October has arrived, and with it comes Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to shine a brighter light on something that affects every family, every community and every one of us: our mental health. And for more than three decades, the Cape Town International Kite Festival has taken that message into the sky, turning colour, movement and the simple joy of flying a kite into a powerful reminder that mental health matters.
Now in its 32nd year, the festival returns to Youngsfield Military Base in Ottery on 24 and 25 October, 2026, inviting South Africans to #ColourTheSky while standing together in support of mental health awareness.
Why fly a kite?
Every year, thousands of people look to the skies as giant kites dance above Cape Town. They see colour. They see creativity. They see something joyful. But for Cape Mental Health, there is always something more behind the spectacle: It flies because mental health deserves to be seen; because conversations about mental health should not be hidden behind closed doors; because even when life brings difficult winds, there is always hope that we can rise – particularly when we have the support of the people around us.
“Mental Health Awareness Month gives us an important opportunity to remind people that mental health is part of our everyday lives. It is not something we should only talk about when someone reaches a crisis point,” says Professor Ingrid Daniels, CEO of Cape Mental Health. “The Kite Festival allows us to have these conversations in a supportive and inclusive environment. When people come together, when they talk, when they connect and when they understand that they are not alone, we begin to break down the stigma that prevents so many people from reaching out for help.”
The need for that conversation
South Africa’s South African Stress and Health (SASH) study estimated that 16.5% of adults experienced a common mental disorder within a 12-month period, while approximately 30.3% experienced one during their lifetime. At the same time, stigma, limited resources and other barriers continue to make it difficult for many people to access the support they need.
Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion people live with a mental health condition.
Behind every statistic, however, is a person.
A mother. A father. A child. A friend. A colleague. A neighbour.
Someone who may be struggling silently.
Someone who may not know how to ask for help.
Someone who may simply need somebody to ask, “Are you really okay?”
Look out for one another
This is what makes the Cape Town International Kite Festival so much more than a day out. For Cape Mental Health, the festival is a platform to bring people together and create space for conversations that can make a difference. Every colourful kite becomes part of a bigger message: that mental health belongs in our homes, our schools, our workplaces and our communities.
And this year’s theme, #ColourTheSky, could not be more fitting.
Colour brings people together. It crosses language, age and cultural barriers. It can create joy in difficult moments and transform an ordinary sky into something extraordinary. Just as every kite brings its own colour to the sky, every person has a role to play in creating communities where people feel seen, heard and supported.
“We want people to look up and see more than beautiful kites,” says Professor Daniels. “We want them to see hope. We want them to remember that every person has a story, that struggles are not always visible, and that reaching out can make an enormous difference. Most importantly, we want people to know that they do not have to face mental health challenges alone.”
From awareness action
The message of Mental Health Awareness Month cannot end with awareness alone. It has to become action. That can mean checking in on someone you care about. Listening without judgement. Learning more about mental health. Challenging stigma when you hear it. Encouraging someone to seek professional support. Or simply creating a community where people feel safe enough to say, “I’m not okay.”
The Cape Town International Kite Festival helps turn that awareness into tangible support. Every ticket purchased and every donation made helps Cape Mental Health continue providing essential mental health services to vulnerable communities across the Western Cape. The organisation currently reaches more than 71 000 service users and family members through 22 mental health intervention programmes.
Look up. Look around you. Start a conversation. Check in. Listen. Reach out.
And when the skies above Cape Town burst into colour, remember why we fly. Because mental health matters. Because connection matters. Because hope matters. And because together, we can #ColourTheSky.
In a nutshell
Cape Town International Kite Festival
On 24–25 October 2026
At Youngsfield Military Base, Ottery
Tickets via Quicket: https://bit.ly/CTKiteFest2026
Follow @CTKiteFest
