Beginning in 2011, the Open Book Festival has become the city’s biggest celebration of writing, authors, and readers, bringing all those interested in literature together under one roof.
The festival attracts top writers and audiences, showcasing some of the best of South African writing, with 2026 featuring a variety of events across genres and themes.
What’s on at Open Book Fest
The 2026 edition focuses on talks that celebrate the diversity of African stories, both uplifting and soul-crushing. From comedy titles and romance novels to accounts of the darkest moments in African history, authors join Open Book Festival’s panels and readers to discuss some very important topics. Foodies can enjoy experiences from some of their favourite culinary authors, including Onezwa Mbola, Karen Dudley, Fehmz, and Jane Nshuti. The festival’s dedicated marketplace is another big attraction, encouraging people to support local businesses, learn about up-and-coming creatives, and meet beloved authors.
Several influential voices join the Open Book Festival conversation for the first time this year, including Lulama Mali, Kirsten Deane, Jean-Paul Willemse, and Preven Reddy. They join many veterans of the scene, including Pumla Dineo Gqola, Siphokazi Jonas, Maneo Mohale, Athambile Masola, and Mohale Mashigo.
Using the website, visitors can filter by available dates and several themes (including Queerness, Xenophobia, Mental Health, and more) to find an event that best suits them. The entire programme is available online.
Highlights of the weekend
What The Heck?
Multi-award-winning comedians Yaaseen Barnes and Dan Corder return with their big show that looks back at the craziness of South Africa’s 2026 and the absurdity of what made local news throughout the year. In a political climate that often gives viewers a negative outlook on life, What The Heck? looks to find the joy and humour in national issues.
Cost: R100 per person. Book now using Webtickets.
When: Friday, 4 September 2026 | From 8pm
Where: Homecoming Centre, cnr Buitenkant St & Caledon St, District Six, Cape Town
African Identity | From the Continent to the Diaspora
On Saturday, 5 September, writers Lọlá Ákínmádé (In Every Mirror She’s Black), Krystle Zara Appiah (Half Lives) and academic Vashna Jagarnath speak to Bongani Kona, a writer and academic who co-curated the acclaimed Archive of Forgetfulness project, about writing that reflects the complexities of African life in the global north.
Cost: R50 per person. Book now using Webtickets.
When: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | From 2pm
Where: Homecoming Centre, cnr Buitenkant St & Caledon St, District Six, Cape Town
Writersports 2026
Visitors can wrap up their Open Book experience with the annual Writersports competition, where some of the biggest authors and creatives at the festival compete in on-stage, live creative writing exercises, with only one able to be crowned champion. This year’s lineup features Krystle Zara Appiah (Half Lives), Mia Arderne (How to Stop being a Naai), Selali Fiamanya (Before We Hit The Ground), Sue Nyathi (The Polygamist), and comedians Dan Corder and Preven Reddy.
Cost: R50 per person. Book now using Webtickets.
When: Sunday, 6 September 2026 | From 4pm
Where: Homecoming Centre, cnr Buitenkant St & Caledon St, District Six, Cape Town
Get tickets to Open Book Fest
With many acclaimed African authors from the continent and the diaspora arriving in the Mother City, many for the first time, Open Book Fest is the best opportunity for bibliophiles and lovers of African literature to get to know more about the books they love, the people that write them, and connect with their local community of fellow bookworms.
Cost: R50 per person (most events). Book now using Webtickets.
When: 4 – 6 September 2026 | Times vary per event
Where: Homecoming Centre, cnr Buitenkant St & Caledon St, District Six, Cape Town
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