What’s on in Cape Town this month
Music
Under a marquee on the lawn outside the Gugulethu sports complex in 2005 or so, Simphiwe Dana held a crowd of about 1,000 adoring fans in thrall. Her debut album, Zandisile, had been out for less than a year, and everyone in the crowd knew every word of every song. Simphiwe followed up with the One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street in 2006 and has released an album every five years since then. Now we get a chance to see her again at the Baxter Concert Hall on 27 and 28 June in Simphiwe Dana: 20 years of song. Tickets cost R600, the show starts at 7.30 pm. Enjoy.
The Two Oceans Aquarium and Texx and the City present After Dark 2025, a stripped-down series of performances throughout winter. First acts are pop-punk artist Anica Kiana, followed by alt-rock band Faker Streets on 25 June. Doors open at 6:30 pm, come early to explore the Two Ocean Aquarium in the nightlight before the music. The first act opens at 8pm and the second at 9pm. A cash bar and snacks will be available. Tickets cost R395, book here.
Old-school UK jazz-funk band Shakatak are reviving their glory days at Grandwest Arena on 28 June from 8 pm. Enjoy a lil’ hip wiggle to pop hits ‘Night Birds’, ‘Down on the Street’, and ‘Easier Said Than Done.’ Founded in 1980 by Bill Sharpe, Nigel Wright, Roger O’dell, and Keith Winter, the English jazz-funk band has released over 50 CDs and several DVDs since. Tickets range from R250 to R495 and are available on Ticketmaster.
FreshlyGround headlines a fundraiser on 13 June at the Observatory Community Hall, hosted by Animals Have Rights 2 in support of Happy Tails Langa. Lineup includes Congo Cowboys, Lwando, Gifted DJ, and MC Mswi. A proper jive, a lekker jol! Tickets include a meal, and all proceeds go toward helping animals in need. This is a cashless, limited-ticket event. Book early on Quicket for R400. Tickets are R500 at the door. Think of all the freezing puppies you can help by eating good food and dancing to great live music. Book here.
For dreamy, magical date night vibes, see the Candlelight Concerts this June. A rotating cast of string quartets performs Vivaldi, Queen, Adele – all baking in the waxy glow of hundreds of candles at the Norval Foundation in Tokai. Usually less than an hour, ticket prices range from R350 to R715. Dying to know how this isn’t a fire hazard. Check out their vast array of evenings and book tickets through Fever.
Theatre
Continuing its run from until 14 June at the Baxter Theatre is Paul Slabolepszy’s Bitter Winter, directed by Lesedi Job and starring André Odendaal, Oarabile Ditsele, and Chantal Stanfield. In this old-dog-new-dog dynamic, a dusty former Shakespearean actor, Jean-Louis Lourens, and rising TV star, Prosper Mangane, collide at an audition for Six Guns at Sesriem as they await a hot-shot American director. Reviews project the show as a well-made, deeply personal reflection from one of SA’s theatre legends. ”Slab” as he is often referred to, is a founding member of the Space Theatre, the country’s first non-racial theatre company, and the world-renowned Market Theatre in Joburg. Tickets range from R160 to R220. Available on Webtickets.
The Baxter Theatre’s permanent company in residence, Fires Burning, reignites Arthur Schnitzler’s 1897 La Ronde in a dark, sensual web of ten bodies and ten encounters. Directed by Leila Henriques, the show stars Berenice Barbier and Aidan Scott alongside the Fires Burning ensemble: Awethu Hleli, Lyle October, Tamzin Daniels, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe, and Carlo Daniels. A sultry take on desire, consent, power and vanity. Runs at the Baxter Studio from 20 June to 12 July. PG16. Tickets range from R160 to R190, available on Webtickets.
Cottonwool Kid at Theatre Arts, Observatory, on June 6,7 and 8, directed by Sylvaine Strike, performed by Toni Morkel and written by the pair. Loosely based on some of Toni Morkel’s autobiographical material, little girl CK journeys with her loyal dog Luigi, digging through the burdens left by careless parents. Morkel and Strike are phenomenal theatre makers and performers. Morkel has worked in theatre for more than 40 years as actor, director, and teacher. Strike was Fleur Du Cap Best Director in 2024 for her direction of Spring Awakening. They have a long history of collaboration and have made exceptional work. Cottonwool Kid was first performed at POPArt, in Jourg in 2018 and nominated for a Naledi Award for best independent theatre production. Physical Theatre magic like this is rare. There are only three shows. I would watch all three if I could afford it. Tickets cost R180 available on the Theatre Arts website.
East London’s Kerry Hiles returns to Cape Town with cabaret The Story Of Eva Cassidy at Cafe Roux, Noordhoek on Friday, 27 June. Hiles is a proper, talented professional. Don’t expect big theatrical budget. Go to hear her sing and play guitar with the Misery Loves Company band: guitarist Rob Thompson, and Kristo Zondagh on drums. Ache a little at the retelling of Cassidy’s life story. The show won a Standard Bank Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival in 2022 and has been loved by audiences across SA. If you are looking for an easy evening, it’ll bring some life back into a cold heart. Tickets cost R170, show starts at 7:30 pm, (doors open 6 pm). Tickets here.
A part of the Jozi Season at Theatre Arts, the dystopian Take Me To Town foresees a post-apocalyptic world where coal is king, the Karoo’s gas empire powers a ruthless capital, and the poor are forced underground. Running from 17 to 22 June, and directed and written by Thabiso T. Rammala, a powerful cast performs this fable about love, loss, and human heart versus steel machine money. Choreographed by Ernest ‘Ginger’ Baleni (Vuyani Dance Theatre) and musical director Sibusizo Mkhize (iPhupho Lika Biko), performed by Darlington Khoza, Moagi Kai, and Zethu Dhlomo-Mphahlele, with live music by Lufzo Bhovungane, Nandi Zulu, Mandisa Yende, and Katlego Mollo. Tickets cost R140 available on Webtickets.
Nightlife & Happenings
After five years, handmade African ice cream café Tapi Tapi is closing its doors. They’re hosting a farewell on Sunday, 1 June from 12 to 6 pm at 76 Lower Main Road, Observatory. All stock of their delicious treats must go, so bring your wallet and savour what could be the last of a beloved local business. A tasting of their five-year reserve sorghum and teff spirit at 3 pm.Q&A, musings and reflections at 4 pm. “We are taking the time to recognise the moment and where we have come from, celebrating with friends old and new. Please come along and mark the moment with us,” said their social media closure announcement.Find them at https://www.tapitapi.co.za/
Cape Town’s infamous queer party The Death Of Glitter returns to their original haunt at EVOL, 69 Hope Street. This marks the party’s eighth year of causing mischief on the Cape Town streets. To celebrate (which is what they do best) they’ve teamed up with new kid on the block, Bathhouse. Expect a night of sexy, slightly unhinged debauchery and plenty of harnesses. Tickets cost R150 online and R200 at the door.
Festivals
If you like stand-up, the Jive Cape Town Funny Festival runs nearly the whole month at the Baxter with a lineup of local and international acts. Hosted by Dalin Oliver and Alan Committie, expect funnies from Kagiso Mokgadi, Robby Collins, and The Big Boys, plus vaudeville flair from Sweden’s Charlie Caper and Italy’s Baccala Clown. Also featuring Emo and Loukmaan Adams with Terry Fortune. Runs from 2 until 29 June at the Pam Golding Theatre, Baxter. Tickets range from R170 to R250 via Webtickets.
National Arts Festival: 26 June to 6 July
Cape Town shows are heading to Makhanda for the National Arts Festival from 26 June to 6 July. This includes production company Spark in the Dark, who have a dedicated venue, The Spark Hub, located at the Gymnasium at Victoria Girls’ Primary for their lineup. Right next to the Village Green, grab a snack, then go watch a comedy, gear up with a coffee, then see a drama, etc. It looks like you can spend the whole fest at their venue and come back sated:
Their programme includes Gold Standard Bank Ovation winner Sophie Joan’s new solo show Netphlix; Silver Ovation winners Cailyb Prinsloo with What Do You Think the Birds Are Doing?, and Aldo Brincat with MASC, a reworked version of his hit show Arnie. Savannah Comic’s Choice winner Celine Tshika debuts Bad African, and Dara Beth performs all my ex-lovers are dead, which appeared on last year’s curated NAF programme.
Also debuting are four new original solo works: Filled by Tshiamo Moretlwe, Messy by Samantha Carlisle, Solitude by Kamogelo Mhlantla, and Betaman Alphabet by David Schmidt. Popular late-night staples Raunchy Renditions and Play Things also return.
Also performing at the Spark Hub is Ganga Nyoko! Inzima Nyoko!, written by Sibuyiselo Dywili and directed by Siphenathi Siqwayi. The two-hander explores male friendships and buried secrets. Performed by Dywili and Siyamthanda Bangani, it runs at the NAF from 26 – 29 June (PG13). As part of their fundraising effort, they will be filming the production and selling tickets at R50 to help cover travel and accommodation costs.PG 13.
In another Cape Town production, but at a different venue, Erika Breytenbach stars in this dark solo comedy written by Mike van Graan and directed by Toni Morkel, about the absurd rituals of middle-class mourning. I Can Buy Myself Flowers (yes, like the Miley Cyrus song) is set in a funeral parlour and spiralling through floral arrangements and family dysfunction. Performed in English and Afrikaans with subtitles. Running at the NAF from 27 June to 5 July.