Cape Town Big Band Festival

2025 Cape Town Big Band Festival

Wednesday 28 May - Saturday 31 May 2025

All concerts 7pm - 10pm, Baxter Concert Hall

2025 Cape Town Marimba Festival

Friday 16 May 2025

7pm - 10pm, Baxter Concert Hall

2025 Cape Town Steelband Festival

Saturday 17 May 2025

3pm - 5pm, Baxter Concert Hall

Tickets available via Webtickets.

For more information please visit https://ctbigbandjazzfest.co.za/

or contact Ann Barr - Director of SAJE (South African Jazz Educators)

Tel: +27 82 451 3696 | Email: ctbigbandjazzfest@gmail.com

PO Box 53514, Kenilworth, Cape Town, South Africa, 7745

BIG BAND JAZZ FESTIVAL

Founded in 1999 as a South African College of Music initiative in conjunction with the Lions Club as a community fundraising event featuring five big bands, the Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival has since grown into a four-night festival showcasing 24 bands and professional musicians, with proceeds supporting music education in disadvantaged communities. The festival now features school, college, and university bands, along with national and international artists who perform and conduct workshops, further enriching music education initiatives.

The South African College of Music endorses the festival as an integral part of the UCT Jazz Programme. It provides opportunity for scholars and students to perform and engage in a competitive environment as well as be exposed to high level international input. The monies raised from the festival, after costs, are utilised for outreach initiatives, including supporting schools and community projects in their endeavours to provide learners with music education.

CAPE TOWN MARIMBA FESTIVAL

The Cape Town Marimba Festival is a joint venture between the Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival and Woodworx Marimbas. This an annual event and has been showcasing marimbas at the Baxter Concert Hall since 2009. 

Woodworx Marimbas, an African Marimba company, provides marimba tuition, instrument manufacturing and maintenance, and professional performances for events. Since 2009, they've taught at schools across Cape Town, from Constantia to Parklands, and have even performed for notable figures like Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. They also provide repairs to marimbas. Their annual marimba festival at the Baxter Theatre offers a unique performance opportunity for top student bands.

 CAPE TOWN STEELBAND FESTIVAL

The Cape Town Steelband Festival is a joint venture between the Steelband Project and the Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival. The Steelband Project was started in 1997 by Liz Brouckaert and David Wickham. The core focus of the Project is to provide quality music education to young people in the Western Cape, with a particular focus on youth in under-resourced communities and ‘youth-at-risk’. 

The Steelband Project (Western Cape) is active in many suburban, township and rural areas and there are currently 10 steelbands being taught by the Steelband Project on a weekly basis, with an average size of 15 members.