Maynardville Open-Air Festival’s Twelfth Night Extended!
Maynardville’s bumper 70th year season has been so popular with audiences that the organisers have extended the Festival by an additional week. At the time of release, Maynardville Open-Air Festival had seen 19 578 people come through the gates this year. An additional 4323 school learners have travelled from across the province to enjoy the Shakespeare schools’ nights. The extension means that Cape Town can look forward to another week of this season’s sleek Shakespearean comedy, Twelfth Night, with the final performance taking place on Saturday 14 March 2026.
Says Maynardville Open-Air Festival’s Executive Producer, Jaco van Rensburg,
“We’re blown away by the warm reception we’ve had this season. It’s clear that a whole new generation of theatre goers are enjoying the classics, and the Bard’s Twelfth Night still hits all the right notes with audiences 425 years later! We’re very grateful to director Steven Stead, his stellar creative team and the outstanding cast who’ve really pulled something magical together in this slick, 100 minute version of a much-loved play that has seen a number of outings at Maynardville over the years.”
The Maynardville experience now has a prelude; pre-show ambience in the form of food trucks, a full bar and pop-up coffee station where patrons meet and enjoy a bite to eat before the show. The beautiful park in Wynberg is the ideal setting as it’s protected from the wind by a natural amphitheatre of trees which is dramatically lit to form a backdrop to the shows.
This year’s Maynardville Open-Air Festival kicked off on 13 January, taking audiences on a journey through jazz, orchestra, ballet, opera, show tunes and classical music – all with a Swingtime theme woven into the artistic experience.
Two more Sunday night performances also lie ahead with The Great American Songbook on Sunday 22 February and Sunday 1 March. The Paul Roos Orchestra, led by conductor, Wessel Odendaal, teams up with some of the country’s finest vocalists including Tankiso Mamabolo (Chicago, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest), Amy Campbell (AcaNote, Kinky Boots) and Katlego Maboe (former SABC 3 Expresso Show Presenter) – as well as the dynamic singing ensemble Track 5, a five-voice a cappella group that specialises in classic jazz standards and popular music. Audiences can expect a line-up of classics by Gershwin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington delivered with smooth swing, soulful ballads and irresistible rhythms to make for the perfect Sunday sundowner.
Maynardville’s Open-Air Festival is made possible through the support of its partners and sponsors. In particular, the City of Cape Town came on board to support the 2026 season. Executive Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis said:
“The Maynardville Open-Air Festival is one of Cape Town’s most loved and well-attended performing arts events, and it is truly wonderful to celebrate 70 years of this amazing tradition in 2026. From ballet and exquisite music performances to the longest running Shakespeare in the Park presentation on the African continent, these open-air shows under the trees in Wynberg are such a uniquely Cape Town experience, and we could not be prouder to support the festival.”
Show Information
William Shakespeare’s, Twelfth Night
Venue:
Maynardville Open-Air Festival
Dates:
Friday, 30 January 2026 to Saturday, 14 March 2026 (Extended)
Tickets:
From R212 on sale via Quicket
Pensioners & Students : 15% off on Premium and Tier 2 tickets
For school block bookings, or ticket enquiries email Boxoffice@maynardville.co.za
Call the box office from 14h00 – 17h00 Monday to Friday on 069 792 6020
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