The fan walk will come alive with an eclectic mix of dancing, singing, and revelry for the Cape Town Carnival on Saturday 18 March 2017. Added to this mix will be the City’s own firefighters who have been working so tirelessly to protect residents. Carnival-goers can enjoy the revelry and variety of food, crafts and special children’s activities from 15:00 onwards. The parade itself will begin at 19:00.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith, visited the carnival workshop earlier this week where teams are finishing off the diverse range of floats (see photos above).
About 2 000 costumed performers who have been hard at work will strut their stuff amid a fascinating array of 17 floats that will take young and old into a world of fantasy for this year’s Cape Town Carnival. More than 40 000 spectators are expected to cram the fan walk and get caught up in the ‘AMAZA! Ocean Odyssey’ – the theme for this year’s event.
The Cape Town Carnival is regarded as one of the most inclusive events in the city, bringing together a diverse mix of cultures from communities across the metro.
Importantly and in addition to the fantasy, the Cape Town Carnival helps to create over 1 000 much-needed jobs. It also gives approximately 50 community groups the platform to showcase their talent. As always, community groups from across the city are participating this year – from Atlantis to Ocean View, Langa to Manenberg, and Philippi to Lwandle, to name just a few of the areas.
‘I attend the carnival every year and I can confidently say that it is one of the most unifying events in Cape Town. This event should serve as an inspiration to us all. To see such a large and diverse group of people come together to create and build a world of fantasy for the evening is commendable. With life’s challenges, we all need to escape to a world of make-believe for at least one night a year. But what comes across quite clearly on the night is that we are all united as Capetonians in our love of creativity and freedom of expression,’ said Alderman Smith.
General access to the carnival is free, which makes the event accessible to everyone from across the city and beyond.
‘Our support for the Cape Town Carnival is part of our commitment to building an inclusive city where residents have a sense of belonging. We welcome the accompanying employment opportunities and the exposure for our community and school groups. Such events also help us to position Cape Town as the events capital of Africa,’ added Alderman Smith.
Temporary road closures will be in place to accommodate the event. This will affect the normal flow of traffic in and around the city bowl and Green Point area. As such, road users are asked to plan their routes accordingly. A detailed breakdown of the closures is available here: http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media Centre Assets/Cape Town Carnival Road Closures.pdf