Cape Town Carnival, South Africa

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What is Cape Town Carnival?

Cape Town Carnival brings art, passion, music and magic year after year to the capital of South Africa. Carnival is one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year and ignites the excitement of all locals and tourists. The Estadio Forecourt is the epicenter of the carnivals, where performances by various artists and musical bands are held throughout the day.

The Cape Town Carnival commemorates and celebrates South African culture through its music, dance and arts and demonstrates how rich its culture is. Although the celebrations take place in March, preparations begin a year in advance so that all the components and elements are as impressive as the previous year.

 

 

The Cape Town Carnivals celebrate the identity of the South African nationality and are held by a non-profit organization. These festivities bring with them a sense of nationalism that brings thousands of people together each year to celebrate during the most colorful and joyous season of the year.

 

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When is the Cape Town Carnival

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Despite not having a specific date the festivities are usually held between February and March. Admission to the carnival is free, however, tickets are offered at different prices for access to more comfortable spaces with seating and other amenities, as well as other exclusive events.

 

 

Cape Town Carnival History

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The Cape Town Carnival is relatively new, having been held for the first time in 2010 as a means of local expression to contribute to thecultural and historical movement of the region. Despite this, in recent years it has been attended by up to 51,000 people coming from all parts of the country.

Since its inception, the Cape Carnivals have had a theme that is renewed every year. Thus, each of the groupings must prepare to design all carnival elements to stand out from the crowd.

 

Where is the Cape Town Carnival?

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Cape Town Carnivals are held in thecapital of South Africa, specifically in the Green Point region. Some of the most persoanlty attractions are held at the city’s Stadio Forecourt.

 

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How the Cape Town Carnival is celebrated

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Cape Town Carnivals are celebrated with a lot of color and lights, but above all with the passion to publicize traditions and culture. During the festivities there are different events that you can attend, some of these are the main street parade, the light show, the concerts of traditional and modern music and thedances held by the different carnival groups.

The dances that take place during the carnivals enjoy an incredible scenography. In addition, each of the groups that participate in these events, develops a sensational presentation full of color, music, dance and flashy costumes.

 

Tips for going to the Cape Town Carnival

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We recommend you plan your trip, itinerary and accommodation in advance to enjoy the carnivals in Cape Town. We recommend that, if you prefer to attend the carnivals in a more comfortable way, you go to the different agencies and purchase entrance tickets that offer more complete services.

 

 

Events at Cape Town Carnival

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Cape Town Carnivals begin with a celebration of different artistic expressions, including live music by local artists. This is followed by dances that are laden with history and traditional features of the country. The dancers carry colorful garments, dresses, colorful patterns and accessories that dazzle all spectators of the celebration.

There are also live concerts of traditional South African music, as well as various genres such as jazz influenced by American musicians who come to celebrate carnivals. Likewise, there are also events of more modern music such as rap, hip-hop and electronic music.

We cannot forget the iconic parades, which are loaded with colors, culture and live music that accompany the dance steps of the participating groups.

 

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Cape Town Carnival Parades

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For several hours, 50 groups, imposing floats and colorful costumes take to the streets of Green Point to put on one of the city’s biggest shows. All visitors, residents and tourists alike, watch in amazement as all the groups perform an impeccable artistic and theatrical piece.

 

 

Main streets and avenues close to give all the space to the carnival parade. The parade starts at 7 p.m., extending late into the night. Along with the parades, different light shows, colorful costumes, carriages and different dance shows and live music are also added.

 

Parade route

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The parade takes as its stage the main artery of the city where you can find several stops and points where people can watch the celebration or stop for a bite to eat.

 

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What to eat at the Cape Town Carnival

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During the carnival celebration in Cape Town, you can consume food at the various points where food stalls are located. There is a lot of fast food, however, you can also find typical food of the region such as Bobotie which consists of spicy minced meat with egg or samosas..

Cape Town gives you some options if you want to wander around the city and try the food that the locals have to offer. Some of the locals that the city has to offer you are GOLD Restaurant, Miller’s Thumb or The Pot Luck Club that offer different types of food, such as Mediterranean, local, international or vegetarian.

 

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Travel Insurance

 

From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurances. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do inside the Cape Town Carnival

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You can participate in the different events that occur during the Cape Town Carnival such as attending live concerts of different musical genres both local and international. You can also attend the parades and light shows. Finally, don’t forget to visit the food stalls available along the street where the parade takes place.

If you don’t want to complicate things, you can book interesting tours in Spanish in this city here:.

 

What to see and do outside of the Cape Town Carnival

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If you wish to visit the different tourist spots that Cape Town has to offer, you can visit the following places:

 

Boulders Beach

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It is a protected beach due to the colony of African penguins that settled on the beach since 1982. It is a major tourist site of the city and is part of Table Mountain National Park.

 

Table Mountain

is a mountain that is part of Table Mountain National Park, is one of the most important natural tourist attractions in Cape Town and to access it is necessary to use the cable car or through the various tours that reach the top.

 

Kirstenbosch

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It is the largest botanical garden in South Africa and is managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). It has 528 hectares of which 470 is natural vegetation of the area and 58 the different gardens that have been conditioned for visits.

Also if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city we recommend that you book your ticket in advance through Tiquets: .

 

Cape Town Carnival Safety

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Cape Town is a completely safe and friendly city with tourists coming to this wonderful city. If you wish to come and spend carnivals here, you will feel right at home.

As always, we recommend you to keep your valuables in a safe place to avoid theft and loss. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your valuables safe:

 

 

Cape Town Carnival Weather

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During the months of the carnival celebration, the city offers quite pleasant weather. The temperature is around 25 degrees Celsius which makes the city quite pleasant warm weather.

 

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How to get to the Cape Town Carnival

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How to get there by plane

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The closest airport to Cape Town Carnival is Cape Town International Airport. From here you can approach the carnivals through the different means of transport that the city offers you.

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by bus

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From the airport you can take the A01 line to Green Point. The ride takes about two hours and the cost ranges from $15 to $17.

 

How to get there by car

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The city of Cape Town offers you different car transportation services such as Uber, cab or even by private car. To get to the carnivals, you can take the main road and the journey takes about 20 minutes.

 

Where to stay at Cape Town Carnival

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Booking.com

 

The New Tulbagh Hotel

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3-star hotel located 800 meters from the city center. It offers well-equipped modern facilities. The hotel offers bicycle rental, free Wi-Fi and a la carte restaurant. All rooms feature a TV and desk.

 

Radisson RED Hotel V&A Waterfront Cape Town

Hotel located 1.8 kilometers from the city center. The hotel’s decor is one of its major attractions. The rooms are equipped with television, private bathrooms with different toiletries. It offers free internet and a swimming pool.

 

AC Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Waterfront

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4-star hotel located 1.4 kilometers from the city center. Rooms are equipped with free internet, satellite TV, closet, air conditioning and private bathroom with basic toiletries as well as hairdryer. The hotel offers buffet-style restaurant.

We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.

 

Thank you for reading

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