Cape Town’s Northern suburbs is getting its first major culture showcase, dubbed the Kultura Festival! While it’s a suburb, people here lovingly refer to it as the “town”. A town with a fresh water well that was sunk by the VOC in the 1600s; which was inhabited long before then by the Khoisan; which has Cape Dutch buildings in streets named after Oxford and the queen. And that is surrounded by the gentlest hills – sometimes green as young wheat, sometimes canola yellow, sometimes deep red from ripe grape clusters.
In proper Kaaps you can say: “Dit gaan aan hier!”
Surrounded by so much history, it is only fitting that Durbanville gets its own cultural festival. And, of course, it is symbolic that the Kultura Festival kicks off in the year that Afrikaans’ 100th year is celebrated as an official language.
Curro Durbanville High School is the host of the Kultura Festival, which takes place from 20 to 27 June, 2025. All festival events will also be presented on the school’s campus. High school head Isa Swanepoel says, “There is nothing that brings a community as close as culture, music and language. These things directly speak to the heart.”
Curated and hand-picked
The newcomer to the annual cultural calendar’s line-up has been carefully curated and hand-picked to offer something for every taste. Big names will bring their productions to Durbanville, such as Sandra Prinsloo, who will be seen in the multi-award-winning war drama Kamphoer, the ever-popular Marion Holm in Marion Monroe and comedians Marc Lottering and Barry Hilton.
The Cape Town Junior Philharmonic Orchestra will perform with Zanne Stapelberg and rapper Early B will get those feet moving with DJ Justin Vega.
Two competitions for high school students also form part of the festival. The Band Battle offers high school bands the opportunity to show their steel. Schools across the Western Cape can enter and Francois van Coke will act as the main judge on the evening of the reckoning, after which he and his whole band will perform too.
The other challenge for learners is the brand new Nou praat jy! public speaking competition to be contested at national level. Schools are encouraged to enter their top team (two speakers), and the theme is Afrikaans – ‘n taal van kleure en klank. There are two categories: Afrikaans Home Language and Afrikaans First Additional Language.
Solid cash prizes are up for grabs for both competitions. More information is up on Facebook, Instagram and Curro Durbanville High School’s website. In the meantime, get the ball rolling – the closing date for both competitions is 24 April.
Festival of wines
Wine farms such as Nitida, Maastricht, Canto, Meerendal, Klein Roosboom and Groot Phesantekraal will bring their best wines to the Kultura Wine Festival. On the weekend of 20 to 22 June, festival-goers will have the opportunity to taste the area’s wines and enjoy snacks in between shows.
In a nutshell
Kultura Festival in Durbanville, Cape Town
From 20 to 27 June, 2025
Get more info Here
Book your Kultura tickets at Quicket
Top picture: Early B; Middle: Comedian Barry Hilton. Bottom: Francois van Coke
