Cape Town Minstrel Carnival
Cape Town's biggest and most raucous carnival sees the city celebrating the advent of the New Year with numerous festivals, competitions and extravagant parades.
The event pays tribute to the tradition of the minstrel entertainers who stopped by Cape Town on American ocean liners over 100 years ago. The banjo music, spirituals and black face paint that all made such a big impression so long ago are all a big feature of the Carnival today. Costumed dancers, banjo-picking musicians, parades, marches, competitions and street festivals guarantee that the year begins on the biggest possible high.
The street parade on the first weekend starts in District Six and there are plenty of South African wares and mouth-watering local delicacies on sale along the route, attracting crowds of over 80,000.
The event then turns to its contests. Dance, singing, field events and costume competitions are performed at the Green Point Stadium, where locals with a thirst for the limelight can compete for a coveted prize at the grand finale at the end of the carnival.
Former President Nelson Mandela endorsed the event in 1986 and is now a patron of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association. The details for this whole carnival are rather last-minute, so don't be afraid to ask around. It's a big deal and anyone will be able to fill you in on what's happening.
Related Information
Website: Cape Town Events Website
| Venue Information: | District 6 |
|---|---|
| Full Name: | District 6,Cape Town,South Africa |
| Address: | Bill Peters' Drive |
| Directions: | District Six is in the centre of Cape Town. |
| Other Information: | District 6 |
| Website: | City of Cape Town Website |
| Name: | Cape Town Tourism Information Centre |
|---|---|
| Location: | Cape Town |
| Address: | Pinnacle Building, corner Burg & Castle St, Cape Town, South Africa |
| Email: | info@cape-town.org |
| Phone: | +27 (0) 21 426 4260 |
| Fax: | +27 (0) 21 426 4266 |
| Name: | Western Cape Tourism |
| Location: | Western Cape |
| Address: | Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Private Bag X9108Cape Town, 8000, South Africa |
| Email: | info@tourismcapetown.co.za |
| Phone: | +27 (0) 21 426 5639 |
| Fax: | +27 (0) 21 426 5640 |
| Name: | |
| Location: | South Africa |
| Name: | Northern Cape Tourism Authority |
| Location: | South Africa |
| Address: | Private Bag X5017, Kimberley, 8300, South Africa |
| Email: | northerncapetourism@telkomsa.net |
| Phone: | +27 (0) 53 832 2657 / +27 (0) 53 832 2643 / +27 (0) 53 (0) 831 2789 |
| Fax: | +27 (0) 53 831 2937 |
| Name: | South Africa Tourist Office |
| Location: | South Africa |
| Address: | 442 Rigel Ave South, Erasmusrand, Pretoria, South Africa |
| Email: | satour@icon.co.za |
| Phone: | +27 (0) 12 347 0600 |
| Fax: | +27 (0) 12 347 8753 |
