The range of arts festivals around South Africa offers visitors the opportunity to combine their pursuit of culture with sightseeing, wine tasting, beach visits, wildlife viewing, history, palaeo anthropology and relaxing in some of South Africas most beautiful spots.
The National Arts Festival held annually in July in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, is one of the largest and most diverse arts gatherings of its kind staged in Africa, rating favourably with similar international festivals. It showcases southern African talent in all arts disciplines.
The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees is a vibrant festival for the performing arts, presented mainly, but not exclusively, in Afrikaans. It is held annually in Oudtshoorn (Western Cape) in the first quarter of the year during Easter. Disciplines include drama, cabaret and contemporary and classical music.
Aardklop, held annually in Potchefstroom in North West (during September), is inherently Afrikaans, but universal in character. The festival provides a platform for the creativity and talent of local artists.
Similar mainly Afrikaans festivals are the Volksblad festival in Bloemfontein (June/ July), the Stellenbosch Woordfees (March) and festivals in Windhoek, White River, Cape Town and Clanwilliam.
The Arts Alive International Festival, held in Johannesburg, is an annual festival of music, dance, theatre and performance-poetry.
The Mangaung Cultural Festival (Macufe), staged annually in Bloemfontein, is gaining status as one of the biggest cultural tourism events in southern Africa.
Other festivals that attract visitors at both national and international level are the:
- Jazz International Festival (during March/April in Cape Town); - Oppikoppi Music Festival (Oct/Nov near Thabazimbi in Limpopo);
- The One City Festival in Taung, North West;
- The Awesome Africa Music Festival in Durban;
- The Spier Summer Festival at Stellenbosch in the Western Cape;
- The Windybrow Theatre Festival in Johannesburg.
