Joburg and Cape Town Gear Up for a May Day Weekend of Culture, Comedy, and Music

Key facts

• Savanna Comics' Choice Awards take place Saturday 2 May at Northgate.
• Wits International Vocal and Chamber Music Festival runs 30 April – 22 May.
• KAMERS/Makers market runs 30 April – 3 May at St David's Marist Inanda, Sandton.
• Comic Con Cape Town runs 30 April – 3 May at CTICC.
• Notting Hill screening at Kirstenbosch on 1 May at 5:30pm.
• Blue Nation festival at Carnival City on Saturday 2 May.

A Long Weekend of Events Across Two Cities

South Africa's May Day long weekend brings a dense calendar of cultural events, with Johannesburg and Cape Town hosting dozens of activities from Thursday 30 April through Sunday 3 May 2026. While Durban's formal events calendar is light, the two main cities offer a broad range of music, comedy, markets, and film. The weekend's headline comedy event is the Savanna Comics' Choice Awards on Saturday 2 May at Northgate, South Africa's biggest celebration of stand-up comedy. The awards ceremony itself is accompanied by a full evening of performances, making it an industry event worth attending for anyone who follows local comedy.

Music and Performance Take Centre Stage

The Wits International Vocal and Chamber Music Festival runs from 30 April to 22 May, featuring multiple concerts. On Thursday 30 April at 19:00, tenor Musa Nkuna and pianist Vera Osina perform a Lieder Recital at the Wits Chris Seabrooke Music Hall. Friday 1 May at 19:00 features a Cello-Piano Duo Concert with Gang Wang (violoncello) and Vera Osina (piano). Saturday 2 May at 16:00 sees the Giuseppe Verdi Requiem performed at Holy Trinity Church by the Gauteng Choristers, Junger Kammerchor München, Wits Music Department, Choir and Johannesburg Philharmonic. Also on Saturday 2 May, the Blue Nation festival takes place at Carnival City, offering a full day of music, food and entertainment. The Kulture Fest runs from Thursday 30 April to Friday 1 May at Marcanā Sandton, celebrating African culture through music, fashion and food.

Markets, Art, and Film Offer Diverse Options

KAMERS/Makers, South Africa's leading showcase of local creativity, runs from 30 April to 3 May at St David's Marist Inanda in Sandton. The curated platform features fashion, homeware, jewellery, art, design and food. A Single Day Pass costs R110, an All Week Pass R150. On Friday 1 May at 15:00, the exhibition "Between Here and Elsewhere" opens at Javett-UP in Pretoria, featuring the Tlhagella Top 10 Emerging Artists. The programme, funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, supports emerging underrepresented visual artists from Tshwane and Gauteng. The exhibition runs until August 2026 and includes works by Abdullah Akram, Hulisani Khorombi, Kgothatso Clinton Mokale, Mohapi Pepenene, Patience Kekana, Regina Manapo Makoae, Senzelw'umusa Mathe, Thandi Baloyi, Thato Mothobi and Ziyanda Mkhosana. In Cape Town, the Notting Hill film screening at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on Friday 1 May from 5:30pm is one of the most beloved formats in the city's events calendar and consistently sells out. Tickets are available via Computicket or the Kirstenbosch website.

Comedy, Theatre, and Community Events

Theatre options include Pretty Woman: The Musical continuing at Teatro at Montecasino through 24 May, and a well-received production at Theatre on the Square running through 3 May, described as sad, amusing and uplifting. Comic Con Cape Town officially opens on Thursday 30 April and runs through Sunday 3 May at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, drawing fans from across the country. On Saturday 2 May, the Old Cape Quarter Thrift Fest takes place at Old Cape Quarter Development from 9:30am, a monthly thrift market with clothing, accessories and homeware. Musician Koos Kombuis performs at Noordhoek Farm Village from 6pm. The Cape Town Yarn Festival runs across Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 May at Fish Hoek High School, a two-day celebration for fibre craft enthusiasts with South African yarn exhibitors, workshops and space to work alongside other makers. Tickets from R85 via Quicket. On Sunday 3 May, the VWS Trail Challenge takes place from 7am at Gardens Rugby Club, while John Ellis and Jono Tait perform at Alma Café in Rosebank from 6pm. Comic Con Cape Town continues through Sunday at the CTICC.

A Weekend for Every Taste

The long weekend offers something for nearly every interest, from classical music and comedy to thrift shopping and film screenings under the stars. The KULTURE Blues event on 1 May at Breezeblock Café in Brixton combines needlework, books and music from 14:00 to 22:00, with tickets at R150. For those seeking a quieter pace, the KAMERS/Makers market provides a relaxed daytime browsing experience in an elegant marquee, with panel discussions and coffee. The Wits festival's multiple concerts offer classical music enthusiasts a rich programme spanning lieder, chamber music and a full requiem. As the weekend unfolds, both cities demonstrate their capacity to host large-scale cultural events simultaneously, drawing locals and visitors alike into a vibrant tapestry of entertainment and community.

The bottom line

• The Savanna Comics' Choice Awards on 2 May is the weekend's premier comedy event in Johannesburg.
• Wits International Vocal and Chamber Music Festival offers five concerts from 30 April to 22 May, including Verdi's Requiem.
• KAMERS/Makers market showcases South African creativity with over 100 exhibitors in Sandton.
• Comic Con Cape Town runs four days at the CTICC, attracting national fans.
• Notting Hill at Kirstenbosch on 1 May is a sell-out outdoor film screening.
• The Old Cape Quarter Thrift Fest on 2 May is a monthly market for clothing and homeware.