GUIDES · CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Key Facts
- —Date Saturday 23 January 2027, with a second South African show in Pretoria on Sunday 24 January.
- —Venue Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Rhodes Drive, Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa.
- —Doors and start Gates open at 5 p.m., the music starts at 6 p.m. and the event ends at 9 p.m. South Africa time, which is 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. US Eastern.
- —Line-up Dave Koz with special guest Chris Walker. The opening act is still to be announced.
- —Tickets Webtickets, the ticket seller named by the organiser. Tickets are not refundable.
- —Prices From R995 (about US$61) plus a R35 (about US$2) booking fee for Cape Town.
- —What to bring Your own picnic food and drink and a blanket. Garden rules ban chairs, tables, umbrellas, tents and dogs.
- —For US visitors No visa is needed for stays under 90 days, and the State Department rates South Africa at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution.
The Dave Koz Cape Town concert is on Saturday 23 January 2027 at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, with bassist and vocalist Chris Walker as special guest. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the music starts at 6 p.m. South Africa time, which is 11 a.m. US Eastern.
For US readers this is a rare chance to hear a Los Angeles jazz star on a picnic lawn below Table Mountain, in the middle of the Cape Town summer. This guide sets out what the organiser, the ticket seller and the garden’s owner have published, and what none of them has said yet.
Who Is Playing and Why It Matters
Dave Koz is a saxophonist born and raised in Los Angeles, and his own website lists 11 number one albums on Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. The organiser, Breakout Events, calls him a multiple Grammy nominee and says he is returning to South Africa for two shows in January 2027.
Chris Walker, the special guest, spent more than 20 years as musical director, bassist and co-vocalist for the late Al Jarreau, according to the organiser. The organiser adds that Walker has solo rhythm-and-blues hits that South African fans know well, and quotes him calling the country his second home.
The organiser quotes Koz saying he cannot wait to return to what he calls one of the most favourite spots on the globe. Its page names guitarist and musical director Randy Jacobs, keyboardist Carnell Harrell and drummer Jay Williams among the musicians on the tour.
The Kirstenbosch Lawn: Setting and Rules
Kirstenbosch sits on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain in Newlands, about 13 km from Cape Town’s city centre, according to its owner, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). SANBI is the state agency that runs the country’s national botanical gardens.
The organiser describes the night as a picnic on the lawns and says guests may bring their own food and drink. Kirstenbosch is a no-smoking venue, tickets are not refundable and the opening act has not been named.
SANBI’s garden rules ban chairs, tables, umbrellas, tents, braais (barbecues), dogs, radios and fireworks. The garden has almost no rubbish bins, so visitors must take their refuse home.
SANBI says picnic hampers and takeaways are sold at the Kirstenbosch Tea Room and the Moyo restaurant. Neither SANBI nor the organiser has said whether those outlets will open on the evening, so plan to bring your own food.
SANBI warns that the concert area is on the steep upper slope of the garden, where wheelchair users will need assistance. Wheelchair parking bays and stop-and-drop zones are at Gates 1 and 2, and there is a stop-and-drop zone at Gate 3.
Schedule and Time Zones for US Readers
Gates open at 5 p.m., the concert starts at 6 p.m. and the event ends at 9 p.m. South Africa time, according to the organiser and Webtickets, the ticket seller. South Africa is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time all year, so in January those times are 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. US Eastern, or 7 a.m., 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Pacific.
That makes the show a morning event for viewers in the US, but no livestream or recording has been announced. Anyone in America who wants to hear Koz on this tour will have to travel.
Tickets and Prices
Tickets are sold by Webtickets, which Breakout Events names as an official ticket partner alongside Howler. Breakout warns that it does not sell through resale platforms such as Viagogo, and that tickets bought there may not be honoured.
Webtickets lists Cape Town tickets from R995 (about US$61) plus a R35 (about US$2) booking fee, at the South African Reserve Bank rate of R16.41 per US dollar on 20 October 2026. The listing shows one general ticket category and does not say how many tickets remain.
Entry to the garden on an ordinary day costs R270 (about US$16) for adults from outside Africa, but SANBI has not said whether a concert ticket also covers daytime entry. The garden’s concert information line, +27 21 799 8620, can answer that before you plan a visit earlier in the day.
Getting to Kirstenbosch From Cape Town
By car, SANBI says to take the M3 towards Muizenberg, turn right at the Rhodes Drive (M63) traffic light and follow the signs, and it lists free parking at Gates 1, 2 and 3. It does not say how many spaces there are or how concert traffic is handled, and the organiser has published no shuttle.
The City Sightseeing hop-on bus stops at Gate 1 in summer, but SANBI gives 16:20 as the last bus of the day, which is before the concert even starts. A show that ends at 9 p.m. therefore needs a car or a pre-booked ride home.
Our Cape Town City Guide for Expats and Visitors covers neighbourhoods and transport in the city, and our What to Do in Cape Town in October 2026 guide lists what else is on. Two earlier guides cover other Kirstenbosch concerts, Leon Bridges South Africa: Soul Singer Plays Johannesburg on 28 and Kirstenbosch on 30 November and Jack White South Africa: First Shows in Joburg on 11, Cape Town on 14 December.
The Pretoria Show the Next Night
Koz and Walker play the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria on Sunday 24 January 2027, the second of two South African dates. Webtickets lists doors at 5 p.m., the concert at 6 p.m. and an end at 9 p.m., with tickets from R595 (about US$36) excluding the booking fee.
Webtickets describes the arena as an indoor setting at the Time Square Casino complex, which makes it a dry alternative to the open-air Cape Town lawn. Visitors who want only one show may find Cape Town easier to pair with a holiday, because SANBI says Kirstenbosch is acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world.
What It Means for US Visitors
US citizens do not need a visa for stays under 90 days in South Africa, according to the State Department’s country page, last updated on 11 August 2025 and read on 20 October 2026. The page says passports must be valid for 30 days after the planned departure and carry two consecutive blank visa pages, and it refers parents to the Department of Home Affairs for the rules on children.
The State Department rates South Africa at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory issued on 27 May 2025 that cites crime, terrorism, unrest and kidnapping. It says violent crime is more common in the downtown areas of big cities, especially after dark, that smash-and-grab attacks on cars occur and that no part of the country is listed as Do Not Travel.
The emergency number for police and ambulance is 10111, and the US Consulate General in Cape Town gives +27 21 702 7300 for after-hours emergencies. Travellers may carry up to R25,000 (about US$1,524) in local cash in or out of the country, and unlimited foreign currency if it is declared.
A concert that ends at 9 p.m. means a trip home in the dark, so pre-book a ride and keep valuables out of sight in any parked car. The State Department warns of smash-and-grab thefts from vehicles, and visitors should confirm all entry rules again before departure.
What Is Not Confirmed Yet
The opening act, the full band line-up, the number of tickets on sale and any cut-off for gate entry have not been published. Neither the organiser nor SANBI has said whether a concert ticket also covers garden entry earlier in the day.
No livestream, recording, parking plan or shuttle has been announced for either show. Hype Magazine gave a 7 p.m. start for Pretoria where Webtickets says 6 p.m., so check the organiser’s page and your ticket before you travel.
SANBI’s general garden rules ban chairs, and neither the organiser nor SANBI has published a separate seating rule for this concert. A blanket is the safe choice, and the concert information line on +27 21 799 8620 can confirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is Dave Koz playing in Cape Town?
Dave Koz plays Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town on Saturday 23 January 2027, with special guest Chris Walker. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the concert starts at 6 p.m. South Africa time, which is 11 a.m. US Eastern.
How much are Dave Koz tickets in Cape Town?
Webtickets lists Cape Town tickets from R995 (about US$61) plus a R35 (about US$2) booking fee on 20 October 2026. The Pretoria show on Sunday 24 January starts from R595 (about US$36) excluding the booking fee.
Can I bring food, drink and chairs to the Kirstenbosch concert?
The organiser says guests may bring their own food and drink, and Kirstenbosch is a no-smoking venue. SANBI’s garden rules ban chairs, tables, umbrellas and tents, so bring a blanket and take your rubbish home.
Do US citizens need a visa to see Dave Koz in South Africa?
No, the State Department says US citizens do not need a visa for stays under 90 days. Passports must be valid for 30 days after departure and carry two consecutive blank visa pages.
Sources: Breakout Events, Dave Koz in South Africa · Webtickets, Cape Town · Webtickets, Pretoria · SANBI, Dave Koz at Kirstenbosch · SANBI, Kirstenbosch visitor information · SANBI, Kirstenbosch garden rules · SANBI, Kirstenbosch · Dave Koz, biography · HYPE Magazine, 27 August 2026 · US State Department, South Africa advisory · US State Department, South Africa country page · South African Reserve Bank, 20 October 2026
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Living in or visiting Cape Town? See this month's events and our Cape Town city guide with rents, safety and upcoming concerts.