The rooms in South Africa
AfrikaBurn
South Africa's regional Burning Man event, held annually in late April on Quaggafontein, a remote family ranch in the Tankwa Karoo about 280km north of Cape Town.
Cape Town City Hall
An Edwardian civic building completed 1905, built in honey-coloured Bath stone on the Grand Parade. Home of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
Planning a trip
Hearing music in South Africa
Cape Town City Hall suits classical and choral listeners: its Grand Hall has a high vaulted ceiling, stained glass and an organ, and the audience is a cross-section of the city. Expect classical, jazz, choral and African symphonic programmes. AfrikaBurn is a different kind of trip, with electronic, techno and experimental sound camps. There are no services on site: you bring everything in and take everything out.
The Cape Town Philharmonic season runs February to November, mostly Thursday and Saturday evenings. The box office and tours are open weekdays 09:00 to 16:00, and the Mandela balcony can be viewed from the Grand Parade at any time. AfrikaBurn takes place in the last full week of April, over eight days from Monday morning to the following Monday afternoon, with the Burn on Saturday night. Tickets sell in tiered releases and the cheaper ones go in minutes.
For the hall, take a MyCiti bus to Civic Centre or Cape Town Station, then walk five minutes. For AfrikaBurn, fly to Cape Town (CPT) and drive five hours north into the Tankwa Karoo. The last 80 km is unpaved, and 4WD or high clearance is recommended. The nearest petrol station is Ceres, four hours away.
FAQ
Questions people ask
When can you hear the Cape Town Philharmonic at Cape Town City Hall?
The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra season runs from February to November, mostly on Thursday and Saturday evenings. The box office and tours are open weekdays 09:00 to 16:00, and the hall faces the Grand Parade in central Cape Town.
When is AfrikaBurn?
In the last full week of April, over eight days. Gates open on Monday morning and close the following Monday afternoon, with the Burn on Saturday night and the Temple Burn closing on Sunday.
How do you get to AfrikaBurn from Cape Town?
Fly to Cape Town (CPT), then drive five hours north into the Tankwa Karoo. The last 80 km is unpaved, so a 4WD or high-clearance vehicle is recommended. An official community lift-share is available. Carry water, fuel and food for the week.
Pulse
Electronic music in South Africa
South Africa is on Pulse, the Sonic Paths map and radio of African electronic music: electronic music in Johannesburg (amapiano, 20 artists and collectives), Durban (gqom, 17 artists and collectives), Cape Town (house / techno, 10 artists and collectives) and Pretoria (amapiano, 6 artists and collectives).
Its own sounds have their own pages, with where they come from, who carried them and sets to play: 3-Step, Afro tech, amapiano, gqom and sgubhu.
More across the continent: African electronic music on Pulse and every dated festival.