Cape Town Carnival 2025 WOWS the Mother City with a spectacular celebration of culture and community
With the rumbling sounds of Harley Davidson motorcycles echoing down Green Point’s Fan Walk, the signal was given for the kickoff of the 15th Cape Town Carnival this weekend.
Capetonians came out in their thousands to watch the annual parade of the city’s finest and most fabulous citizens, including the City of Cape Town firefighters, DHL Stormers rugby players, well known Cape Town artists and community groups from far and wide.
The Cape Town Carnival is a celebration of the diversity that gives the Mother City its special brand of magic. This year’s theme, WowZA!, captured the bold, vibrant energy of Cape Town and South Africa, by celebrating creativity, culture, and community spirit in a truly spectacular way.
The Carnival is also a showcase for the talents of musicians, performers and artisans who work throughout the year to contribute to its success. From belly dancers to brass bands, rollerbladers to traditional dancers, Chinese dragons to drum majorettes, all sectors of society are given their opportunity to shine.
Jay Douwes, Cape Town Carnival CEO, reflected on how the Cape Town Carnival shines a light on the various community performers who take part every year.
“We are privileged to provide a platform for Cape Town’s community artists, allowing them to share their brilliance with the thousands of Carnival-goers who bring this event to life.”
Behind the scenes, skilled artisans have been hard at work for the past year creating fantastical floats to accompany the performers. Players from the DHL Stormers were cheered on as they accompanied their custom “Taking the Cape by Storm” down Somerset Street, while showing off their best moves to distinctly South African tunes.
Over 15 years, the Cape Town Carnival has become a uniquely South African highlight on the city’s cultural calendar, says Rachel Jafta, Chairperson of the Cape Town Carnival Trust.
“What makes the Cape Town Carnival so special is how it has evolved into a truly South African spectacle, reflected in its music, dance, and breathtaking floats. This year’s parade, centred around the theme of WowZA!, was packed with Cape Town’s most iconic elements, and the joy it brought was written on every face that came to watch.”
While the Cape Town Carnival is a proudly local showcase, its focus is also on celebrating our common humanity and creativity. Echoing this theme, a special guest at this year’s event was Brazil’s Erika Januza, who has held the official title ‘Queen of the Drums’ for three years at the Rio Carnival.
The floats celebrated iconic elements of the city, and so did the line-up of performers: YoungstaCPT rocked the crowd atop his Gatsby float; hip hop sensation Bravo Le Roux joined the parade for the first time; and Paxton Fielies, one of Cape Town’s brightest stars, also starred.
MMC for Safety and Security JP Smith – who also participated in the parade – touched on the event’s important role in uniting Mother City residents.
“Aside from creating jobs, boosting the economy and being one of the eight signature events in our city, what the Cape Town Carnival does best is social cohesion. This is an incredibly diverse event, people from all walks of life come here and it’s at times like this that we are reminded that Capetonians are one and have a common identity and that there is more that unites us than sets us apart,” he said.
The Cape Town Carnival’s role in bringing the Mother City together was highlighted by Hennie Myburgh, Station Manager of Kfm 94.5.
“It is always amazing to be at the Cape Town Carnival as we are longstanding partners of the event. It is great to see Cape Town come together to celebrate this incredibly joyous night, so we are really proud to be part of it.”
Connect with Cape Town Carnival on social media:
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Sponsors and Partners of the programmes and event:
City of Cape Town, Multichoice and DStv, National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, National Lotteries Commission, Media24 including News24 & Netwerk24, Western Cape Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and the Premier’s Office, Kfm94.5, Southern Sun, People’s Post, Tygerburger and City Vision, Tractor, Media24 Lifestyle: Huisgenoot, You, Kuier, Drum and Via, Wesgro, Okushal Beyond Cordial, Coca Cola Peninsula Beverages, City Sightseeing South Africa
