Artscape Theatre Centre
theaterMajor performing arts centre in Cape Town housing an opera house (1,487 seats), a 540-seat theatre and a 140-seat arena; opened in 1971 and located on reclaimed Foreshore land in the Cape Town CBD.
Upcoming Events (37)
6th David Aldred Memorial Prize for Sopranos
SACM singers present classical soprano repertoire at the Baxter Theatre Centre for the 6th David Aldred Memorial Prize for Sopranos, featuring Strauss's Four Last Songs, accompanied by Prof. Jeremy Silver.
Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa 2026
The Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa returns for its 16th edition, featuring abridged Shakespeare performances by local primary and high schools and youth drama groups at Baxter Theatre Centre. This family-friendly cultural festival spotlights young talent and live theatre in Cape Town.
15th Annual High School Nasheed Competition
Join the 15th annual High School Nasheed Competition for a faith-inspired showcase of student vocal talent at the Artscape Theatre Centre. This family-friendly evening celebrates youth expression and brings together local schools for a memorable cultural performance in Cape Town.
UCT / SU Vocal Collaboration
A joint vocal concert at Baxter Theatre Centre featuring UCT and SU performers in a collaborative program of choral-and-ensemble works. An intimate university-stage evening blending classical and contemporary repertoire with rich vocal textures in a formal campus setting.
Stirred Not Shaken
A captivating one-woman dramedy returning to Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre Centre after a sold-out debut at Galloway Theatre in 2025. This intimate solo show blends sharp wit with heartfelt drama, delivering a fresh, engaging performance at Baxter on 12 May 2026.
The Killing of a Union Leader
An intense new drama at Artscape Theatre Centre about the fallout after a deadly union strike, following a captain of industry navigating guilt, power, and a decaying city. Sharp dialogue, tense suspense, and stark stagecraft illuminate labor conflict and corruption.
Buzani Kubawo
An isiZulu-language theatre piece staged at Artscape Theatre Centre, exploring love and tradition through intimate storytelling. Housed in Cape Town's iconic arts venue, this powerful drama delivers rich cultural performance and a standout stage experience.
Cape Town Marimba Festival
The Cape Town Marimba Festival showcases vibrant marimba performances as a joint venture with the Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival and Woodworx Marimbas, at the Baxter Theatre Centre. This annual, family-friendly event blends percussion-rich rhythms with jazz-inflected grooves in an intimate concert-hall setting.
Fragments of Sarah
The UCT Ibuyambo Orchestra presents Fragments of Sarah, an interdisciplinary performance that reflects on the life and legacy of Sarah Baartman through sound, movement, memory, and storytelling at Baxter Theatre Centre. A thoughtful fusion of music and theatre that invites reflection on history and identity.
Kesivan and The Lights
Experience Kesivan Naidoo and The Lights live at Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town. This jazz-infused concert showcases a tight, energetic band in a stylish theatre setting; tickets are ZAR 271.
Morning Melodies - Kim Kallie and Judy Page
Morning Melodies presents a morning concert by Kim Kallie and Judy Page at Baxter Theatre Centre, crafted for senior audiences with accessible, professional vocal repertoire in an intimate Cape Town venue.
CAPE TOWN BIG BAND JAZZ FESTIVAL
The Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival showcases top South African big-band talent at Baxter Theatre Centre, delivering vibrant, high-energy jazz with soaring horn sections and tight ensembles in an intimate theatre setting.
All Access Opera – Carmen
All Access Opera – Carmen offers a compact, audience-friendly take on Bizet’s Carmen at Artscape Theatre Centre. This shortened performance suits first-time opera-goers and seasoned fans alike, delivering lush arias and a vivid, intimate staging experience.
Charl du Plessis: Mozart, Mambo & Merlot
CTCS presents Charl du Plessis at Baxter Theatre Centre in a Mozart-focused piano recital centered around a 65-year Steinway grand. The program blends classical mastery with mambo-flavored inflections and a Merlot-inspired mood, highlighting the season's celebrated recital piano.
Makin’ Magic – Family Magic Show
A high-energy family magic show by The College of Magic at Artscape Theatre Centre on June 6, 2026. Makin’ Magic delivers dazzling tricks, lively humor, and audience participation that kids and grown-ups will love.
ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD
A dazzling ballet production of Orpheus in the Underworld at Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town. This witty, glamorous show blends classical dance with operetta flair, delivering sharp wit, lush costumes, and spellbinding stagecraft for a sophisticated theatre crowd.
Artscape Youth Jazz Series 2026
Artscape presents the Youth Jazz Series 2026 at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town, spotlighting rising jazz talents in a vibrant, urban setting. Originating from the Youth Jazz Festival, the program offers energetic performances by young artists in a landmark venue.
Mehfil-e-Yaaraa
Anjumara Khan presents Mehfil-e-Yaaraa, a Musical Gathering of Friends that pairs Indian musicians with local artists for a lively cross-cultural performance at Baxter Theatre Centre. Expect intimate ensemble pieces, spellbinding melodies, and a celebration of shared musical traditions.
Centre Stage – Dancing into our future
Centre Stage – Dancing into our Future is a fundraising celebration marking 92 years of the Cape Town City Ballet. The program showcases collaborations with dance training organisations and tertiary dance, staged at Artscape Theatre Centre.
Cape Towns Most Wanted
Cape Town’s Most Wanted returns to Artscape Theatre Centre for a high-energy night of street dance, featuring Cape Town’s top crews and performers in a sizzling showcase. Now in its 15th production, this event blends hip-hop, breakdancing and popping in a theatre setting.
Morning Melodies
Morning Melodies at Baxter Theatre Centre offers accessible, affordable morning concerts for seniors in the Western Cape. Professionally presented in the UCT venue, this series pairs quality classical programming with a welcoming, intimate atmosphere.
Puss in Boots
KickstArt Theatre presents Puss in Boots, a lively family pantomime at Baxter Theatre Centre. Building on last year’s sold-out Jack and the Beanstalk run across Durban and Johannesburg, this playful production promises comic charm and magical adventures for kids and their grown-ups.
Here & Now: A Luther Vandross Tribute
A live concert experience celebrating the timeless music and legacy of Luther Vandross at the Artscape Theatre Centre. Expect powerful vocal performances, lush arrangements, and a soulful night of Vandross classics in Cape Town.
Innovative Poets Spoken Word: Lessons from My Father (Father’s Day Edition)
An evening of innovative spoken-word poetry at Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town, celebrating Father’s Day with 'Lessons from My Father'. Expect intimate verse, rhythmic performances, and provocative storytelling from leading poets as part of the Innovative Poets Spoken Word Festival.
The “PIRATES of PENZANCE”
Cape Town G&S presents a bold new staging of Gilbert and Sullivan’s swashbuckling comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, at Artscape Theatre Centre. Expect lively melodies, witty patter, and sparkling period costumes in a rich, theatrical production.
Ithuna
Ithuna is a gripping drama at Baxter Theatre Centre (UCT) that promises a haunting, atmospheric night of storytelling. Expect intense performances, dark themes, and a compact stage experience that tightens the tension from start to finish.
MOTHER CITY FASHION EXPERIENCE ‘26
Cape Town's Mother City Fashion Experience '26 returns to Artscape Theatre Centre for a sustainability-forward fashion showcase, spotlighting local designers and innovative textiles on an urban runway in the Mother City.
My Children! My Africa
My Children! My Africa is Athol Fugard's poignant drama set in 1984 rural Eastern Cape, where a passionate teacher seeks to ignite a love of learning amid apartheid. This production at Artscape Theatre Centre invites you into a classroom where courage, friendship, and contested ideals shape young minds. A powerful, thought-provoking South African theatre experience.
Samthing Soweto – Good Morning Live
Samthing Soweto's Good Morning Live at Baxter Theatre Centre marks the official live launch of his album Touch Is a Move: Good Morning. A soulful Afro-pop concert in a refined theatre setting, delivering new tracks and fan favorites in an intimate live show.
Schalk Bezuidenhout - Hey Hey Divorcé
Schalk Bezuidenhout brings his sharp, observational humor to the Baxter Theatre Centre with a live stand-up set about his divorce. Expect candid stories, witty riffs on relationships, and audience-friendly punchlines in this engaging South African comedy night.
13th South African International Ballet Competition
Experience Africa's largest ballet competition at Artscape Theatre Centre as the 13th South African International Ballet Competition brings world-class dancers to Cape Town, August 4–6, 2026. Expect dazzling performances and international talent in a premier performing-arts setting.
Sis’ters Vrouekonferensie (Radio Tygerberg)
Sis’ters Vrouekonferensie, hosted by Radio Tygerberg, returns on Women's Day at Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town. This Afrikaans-language conference features guest speakers under the theme 'Vryheid' (Freedom). A vibrant gathering celebrating women's voices with talks and insights in a landmark venue.
Hamlet
Shakespeare's Hamlet returns to the Artscape Theatre Centre in a bold new production by Abrahamse & Meyer, following acclaimed seasons across Europe. Expect a visually striking, language-rich interpretation of the tragedy with contemporary staging and intense performances.
UCT Ibuyambo Orchestra presents Fragments of Sarah
An interdisciplinary theatre performance by the UCT Ibuyambo Orchestra at Baxter Theatre Centre, Fragments of Sarah combines sound, movement and storytelling to reflect on the life and legacy of Sarah Baartman. This poignant piece blends music and theatre to explore memory, identity and history.
Boogie time, baby
Boogie Time, Baby brings a high-energy Motown-era musical to Artscape Theatre Centre, delivering soulful hits, disco grooves and iconic power ballads in a playful comedy format. Expect dazzling choreography, big-stage production and plenty of audience sing-alongs that celebrate classic rhythm-and-blues magic.
Roméo et Juliette
Cape Town Opera presents Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at Artscape Theatre Centre. A towering tragedy of forbidden love and feuding families, featuring lush duets, vibrant sets, and a full-scale orchestra. Subtitled performance in French with English translation.
THE NUTCRACKER (2026)
Experience a classic ballet as The Nutcracker returns to Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town. This traditional performance follows Clara's Christmas Eve adventures with magical dancers, the Nutcracker prince, and the Land of Sweets in a lavish, family-friendly production.