Limited-Series Concerts Bring Ballet, Jazz, Opera and more to Maynardville’s 2026 Open-Air Festival
Maynardville’s Open-Air Festival may be best known for its annual Shakespeare play (a tradition that will be 70 years old in 2026), but the season now offers a full programme of ballet, opera, orchestral and classical concerts, jazz, blues, swing and show tunes. These concerts are once-offs, or last for only two nights, and have become so popular they often sell out weeks in advance.
The 2026 season is bigger and better than it’s ever been. Starting a fresh new year with the tranquil sounds of Shades of Blue on 13 January, featuring Elna van der Merwe on piano, Liesl Stoltz on flute, Dylan Tabisher on drums and marimba, Roxane Steffen on double bass, and David Cyster on clarinet. Audiences can expect works like Sonata Latino by Mike Mower and the Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio by Claude Bolling, among others. The laidback spirit of the summer holidays inspires the next concerts along the jazz theme with Jazz in the Park on 14-15 January – the set includes a series of instrumental jazz classics including well known standards like My Funny Valentine, Take Five and Summertime.
Then it’s the turn of the ever-popular Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra who turn up the tempo with two concerts on 16 and 17 January, that see the full orchestra perform beneath the twilight birdsong and crescent moon. Sixty percent of the tickets are already gone so audiences are advised to book soon.
Fans of ballet will be thrilled to hear that it returns to Maynardville this year with not one but two ballet experiences. It’s a young company but it’s already making waves; Cape Ballet Africa will present Giselle choreographed by the internationally lauded choreographer Maina Gielgud on 20 and 21 January 2026. They’re followed closely by Cape Town City Ballet’s Swingtime (23 and 24 January 2026), which takes audiences through a nostalgic journey of the Big Band Era.
On 8 February, The Charl du Plessis Trio, which comprises pianist Charl du Plessis, bassist Werner Spies and drummer Peter Auret, will perform an early evening concert to end off the summer weekend.
On 15 February, Cape Town Opera will perform Gershwin in the Park, a one-night-only celebration of the golden age of American music. Cape Town Opera are a big Maynardville favourite and this show is already halfway to sold out.
On 22 February and 1 March, The Great American Songbook, will be performed by the Paul Roos Orchestra, conducted by Wessel Odendaal, featuring vocalists – Katlego Maboe (television presenter and performer), Tankiso Mamabolo (Chicago, A Midsummer Night’s Dream & The Tempest) and Amy Campbell (AcaNote, Kinky Boots) as they turn the pages of The Great American Songbook. Audiences can look forward to fully orchestrated renditions of favourites such as Get Happy, Cry Me a River, In the Mood, and Someone to Watch Over Me.
This year’s Shakespeare play (running from 30 January-8 March) is the romantic comedy Twelfth Night, styled in the glamour of the Italian Dolce Vita. Of course, all the Maynardville shows can be enjoyed by arriving early for a dinner at the Food Market, now with a VIP experience that includes premier seating, parking and proximity to the bar!
For the full season of shows and to book tickets visit the website.
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