Ready to dance into 2026? Discover the best Cape Town NYE parties and events. From electric festivals to sun-soaked day parties, find your perfect dance floor here.
SECRETS OF SUMMER
Secrets NYE 2025 returns with a new production direction that pushes the event into fresh territory. This year’s setup introduces South Africa’s first 180° main stage — a 100-metre-wide structure designed to create a more immersive connection between the music, visuals, and the crowd. The space will feature layered LED environments and a detailed audio-visual design aimed at delivering a high-impact, atmospheric experience to close out the year.
LITTLE FORREST
Little Forest Festival returns this New Year’s with its signature blend of music, creativity and community, offering a weekend shaped as much by its atmosphere as its sound. Rooted in ideals that stretch beyond the dancefloor, the festival has built a reputation for inviting attendees into a shared space of openness, expression and playful exploration. This year introduces a refreshed setting with upgraded ablutions, new rejuvenation facilities, and an expanded layout that includes the debut of the Quasar Stage — a dedicated Drum & Bass floor powered by a KV2 system built for precision and weight. Alongside it, the Forest Stage anchors the journey with a wide mix of local and international psytrance, while the Techno Temple continues to deliver its distinct blend of psychedelic techno and progressive energy. Whether you’re deep in the crowd, wandering between stages, or unwinding by the dam to ambient sets, the 2025/2026 edition promises a thoughtfully curated experience shaped by music, community and a sense of playful escapism.
AMNESIA
Amnesia Ibiza makes its return to Cape Town this New Year’s Eve, bringing a slice of the island’s iconic club culture to the city for one night only. The event features 10 acts across two dance floors, with a landmark first for South Africa: a performance by German electronic music pioneer Sven Väth. He’s joined by an international and local supporting lineup including Argia, Clint Lee, Los Amigos, and Ricardo Da Costa, alongside a strong mix of homegrown talent. With its blend of global names and familiar favourites, the night sets out to close 2025 with a distinctive, high-energy celebration.
SGL
This New Year’s Eve, The Castle sets the scene for one of Cape Town’s standout celebrations. As midnight approaches, the historic walls and open courtyards come alive with a mix of elegance, high energy and a touch of playful chaos that gives the night its edge. Guests can expect a curated lineup of DJs, considered production, and a crowd intent on welcoming 2026 in style. When the countdown lands, the atmosphere is set to shift into something electric — a moment designed to linger long after the final track fades.
ALCAZAR
Cape Town’s uniquely curated inner-city New Year’s Eve celebration returns as Alcazar makes its comeback, presented by Bazique, Golden Hour and Kinky Disco after a much-anticipated hiatus. This year, the event expands into its most ambitious setup yet, taking over the full Grand Africa Café & Beach precinct — including a newly transformed outdoor stage in the adjacent parking area. The seaside venue, just metres from the shoreline, offers a fresh backdrop for a night built around creativity, spectacle and a touch of escapism.
The 2025 theme, Jungle Fever, blends disco nostalgia with wild, playful energy, bringing together lush décor, vibrant characters and a lively mix of music across three distinct stages. The Bazique Stage anchors the festival with large-scale art and jungle-inspired design, while Kinky Disco returns with its signature warehouse atmosphere and groove-driven sound. Down by the water, the Alcazar Beach Stage provides a tented dancefloor on the sand — a slower, more romantic setting for seeing in the new year.
Across the precinct, guests can expect a full night of performance, production and a wide range of music running through the countdown and into the early hours. Alcazar NYE is strictly for over-21s.
H2O
H2O returns to Cape Town this New Year’s Eve, bringing its long-running outdoor celebration back to one of the city’s most loved open-air venues. After more than a decade of hosting some of South Africa’s biggest NYE gatherings, the brand sets the stage once again for a night built around dance music, production and a strong sense of collective energy. This year’s edition features GOLDFISH performing live alongside a selection of prominent local artists, supported by a large-scale sound setup and detailed visual design.
The event promises an open-air atmosphere that carries through the countdown and into the early hours, with a focus on high-tempo sets, festival-style staging and a crowd ready to close out 2025 together. If you're looking for a night under the stars with an emphasis on music, movement and shared moments, H2O’s NYE offering aims to deliver a memorable start to 2026.
WANDERBAY
Wanderbay returns as one of Plettenberg Bay’s defining New Year’s Eve gatherings, closing out the year with its signature blend of music, energy and coastal ambience. More than a single night out, it has grown into a highlight of the Garden Route summer - a space where friends reconnect, dancefloors build steadily through the evening, and the laid-back spirit of Plett takes centre stage. Blending setting, sound and a strong sense of community, Wanderbay continues to offer an NYE experience that feels both celebratory and distinctly tied to its surroundings.
WLS
Cape Town closes out the year with one of its most ambitious collaborations yet, bringing together seven well-known event brands for a single New Year’s Eve celebration. For the first time, We Love Summer, Feastival, Love + Friends, Tropical Roast, Wondering Tribe, Port X and CTEMF unite under one roof, creating a multi-stage experience that blends different communities, sounds and creative identities.
With four stages covering house, afro, techno and disco, the night is shaped around variety and connection rather than a single genre or crowd. Each brand contributes its own atmosphere, adding to a collective event that aims to feel both expansive and familiar - more like a shared gathering than a standalone party. For those looking to celebrate the year with a diverse mix of music and people, this collaboration marks a notable moment in Cape Town’s NYE calendar.
BEYOND THE MOUNTAIN
Beyond the Mountain returns this New Year’s Eve with a three-day music and arts experience set in the natural surroundings of Swellendam. Hosted at Utopia Guest House, the festival offers a chance to step outside the city and immerse yourself in a landscape shaped by riverbanks, open views and thoughtfully designed spaces. This year’s stages and art installations are created by Berlin-based designer Florian Goerlitz, adding a curated visual layer to the weekend.
Across two dance floors and multiple installations, the event blends international and local talent, powered by VOID Acoustics. The Mothership Stage focuses on psychedelic soundscapes, running continuously from the 31st into the first day of 2026 with artists such as Antispin, Headroom, Sinerider and Seth Schwarz & Lydgen. Gaia’s Garden offers a different energy, featuring house, techno and adjacent styles - acts include Abby Nurock, Bongani Zulu, Ryan Hill, Dutch Horse Conference and more.
Festival facilities include warm-water showers, river access, and natural spaces designed to encourage connection and reflection.
RANDS
On NYE, Rands transform into a full‑on celebration of music, flavor, community and good times - gathering friends old and new together, where the drinks are flowing, the DJs spin house, and Afro‑house, and the energy never dips. It’s more than a night out - it’s a Cape Town township party legend, inviting you to leave the city behind and step into something real, raw, and unforgettable.
Hotboxed x TML
Hotboxed returns to the Garden Route in collaboration with Thank Me Later Festival, bringing house music to the scenic Kurland Estate in Plettenberg Bay. The lineup features standout local and regional talent including Joan, Ray Bennet, Gallagher, and more, promising a night of deep grooves, vibrant energy, and a dancefloor experience set against a stunning coastal backdrop.
