WOMAD Cape Town, South Africa: Makeba Tribute on 16 September, Peace Concert on 19 September
SOUTH AFRICA · MUSIC
Key Facts
- —What is happening WOMAD brings ten days of global music, dance and workshops to Cape Town from 15 to 24 September 2026.
- —How big The programme lists more than twenty events across Artscape, the Baxter, KAYA HQ and the V&A Waterfront.
- —What it means Two nights anchor the week, a Miriam Makeba tribute on 16 September and a peace concert three days later.
- —The catch The official ticket page carries only four events, and the Makeba tribute is not among them.
- —Who it affects Visitors need a transport plan, because Artscape is central while Silvermist sits out in the Constantia valley.
- —What comes next A free Heritage Day concert closes the run at the V&A Waterfront on Thursday 24 September.
WOMAD Cape Town runs from 15 to 24 September 2026, with concerts, workshops and free street events across the city. Here is what is confirmed and what is still not on sale.
WOMAD Cape Town is a ten-day festival of global music, arts and dance in South Africa’s second-largest city. Its own programme puts a Miriam Makeba tribute on Wednesday 16 September 2026.
What is on and when
Organisers bill the run as 15 to 24 September, though the programme starts a day earlier. A school workshop in Mitchell’s Plain opens things on Monday 14 September.
Most ticketed concerts sit at the Artscape Theatre Centre on the Foreshore. Others use the Baxter Concert Hall at the University of Cape Town, KAYA HQ and the Central Methodist Church.
Two nights anchor the week for visitors. A Miriam Makeba tribute falls on Wednesday 16 September, and a peace concert follows on Saturday 19 September.
The festival closes on Heritage Day, Thursday 24 September. That show is free at the V&A Waterfront amphitheatre from 3pm.
The same Saturday is busy elsewhere in the country. The Scorpion Kings play FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on 19 September.
Who Miriam Makeba was
Miriam Makeba was a South African singer, born in Johannesburg in March 1932. Audiences across the world knew her as Mama Africa.
Her South African passport was cancelled in 1960, as she tried to fly home for her mother’s funeral. An exile of about thirty years followed.
She spoke against apartheid at the United Nations in 1962 and again in 1964. The government then took away her citizenship and her right to return.
In 1966 she and Harry Belafonte won a Grammy for best folk recording. She was the first African recording artist to take the award.
Her best-known songs include Pata Pata, The Click Song and Soweto Blues. She came home in June 1990 and died in Italy in November 2008.
The Makeba tribute at Silvermist
The tribute is set for Wednesday 16 September at Silvermist Wine Estate in Constantia. The programme gives a 6pm start.
The official listing credits the John Hassan Trio, so expect a small group. Earlier festival previews linked the evening to Drumstruck, the estate’s resident show.
Drumstruck is an interactive show where the audience plays African drums with the musicians. At Silvermist it normally comes with a braai, the South African barbecue.
The festival programme also lists a separate Drumstruck-led lunchtime jam at the same estate. No date has been published for it.
Silvermist sits in the Constantia valley, well away from the city centre. Sort out a car or a booked ride before you commit.
The Desmond Tutu peace concert
The Desmond Tutu United 4 Humanity Peace Concert takes the Artscape Theatre on Saturday 19 September. The programme gives an 8pm start.
It honours Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who chaired South Africa‘s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Organisers tie it to his ninety-fifth birthday year and the International Day of Peace.
The bill mixes local and visiting acts. Named performers include Mansoor Joseph, Koko-Jean and The Tonics from Spain, Anna Falt from Sweden and Kimyan from Austria.
Headliners are listed as Dyskinetic from the United Kingdom and Cape Town’s Unmute Dance Company. Both companies work with disabled artists.
The Yellowwood Primary School Choir from Mitchell’s Plain opens the evening. They sing Ode to Joy, the anthem of the European Union.
What WOMAD is and where it came from
WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance. The organisers say the musician Peter Gabriel founded it in 1982.
It now stages events in thirty-two countries, according to WOMAD South Africa. The idea is plain: put unfamiliar music in front of curious audiences.
The South African edition is produced by WOMAD South Africa, with Dan Chiorboli as festival director. Artscape is the main host venue.
WOMAD Cape Town leans on schools and township venues this year. Workshops are booked in Langa, Nyanga, Mitchell’s Plain and Hawston, near Hermanus.
The South African festival is young, even if the brand is not. Organisers told the Atlantic Sun this is the fourth annual WOMAD South Africa.
Tickets, prices and the gap
Paid events are sold through Webtickets, a South African ticketing site. Nothing on the festival’s pages pointed to a cancellation in mid-September.
The peace concert is listed at R150 (about US$9). A tribute to thirty years of Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club, on Sunday 20 September, carries the same price.
The New Generations Concert at 1:30pm that Saturday costs R100 (about US$6). The Global Echoes Day Concert at the Baxter on 17 September is R130 (about US$8), free for students.
Here is the gap, three days out. The official ticket page carries four events, and the Makeba tribute is not one of them.
The free Korean Culture Concert on 18 September is already marked fully booked. Currency conversions use the 13 September 2026 rate of 16.14 rand to the US dollar.
Getting to the venues
Artscape stands on DF Malan Street on the Foreshore, in central Cape Town. It opened in 1971, and was long called the Nico Malan Theatre Complex.
The complex holds three rooms of different sizes. The Opera House seats 1,487, the Theatre 540 and the Arena 140.
The Foreshore is an easy walk from the central business district in daylight. After dark, take a metered taxi or a ride-hailing car.
Silvermist is a different trip altogether, up in the Constantia hills. Allow extra time for the drive, and agree your way back before you set off.
The city is not a cheap base by regional standards. Our guide to the cost of living for expats in Cape Town shows what a month costs.
More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is WOMAD in Cape Town in 2026 and where is it held?
The run is billed as 15 to 24 September 2026. Venues include Artscape, the Baxter Concert Hall, KAYA HQ and the V&A Waterfront.
When is the Miriam Makeba tribute concert?
It is on Wednesday 16 September 2026 at Silvermist Wine Estate in Constantia, with a 6pm start. The listing credits the John Hassan Trio.
How much are tickets and where do I buy them?
Paid events are sold through Webtickets. The Desmond Tutu peace concert is R150 (about US$9) and the New Generations Concert R100 (about US$6).
Are any of the events free?
Yes. The Heritage Day concert at the V&A Waterfront on 24 September is free, and the Korean Culture Concert is fully booked.
Sources: WOMAD South Africa, Cape Town Tourism, Artscape Theatre Centre, IOL, Atlantic Sun and Wikipedia; see https://womadsa.co.za/program-2026/ and https://womadsa.co.za/tickets/ and https://www.capetown.travel/whats-on-in-cape-town-in-september-2026/ and https://sentinelnews.co.za/atlantic-sun/news/2026-09-04-womad-returns-in-september-with-music-dance-and-heritage-events/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Makeba
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
Read More from The Rio Times