Mzansi culture calendar: What’s going down this October

October is widely regarded as the busiest month for events. There are events for everyone and every niche, from music and festivals to art and theatre.

It can be difficult to keep up with the flood of announcements and promotional videos and decide which events you want to attend and how to plan for them.

Also see: Scorpion Kings Live concert’s security detail causes division among South Africans

Here is a list of events that are happening in the country.

Festivals

• Cape Town: 3 October
• Johannesburg: 4 October

What to expect: Live music featuring Isaiah Rashad, RUM.GOLD, Sinéad Harnett, and local artists. Marcus Harvey is also listed for the Johannesburg programme.

 

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• Date: 31 October
• Location: Durban

What to expect: A Halloween-weekend music and entertainment event.

 

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• When: 10 October
• Venue: Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg

What to expect: A street- and hip-hop-style event with graffiti, dance, streetwear, food stalls, and cultural activations. With musical acts from Cassper Nyovest, Emtee, Blxckie, Stogie T, Reason, Trompies, Tuks, and more.

 

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Music

• Cape Town: 17 October, GrandWest
• Pretoria: 18 October, SunBet Arena

What to expect: A night of live R&B built around Ne-Yo’s greatest hits.

 

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 Homecoming Events

• When: 3 October
• Venue: Pretoria Botanical Gardens

What to expect: A night of music, with performances by Uncle Waffles, Focalistic, Zee Nxumalo, and A-Reece, among many others.

 

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• Pretoria: 3 October, SunBet Arena
• Cape Town: 6 October, GrandWest Arena

Fans can expect a night of live performances from the British rapper as part of his South African dates.

 

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Also see: Tamar Braxton announced to perform at Ndlala Grandeur

Art

• Opening: 1 October
• Venue: South African Sendinggestig Museum, 40 Long Street, Cape Town

The showcase consisted of emerging visual artists supported by the City of Cape Town’s Emerging Artists Programme.

 

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• Dates: 14–17 October
• Locations: UCT campuses, Cape Town city centre and Langa

What to expect: Approximately 30 free performances and installations combining dance, theatre, music and visual art. The programme will also include screenings, discussions and outdoor lectures.

Theatre and film

• Johannesburg season opens: 16 October
• Venue: The Teatro, Montecasino, Fourways

What to expect: The ABBA musical follows Sophie as she invites three possible fathers to her wedding. The production features songs including Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, and Take a Chance on Me.

• Dates: 22–25 October
• Venue: The Baxter, Cape Town

What to expect: The musical stylings of Mozart’s opera about the seductive and amoral Don Giovanni, staged by Opera UCT with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

• Dates: 4, 10 and 11 October
• Venue: The Bioscope, 44 Stanley, Johannesburg

What to expect: A showing of experimental and unconventional films, including Super 8, archival material, stop-motion animation and digitally produced work.

Also see: DVSN and Eric Benet join Ndlala Grandeur line-up