The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) will spread across the city in March 2027 instead of using one venue. Organisers espAfrika have launched a new event called the Month of the Mother City.
The festival has been held in March in Cape Town for 26 years. Under the new plan, it will take place in cultural, community and public spaces around the city, with Table Mountain in the background.
“In 2027, Cape Town doesn’t simply host the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. The city becomes the festival,” said Carolyn Sierra, co-director of the festival.
Venues include St George’s Cathedral, Greenmarket Square, the Company’s Garden and the Artscape Theatre Centre. The Homecoming Centre, Texas Nightclub, Youngblood Africa Gallery and Guga S’thebe in Langa are also on the list.
The month is built around two main weekends. The Homecoming weekend runs on 12 and 13 March 2027 at the Homecoming Centre of the District Six Museum and at Texas Nightclub.
The festival’s final weekend runs from 19 to 21 March 2027. It will use the Company’s Garden, Greenmarket Square and St George’s Cathedral.
Organisers said 20 local and 20 international artists will perform. There will also be special shows with the CTIJF Jazz Orchestra. The festival ends on Sunday, 21 March, with a family day.
Events are planned for almost every day in March around the two weekends. These include free community concerts at Guga S’thebe on 14 March and at Greenmarket Square on 17 March.
The programme also has 10 small performances, 10 masterclasses and panel discussions. A conversation series, an art exhibition and a fashion show are planned too.
Organisers said tickets will range from free entry to different price levels. They said this is meant to make the events open to more people in the community.
“For over two decades, the CTIJF has been the heartbeat of Cape Town’s cultural calendar,” said Georgia Jones, the festival’s other co-director.
Jones said the change would bring jazz directly into the neighbourhoods and community spaces of the city. “This isn’t just a festival weekend anymore,” she said.
She said the longer event would create chances for local businesses, venues and home-grown artists to be seen. She added that the festival would now span four weeks.
Sierra said moving into public spaces creates a closer link between the music, the audience and the city. She said it also gives partners new ways to take part.
“This is the CTIJF evolving with its city: broader in its reach, bolder in its ambition,” Sierra said.
Early bird tickets for the festival go on sale through Quicket on 30 October. All ticket types and levels will be available from 16 November.
Tickets for the Month of the Mother City events will be sold through FIXR from 30 November. Organisers said the artist line-ups for both weekends and the full calendar will be announced in the coming months.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Entertainment. Image: IOL Entertainment. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.