10 Reasons to Visit Cape Town in 2026

From a vibrant restaurant scene to the cultural richness of South Africa’s ‘Mother City’, there’s never a shortage of good reasons to visit Cape Town. But 2026 looks set to be an especially memorable year for Cape Town, with a fantastic calendar of events and festivals adding layers of excitement to life in the city. If you’re dreaming of a trip to South Africa and wondering which is the best time to visit, here are 10 fantastic reasons to put Cape Town at the top of your travel to-do list this year.

Cape Town has long been hailed as one of the world’s most welcoming destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers, with De Waterkant – just five minutes’ drive from Ellerman House – playfully dubbed the ‘Pink Quarter’ of the city. In February, Cape Town Pride begins, with a month-long celebration of the city’s gay and queer communities. Inclusive, creative, and unapologetically joyful, the Festival is unmistakably Cape Town in its spirit. The programme builds throughout February, culminating in the Pride Parade and Mardi Gras on Saturday, 28 February 2026.

If you want to feel Cape Town’s creative pulse, time your visit to coincide with the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which runs from 20 to 22 February 2026. For three days, the Cape Town International Convention Centre becomes a gathering place for galleries and collectors, curators and artists, providing a dynamic snapshot of Africa’s contemporary arts energy. Spend your days at the Fair and your afternoons exploring the city’s design and art ecosystem, before ending with a private guided tour of the extensive Ellerman House art collection.

Investec Cape Town Art Fair | If you want to feel Cape Town’s creative pulse, time your visit to coincide with the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which runs from 20 to 22 February 2026. For three days, the Cape Town International Convention Centre becomes a gathering place for galleries and collectors, curators and artists, providing a dynamic snapshot of Africa’s contemporary arts energy. Spend your days at the Fair and your afternoons exploring the city’s design and art ecosystem, before ending with a private guided tour of the extensive Ellerman House art collection.

The Cape Town Carnival (Saturday, 21 March 2026) sees a colourful procession of floats, performers, dance and music take over the streets of the Green Point Fan Walk, a short drive from Ellerman House. This is a Cape celebration for all the senses, rooted in the city’s creative communities.

If you’re a music lover, you’ll find no better celebration of African musical prowess than this spectacular two-day gathering. Over two nights and multiple stages, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (27 & 28 March 2026) programme features world-class talent from across Africa and the diaspora, alongside select international stars. It’s a cornerstone on the city’s cultural calendar, and this year sees everyone from Jacob Collier and Jasmine Myra to Nduduzo Makhathini take to the stage.

Spier Light Art (6 March - 6 April 2026) is one of the Cape’s most memorable after-dark experiences: a self-guided evening walk through large-scale, site-specific light installations that transform the working farm into an open-air gallery at dusk. Ellerman House can arrange chauffeur-driven transfers to this Stellenbosch estate, allowing you to transition seamlessly from sunset cocktails on the Ellerman House terrace to a mesmerising after-dark art adventure. If you love art as much as we do at Ellerman House, it’s a delightful new experience of African creativity, in lights.

With the 2025 event cancelled due to the wind, all eyes are on the 2026 event (Sunday, 24 May) as Cape Town’s signature marathon aims to gain ‘Major’ status alongside the likes of New York, Boston and London. Late May is a superb time of year in Cape Town, with crisp mornings, crystalline light, and gentle winds, making it an ideal weekend for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. The route starts in Green Point, not far from Ellerman House, and traces a 42-kilometre course through the city. Runner or spectator, it’s a fun-filled weekend to be in Cape Town.

Japan has cherry blossoms. Amsterdam has tulips. But here in South Africa, spring flowers are the star attraction, as the fields and veld of the Cape erupt in a dazzling display each spring. August to September is when the flowers are at their best, and while the ultimate petal-powered journey is to Namaqualand in the Northern Cape – an eight-hour drive from Cape Town – you can also marvel at the spectacle closer to the city. Just 90 minutes from Ellerman House is the West Coast National Park, where the flower-rich Postberg section is open for just two months (August/September) at the peak of the flower season! It’s an unforgettable day out from Ellerman House.

The rugged cliffs and coastline of South Africa’s Western Cape make it one of the best places in the world to watch whales from the land, and whether you’re keeping an eye out for breaching Humpbacks or spy-hopping Southern Rights, the Cape waters never disappoint. Whale season along the Cape coast runs from winter into early summer, and October is widely regarded as the best month to visit, especially for Southern Right whales in False Bay and along the Overberg coastline near Hermanus. Our in-house concierge, Yassir Ebrahim, who was recently inducted as a member of the Golden Keys, will be happy to arrange a private guided tour or a helicopter sightseeing tour.