The Cape Town Carnival, the Mother City’s colourful celebration of creativity, culture and the performing arts, returns to Green Point on Saturday, 15 March 2025. The City would like to advise residents and spectators on the logistics for event day. Read more below:
The Cape Town Carnival’s 15th anniversary celebrations include a number of headline performers, including YoungstaCPT, DJ Ready D, Bravo Le Roux, Paxton Fielies and the SA Youth Choir.
There will be appearances by the DHL Stormers, the Drag Cartel and Rio’s Carnival’s Queen of the Drums, Erika Januza.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services as well as Law Enforcement officers will form part of the carnival opening.
They will be joined by around 1 500 performers from across the city, who will entertain thousands of spectators on Green Point Main Road and Somerset Road for the three-hour carnival.
A celebration of creativity and culture, the Cape Town Carnival features massive vibrant floats, costumes and performers.
‘It really has been incredible to witness the Cape Town Carnival’s growth from an event with just over 11 000 spectators on Long Street in 2010 to a fully-fledged festival attracting around 30 000 people. Over the last 15 years, the carnival has become an unmissable, family-friendly event celebrating our country’s diversity, culture, creativity, and the arts while promoting a sense of community. For the City of Cape Town, being part of the carnival’s growth has been a source of pride not only for the way in which the event has shone a global spotlight on our city, but its dedication to providing a platform to develop talented performers, artisans who design the floats, costume designers and production specialists,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
In addition to the traditional parade on Somerset Road and Green Point Main Road, the carnival will also have an entertainment village with a stage for performances by some of the city’s top acts and food trucks.
The village, located near the parade starting point, will have performances from 15:00 until midnight, including an after party headlined by DJ Ready D and YoungstaCPT. The carnival parade will kick off at 18:00 and takes performers from the intersection of York Road and Main Road to the end point in Chiappini Street.
Entry to watch the carnival is free; however, members of the public can also reserve a spot in the seated area at R480 and VIP tickets are also available at Quicket.
Residents and motorists are advised that due to the Carnival, several roads in the Green Point Area will be impacted.
A comprehensive list of road closures is available here: https://bit.ly/3XFaUPe
Carnival goers are advised and encouraged to find parking in the following areas (note, some of these are paid parking):
· Heritage Square: Buitengracht Street
· Cape Quarter: Hudson Street
· Battery Park & Breakwater Parking: V&A Waterfront
· P14: Greenpoint Main Road (Sea Point approach)
· Green Point Park: Helen Suzman Boulevard
There will also be dedicated e-hailing drop-off points at:
· 52 Waterkant Street
· 1 Port Road
· 11 Upper Portswood Road
· Green Point Park: Helen Suzman Boulevard
For more information on the Cape Town Carnival and other events hosted in Cape Town, visit www.eventsincapetown.com
