Cape Town’s biggest street spectacle returns on Human Rights Day
The Cape Town Carnival returns to the Green Point Fan Walk this Human Rights Day, bringing performers, floats and community groups together for one of the city’s most colourful public celebrations.
CAPE TOWN - Human Rights Day in South Africa has long been associated with reflection, public gatherings and a renewed focus on the country’s shared cultural identity. On March 21, the Cape Town Carnival will once again take over the Green Point Fan Walk, marking 16 years of creative collaboration between performers, designers, musicians and community groups.
The annual event has grown into one of the city’s most visible cultural gatherings. For one evening, the Fan Walk becomes the parade route for elaborate floats, dance groups and live performers who represent the diverse creative communities that shape Cape Town’s cultural life.
Another familiar highlight is expected to return as well, with the City of Cape Town firefighters once again joining the festivities. This video from 2025.
This year’s line-up includes several well-known South African names. Among them are singer Zolani Mahola, vocalist Anslin Gysman and hip hop pioneer DJ Ready D. Also appearing along the route are Suidooster actress Natasha van der Merwe, media personality Dylan Majavie and graffiti artist Rizah Potgieter.
Actor Siv Ngesi will appear on the Triple Threat float, while Miss Universe South Africa 2025 Melissa Nayimuli will feature in the Boldly Beautiful section of the parade. Hundreds of dancers, musicians and community performers will take part alongside them.
The parade is built around the theme Follow Your heART, which places personal creative journeys at the centre of the spectacle. To interpret the theme, organisers introduced a concept known as Pod Champions, where each parade section draws inspiration from a particular individual whose artistic journey influences the choreography, music and visual direction of that segment.
One of these sections, Uvuyo, takes inspiration from Zolani Mahola and celebrates joy, culture and the power of music to bring people together. BPM: Beats | Paint | Move, shaped by DJ Ready D and Rizah Potgieter, promises a street-inspired finale that combines DJ decks, live graffiti and performance.
Another section, Amandla!, draws inspiration from the late Bravo le Roux and Nyaniso Tutu-Burris and focuses on African pride and identity. Boldly Beautiful, shaped by Stephen van Eeden, brings Afro-chic elegance and runway influence into the parade. Triple Threat, created through the work of Terry Fortune, Jemma Fourie and Qhayiya Tyali, blends costume design, make-up artistry and theatrical performance.
Media personality Dylan Majavie lends his influence to Morph, a section centred on colour and transformation. Trap vir Trap, inspired by Anslin Gysman and Natasha van der Merwe, reflects a journey of perseverance, growth and triumph.
The parade will begin at 18:00 along the Green Point Fan Walk, where spectators traditionally line the route to watch the floats and performers move through the city. Once the final float has passed, celebrations will continue at the Carnival Village Afterparty.
For many Cape Town residents, the event has become an annual reminder of the city’s creative energy and cultural diversity. What began more than a decade ago as a public parade has evolved into a large collaborative event that brings together artists, performers and communities from across the city.
