents Roméo et Juliette at Artscape: the tragic tale of star-crossed lovers has inspired countless works of literature and art across cultures, becoming an archetype of love and fate. Shakespeare’s version remains the most familiar, and for his ninth opera, French composer Charles Gounod found the perfect dramatic vehicle.

Gounod, one of the most influential French composers of the late nineteenth century, is celebrated for his lyrical charm, refined orchestration, and elegant taste. Yet it is his mastery of theatrical storytelling – setting scenes, building tension, and guiding the drama to its tragic conclusion – that makes Roméo et Juliette especially unforgettable.

Cost: R170 – R720. Bookings are available via Webtickets.

When: 18 – 29 November 2026 | From 7pm | From 2pm (weekend matinee)
Where: Artscape Theatre Centre, D.F. Malan St, Foreshore

Visit Drumstruck at Silvermist: Authentic African Drumming and Wine Tasting Experience

Drumstruck has performed for royalty, world leaders and celebrities from Shakira to Dolly Parton, earning a reputation as one of South Africa’s most successful cultural exports. 

Today, this global success story has its home at Silvermist Organic Wine Estate, where guests can enjoy interactive African drumming, theatre, rare traditional instruments, wine tasting and a generous South African braai — all in one unforgettable experience. 

Every guest receives a drum and gets to play along with the show. The Drumstruck cast guides the room with humour, rhythm and skill, turning strangers into a unified ensemble. Whether you’re musical or rhythmically challenged, don’t worry – you’ll fit right in.

The braai (lunch or dinner) is generous, delicious and full of familiar South African flavours. Flame-grilled chops, chicken, boerewors, pap and chakalaka, fresh salads and garlic bread are served as the sun sets over the Twelve Apostles. A sweet treat is served as dessert, and vegetarian and halaal options are available.

Cost:
African Lunch Experience: R930 per person, R830 for locals
Sunset Dinner Experience: R930 per person, R830 for locals
Wine Tasting & Drumstruck Show Only: R480 per person, R380 for locals
Drumstruck Show Only: R380 per person, R280 for locals

Book via website. For events, corporate bookings, or private parties, contact Warren on [email protected] or 082 901 0496.

When: Saturdays and Sundays, Selected weekdays | African Lunch Experience: 12.30pm – 3pm | Sunset Dinner Experience: 4.30pm – 7.30pm
Where: Silvermist Organic Wine Estate, Main Road, Constantia Nek, Constantia, Cape Town

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