Every March, Cape Town experiences a familiar shift in rhythm that makes the city’s creative pulse quicken.
There’s a palpable electricity in the air as venues fill with musicians and audiences, coming together in the heart of the Mother City in anticipation of one of the continent’s most significant cultural gatherings — the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
Now in its 23rd edition, the festival returns to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on 27 and 28 March 2026, once again bringing together a
constellation of local and international artists.
This year’s festival arrives with a renewed sense of momentum.
From a refreshed visual identity to an expanded approach to programming and community engagement, the 2026 edition signals a moment of evolution for an event that has long occupied a central place in South Africa’s musical landscape.
Since its beginnings in the early 2000s, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival has grown from a local showcase into what is known as “Africa’s Grandest Gathering”.
Over the years, it has hosted legends of South African music such
as Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim, Thandiswa Mazwai and Zoë Modiga, alongside international luminaries such as Erykah Badu, Earth, Wind & Fire, Youssou N’Dour and Marcus Miller.
The festival’s stages, which include the beloved Kippies, Rosies, Manenberg and Moses Molelekwa stages, have become synonymous with world-class live performance, attracting thousands of attendees each year.
But the Cape Town International Jazz Festival has always soared beyond the music.
Recognising the historical significance of Cape Town as a creative hub for jazz, it has also been a space where ideas about the genre, its definition and its place within contemporary culture are continually explored and expanded on.
The festival has always understood jazz as an experimental, creolised form and has largely eschewed a purist approach to the genre. The festival’s recently launched Conversation Series exemplifies this ethos, facilitating a public dialogue on how jazz continues to evolve in a global festival environment, where genres increasingly intersect and influence one another.
It is precisely this openness to change that has allowed the festival to remain culturally relevant for more than two decades. That the festival remains guided by the same core principles since its inception only bolsters its ability to create stages where the past, present and future of jazz (in the most broad sense) can coexist.
The most visible shift for CTIJF in 2026 is the festival’s brand refresh, unveiled late last year. While the festival’s iconic name and legacy remain intact, the rebrand introduces a more contemporary visual identity designed to reflect the evolving nature of jazz and its audiences.
Festival co-director Georgia Jones described the move as a natural progression for an event with such a long history.
“The rebrand not only signals a new era but also pays homage to the festival’s foundations, which have inspired generations of musicians and music lovers,” Jones said.
The updated identity signals a broader ambition: to position the festival not only as a celebration of tradition but also as a playground capable of engaging with the contemporary sounds shaping jazz music across Africa and the diaspora.
That ambition is clearly visible in the 2026 line-up, which deliberately stretches beyond traditional jazz boundaries while honouring the genre’s legacy.
Long-time jazz devotees will find plenty to celebrate in performances by acclaimed artists such as Yellowjackets, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Nduduzo Makhathini and Dr Sibusiso “Mash” Mashiloane. Their inclusion underscores how CTIJF remains committed to providing a platform for artists and genres that have shaped South African lives, while bringing international acts to local audiences.
The festival is increasingly embracing genres that share jazz’s improvisational spirit or transpose it into new contexts.
The growing influence of R&B in South Africa’s contemporary music landscape is reflected in the inclusion of artists such as Manana and lordkez, two performers helping redefine the genre’s local identity.
Then there is the arrival of dance music genre amapiano, arguably South Africa’s most globally recognised musical export of the past decade; our jazz of the 21st century.
The appearance of DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small (widely regarded as the architects of the genre’s
international success) reflects how deeply the festival has begun to engage with the evolving soundscape of the continent, positioning South African jazz as the nexus from which the new local styles are born.
For purists, such additions might initially seem like a departure from the festival’s core identity. Yet organisers say the opposite is true: jazz itself has always thrived through experimentation and cross-pollination. In that sense, expanding the line-up is less about abandoning tradition than about continuing it.
Among the most anticipated performances this year is the long-awaited South African debut of Jacob Collier, the multi-Grammy-winning British artist whose virtuosic musicianship and genre-defying compositions have earned him a devoted global following.
His appearance is expected to be one of the defining moments of the festival weekend.
Elsewhere on the programme, audiences can look forward to performances from Makhathini, whose spiritually infused piano work has earned international acclaim, “Hotstix” Mabuse, one of the most influential figures in South African jazz and pop history and genre stalwarts like Abdullah Ibrahim.
The programme also features rising voices who are reshaping the boundaries of contemporary jazz, among them Rorisang Sechele and Jabulile Majola, artists whose work moves fluidly between jazz, soul and alternative genres. The result is a line-up that spans generations and styles from seasoned pioneers to emerging innovators.
Beyond the stage, organisers have introduced several initiatives designed to improve the overall festival experience. One practical addition is a dedicated shuttle service connecting Franschhoek and the CTICC, providing festivalgoers in the winelands with a reliable transport option across both festival days.
“Our goal is to allow music enthusiasts to focus entirely on the artistry and atmosphere of the weekend, backed by a commitment to safety and reliable service,” festival co-director Carolyn Savage said.
“By integrating Tourvest Destination Management (TDM) logistical expertise, we have created a dedicated service that removes the stress of navigation and parking.”
The service aims to reduce the logistical friction of attending large-scale events, allowing audiences to focus on the performances rather than navigating traffic or parking.
The festival has also continued to invest in educational and community-focused programming.
Leading up to the main event, free masterclasses provide aspiring musicians with opportunities to engage with Yellowjackets, Vanessa Moreno and Varijashree Venugopal and industry professionals, helping demystify the pathways into professional music careers. The outreach initiatives are central to the festival’s mission of strengthening the broader music ecosystem while ensuring that access to knowledge and opportunity extends beyond its main stages.
Alongside the initiatives, the annual free community concert remains one of the festival’s most beloved traditions. Held in Cape Town’s city centre during festival week, the open-air event offers audiences the chance to experience world-class live music without the barrier of ticket prices, reinforcing the festival’s long-standing commitment to accessibility and community participation.
This year, the festival welcomes iconic percussionist Sheila E. and her crew, The E-Train, as headliners of the free event, taking place in Greenmarket Square on Wednesday, March 25 from 4pm to 10pm.
Joining Sheila E. on the line-up is Joneca, Zolani Mahola, Cameron Ward, Justin‑Lee and Zoë Modiga.
For those planning to attend the main festival at the CTICC, tickets are available through Ticketmaster, with Buy Now Pay Later options on Loot. Early ticket specials were introduced in the months leading up to the event, encouraging audiences to secure their passes before the weekend’s festivities.
What ultimately makes the Cape Town International Jazz Festival endure is not only the prestige of its line-ups and stages. It is how the festival continues to be an essential part of Cape Town’s cultural DNA, conjuring an atmosphere that only emerges when thousands of people gather around a shared love of music.
As the festival continues to protect its legacy while boldly expanding, it is clear that it is no legacy act celebrating its past. It is actively composing its future.
From jazz legends to amapiano pioneers, CTIJF 2026 reflects a festival evolving with the times while remaining rooted in its rich cultural legacy
