About Cape Town Arts Festival

The Cape Town Arts Festival, born in response to the 1998 Planet Hollywood Bombings, started as the One City Many Cultures (CT Festival) in 1999 under Ryland Fisher’s leadership, symbolizing unity and resilience against cultural intolerance. Yusuf Ganief, CEO from 2003 to 2007, revitalized the festival, establishing the Cape Town Community Festivals and promoting cultural expression. In 2021, Ganief rebranded it as the Cape Town Arts Festival (CTAF), focusing on sustainable artist development through comprehensive upskilling and dynamic performance platforms.

Since 2022, the Cape Town Arts Festival has been committed to empowering artists through impactful development programmes like the Beyond Busking Project, Artists for Artists Programme, and comprehensive events and marketing management training. These initiatives have successfully supported over 150 community artists, nurturing their talents and advancing their careers.

In 2023, the festival proudly hosted two community arts festivals: the Langa Community Arts Festival and the Buyambo Arts Festival in Khayelitsha. These events served as vibrant showcases of local talent and cultural celebration, profoundly enriching the artistic landscape of these Cape Town communities.

Notable highlights include the Beyond Busking Festival Day on October 29, 2022, held at the historic Castle of Good Hope. This event featured 425 artists and drew over 1100 attendees, demonstrating our enduring commitment to the arts. The Cape Town Arts Festival 2023, held on December 9th and 10th at the Castle of Good Hope, continued this tradition with 447 artists and an audience of over 2213 attendees, celebrating Cape Town’s artistic diversity and our dedication to fostering creativity and inclusivity.