The award winning Maynardville Open Air Shakespeare Festival returns in 2026. Set in the heart of Maynardville Park, the summer season blends Shakespearean theatre, ballet, opera, and jazz into one unforgettable cultural experience.
From world-class performances to a vibrant food market, Maynardville is more than a night of entertainment – it’s one of the top Cape Town tourist attractions, a place where memories are made beneath the trees.
What’s on the bill this year
Maynardville Open Air Shakespeare Festival performances include:
13 January: Shades of Blue
Jazz-infused classical chamber music showcasing classical composers inspired by the vibrant rhythms and harmonies of jazz. Highlights include Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, alongside virtuosic works for marimba and flute.
14-15 January: Jazz in the Park
Jazz in the Park features the Blake Hellaby Quartet in an unforgettable evening of instrumental jazz, showcasing a vibrant repertoire of from timeless favourites to contemporary compositions.
16-17 January: Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra
The CPO will bring a swing programme of big band classics from In the Mood to a tribute to Henry Mancini and a whole lot more, interspersed with readings by John Woodland.
20-21 January: Giselle
The duality of the body and spirit, evocation of the supernatural, and the tale of undying love and devotion endears this quintessentially romantic ballet to a universal audience with Cape Ballet Africa
23-24 January: Swingtime
The perfect marriage between Broadway and Ballet with the Cape Town City Ballet
30 January to 8 March: Twelfth Night
Experience the Bard’s beloved comedy like never before in the al fresco production of Twelfth Night, set to a sultry jazz soundtrack that echoes the sophisticated sounds of 1960’s Rome.
Get your Maynardville Open Air Shakespeare Festival tickets at Quicket.
Maynardville Open-Air Festival website.
What: Maynardville Open Air Shakespeare Festival 2026
Where: Maynardville Park, Wynberg, Cape Town
WS
