OPENING NIGHT
GENRE: Visual Art

DATE: 6 August
TIME: 6pm - 8pm
VENUE: All gallery partners
 

12 Galleries will open their Festival exhibitions. Pick up your festival map at the festival hub at Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street or at any of the participating galleries.

CURATOR-LED TOUR
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 7 August
TIME: 5pm 
VENUE: Starts at Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street

Heat Curator Voni Baloyi will take visitors on a walking tour of some of the HEAT Festival exhibitions. Baloyi will introduce the theme of the festival and tease out through artworks and conversations how it relates to artworks. During this journey, you will meet artists, curators, and art dealers to discover what motivates artists and how they approach their art-making.

Mana, giullette price , Mishy Kope
GENRE: MUSIC

DATE: 8 August
TIME: 8pm 
VENUE: LEMKUS Gallery,
28 St Georges Mall

This is going to be a night to remember, featuring a stunning female line-up of artists who have been heating up the Cape Town music scene. If you haven't heard them before, now is your chance.

MANA is a South African-Peruvian vocalist and composer based in Cape Town. Her music is ethereal and vulnerable, reflecting her Latin heritage. Jazz vocalist giulietta orice is part of a bold new wave of artists redefining what it means to create with authenticity, soul, and purpose. Mishy Kope is a Cape Town-based singer and songwriter. Her writing tells stories from her own personal life experiences and observed social issues. Her writing explores themes of hurt, loss, grief, hope and euphoria.

PUBLIC ART TOUR
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 9 August
TIME: 2pm 
VENUE: AVA Gallery, 37a Church Street

Sponsored by the Mission for Inner City. This is a walking tour of a selection of outdoor public artworks in the city centre. It is led by Richard Kilpert of Art Route and promises to be a lively and engaging experience.  Expect to see artworks by leading South African artists that include Brett Murray. 

KUJENGA & NALA
GENRE: MUSIC

DATE: 9 AUGUST
TIME: 9 pm
VENUE: Central Methodist Mission, corner Burg and Longmarket Streets
 

Kujenga is an afro-jazz band that features Owethu Ndwandwe on lead vocals and keys, twin brother Zwide Ndwandwe on bass, Thane Smith on electric guitar and Skhumbuzo Qamata on drums. Kujenga’s music blends various genres from the African diaspora, with Black improvisational music as the core of the band’s sound.

NALA Collective showcases contemporary South African jazz, featuring compositions by female artists. The band strives to uplift women in the jazz community and establish their presence on stage as the norm. With a full, dynamic sound, expect soulful grooves, lush horns, and beautiful vocal harmonies.

THEY CAME & LEFT FOOTPRINTS WITH SKY DLADLA
GENRE: MUSIC & ART PAIRED

DATE: 10 AUGUST
TIME: 2.30 pm
VENUE: Norval Foundation

This will be an unforgettable meeting between the evocative art of Lucas Sithole and Cyprian Shilakoe and the versatile musician Sky Dladla who is renowned for her expertise in African instruments and indigenous music. 

This incredible event is set at the Norval Foundation, in the upstairs gallery where the exhibition titled They Came & Left Footprints, curated by Karel Nel and Carmen Joubert, is being staged.  Drawing from the Homestead and Bruce Campbell Smith Revisions Collections, the exhibition reflects on memory, ancestry, and the legacy of artists whose work remains powerfully relevant. Sithole and Shilakoe’s sculptures and prints speak to themes of loss, resilience, and spiritual connection during the Apartheid era—presented together in this curatorial pairing for the first time. 

Joubert will introduce the exhibition before Dladla begins her performance. This is not a seated event, after receiving a glass of wine, the audience is encouraged to roam the exhibition while appreciating the art and music.

SYMBIOSIS/DYSBIOSIS
GENRE: VR THEATRE
DATE: 13 August
TIME: 6pm 
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street
 

Symbiosis/\Dysbiosis is a digital/live hybrid work, which live streams a performance in a metaverse peopled by characters in the room and other parts of the world. It is a psychedelic immersive theatre adventure. This shared experience serves as a powerful reminder that our future depends on our ability to recognise and connect with the more-than-human world. Audience members and fungal Mycelium can interact within a virtual old-growth forest as the living Mycelium responds to players by triggering haptics, visual effects, and sound. Live actors embody forest guides, who request help and guide the players to locate the enigmatic Golden Spore towards entering the Mycelium Network to find the Mycelia Entity.

CONFUSED MHLABA
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 14 August
TIME: 6pm 
VENUE: WAVE THEATRE, 44 Long Street

Confused Mhlaba is a play by Khayalethu Mqayisa, first staged in 1974, during the height of apartheid in South Africa. . The title, meaning ‘confused world,’ mirrors the characters' turmoil as they navigate their personal and political roles within a racially divided society. The play reflects a time when the black South African community faced immense pressure, balancing their desires for self-preservation with the collective call for resistance. Though initially perceived as advocating political moderation Confused Mhlaba boldly critiques the oppressive apartheid regime. It takes a firm stance against racial injustice, portraying the internal conflicts of characters as symbolic of the broader societal struggle for liberation.

CONFUSED MHLABA
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 15 August
TIME: 8pm 
VENUE: WAVE THEATRE, 44 Long Street

Confused Mhlaba is a play by Khayalethu Mqayisa, first staged in 1974, during the height of apartheid in South Africa. . The title, meaning ‘confused world,’ mirrors the characters' turmoil as they navigate their personal and political roles within a racially divided society. The play reflects a time when the black South African community faced immense pressure, balancing their desires for self-preservation with the collective call for resistance. Though initially perceived as advocating political moderation Confused Mhlaba boldly critiques the oppressive apartheid regime. It takes a firm stance against racial injustice, portraying the internal conflicts of characters as symbolic of the broader societal struggle for liberation.

AFRO-FUTURITIES AND OTHERWORLDS
GENRE: TALK

DATE: 16 August
TIME: 12pm 
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street

Afrofuturies invites us to reimagine tomorrow by excavating the silences of our past—the lost rituals, ancestral wisdoms, and untold stories that lie beyond official archives. This panel will explore how creative practitioners harness speculative frameworks to reclaim these cultural mores, weaving them into narratives that speak to our present realities and shape more resilient futures.

LEMONS, LEMONS, LEMONS, LEMONS
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 16 August
TIME: 6pm 
VENUE: WAVE THEATRE, 44 Long Street

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, the critically acclaimed rom-com by Sam Steiner, made its South African debut in Cape Town in 2024. This tender and thought-provoking production explores the power of language, restraint, and human connection in a world where words are limited.

In a world where spoken language is restricted to a set number of words, the choices we make about what we say—or withhold—take on profound meaning. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons follows Oliver and Bernadette, two people grappling with the limits of communication and the impact it has on their relationship. Hilarious yet poignant, the play explores what happens when we can no longer speak freely and how humans continue to communicate through actions, body language, and the spaces between words.

CONVERGENCE
GENRE: VR/DIGITAL

DATE: 6  to 16 August 
TIME: Opening times
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street
 

Convergence is a VR work created by Wessel Albertse. It is a speculative depiction of a potential dystopian future that takes place in Cape Town, South Africa.The film envisions a state of tension between humans, technology, and nature has escalated to a critical level, resulting in a tipping point.The film immerses the viewer in various site-specific locations around Cape Town, with each scene conveying its own distinct visual narrative. The film delves into the profound impact of our current decisions on the potential futures, as well as the potential disastrous consequences of our interactions with nature and technology if we fail to act responsibly and ethically

COMEDY IN COMMON
GENRE: STAND-UP
DATE: 7 August
TIME: 8pm -  9pm
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street
 

A gathering of some of Cape Town's funniest standup comedians curated by Comedy in Commons. Dalin Oliver headlines and Ambrose Uren will present the lineup that includes: 

Mzonke Maloney

Nishen Pather

Daniele Du Plessis 

Khanyisile Ngwenya 

Zachary Esau

CURATOR-LED TOUR
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 9 August
TIME: 10am 
VENUE: Starts at Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street

Heat Curator Nkgopoleng Moloi will take visitors on a walking tour of some of the HEAT Festival exhibitions. Baloyi will introduce the theme of the festival and tease out through artworks and conversations how it relates to artworks. During this journey, you will meet artists, curators, and art dealers to discover what motivates artists and how they approach their art-making.

OPEN STUDIO AT LEMKUS
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 9 August
TIME: 4pm 
VENUE: Lemkus, 28 St Georges Mall, 4th Floor

Artists Mongezi Ncaphayi, Mhlonishwa Zulu , and Russel Abrahams will be opening up their studio  spaces to allow audiences to access the entire process of how they move from ideation and conception to eventual production and exhibition. Curator Voni Baloyi will also introduce her exhibition, At Their Feet.

MOTHERHOOD : DUALITY & PARADOX  X AMICI DE LUMINE CHOIR
GENRE: MUSIC & ART PAIRED

DATE: 10 AUGUST
TIME: 12 pm
VENUE: Iziko South African National Gallery
 

This is an art and music pairing that will heighten appreciation of the artworks in the Motherhood: Paradox and Duality exhibition, curated by Andrea Lewis. Lewis will be in conversation with Zizipho Poswa who created a bespoke work for the exhibition. This will be followed by the choral group Amici de Lumine. 

In an era of political instability, economic hardship, and global crises, the act of mothering -whether biological, chosen, or communal – has never been more critical or radical. This exhibition invites audiences to see caregiving as an act of resilience, love as a form of labour, and mothering as a political force that shapes and sustains societies. 

ARTIST WALKABOUT: JOHANN LOUW
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 12 August
TIME: 5.30pm
VENUE: SMAC Gallery
 

This survey show of Johann Louw’s work at the gallery will guide a conversation between this renowned artist and art dealer Baylon Sandri, who has been working with the artist for an extensive period. It is expected to be a lively and informative experience. 

Louw's extensive body of work, rooted in an evocative engagement with the human condition, aligns seamlessly with the speculative themes of Other Worlding. His paintings and drawings, often oscillating between figuration and abstraction, explore psychological and existential narratives that blur the boundaries between past and present, memory and reality. 

COMEDY IN COMMON
GENRE: STAND-UP
DATE: 13 August
TIME: 8pm 
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street
 

A gathering of some of Cape Town's funniest standup comedians curated by Comedy in Commons.  Robby Collins is headlining and  Simmi Areff is hosting a lineup that includes;

Yaaseen Barnes
Céline Tshika (picutured)
Chuma Bentele
SQ Mangcu
Jaryd Pillay

DON'T BELIEVE A WORD
I SAY
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 14 August
TIME: 8.30pm 
VENUE: WAVE THEATRE, 44 Long Street

Don't believe A Word I Say is a quirky, heartwarming, comedic, biographical one-woman play, set between the present day and a 7th-grade dance the protagonist attended.

The play is delivered in a series of comedic stories as the protagonist weaves through childhood memories and the characters she encountered growing up. She brings her inner child to the forefront and together they process, reminisce and come to terms with life. The play interrogates the idea of memory as a fickle, subjective and mouldable window into our psychology.

YELLOW HOUSE & MAYA GREY
GENRE: MUSIC

DATE: 15 August
TIME: 9pm 
VENUE: HUB GALLERY, 25 Commercial Street

Yellow House juxtaposes the folk ideologies of reflective poetry with the ethereal nature of Dream Pop. Grounded by a rhythm section inspired by RnB and Hip Hop, these elements combine to create a distinct sonic spectrum. 

Maya Grey is a Cape Town-based folk musician whose work blends dreamy melodies with image-rich storytelling. Inspired by fairytales and the natural world, her music resonates with themes of nostalgia, mysticism, and magic in nature. Since 2023, Maya Grey has been slowly
emerging into the city’s folk music scene, putting on performances that invite listeners into a world that feels both timeless and deeply personal.

DIGITAL COSMOS
GENRE: DIGITAL FILM PROGRAMME

DATE: 16 August
TIME: 3pm 
VENUE: IZIKO Planetarium Digital Dome

The digital dome at the Iziko Planetarium provides an immersive platform for viewing digital films. This programme sees a selection of archival digital works created for this format and VR-adapted works that directly speak to the ‘Other Worlding’ theme.

The works being screened are;

Convergence by Wessel Albertse

Azimuth by Nirma Madhoo

WRDP by Louise Coetzer and Oscar O’Ryan’s

Inside Out by Thomas Dreyer, Adam Oosthuizen, Ché Coelho and Ross Eyre 

Frequencies of a Birthmark: Episode One by Phumulani Ntuli.

ZOO STORY
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 16 August
TIME: 8pm 
VENUE: WAVE THEATRE, 44 Long Street

The Zoo Story is a powerful and provocative play written by renowned American playwright Edward Albee. This intense, thought-provoking drama delves deep into themes of isolation, communication, and the complexities of human interaction. Set in New York City’s Central Park, the story unfolds as two strangers, Peter and Jerry, engage in a seemingly innocent conversation that quickly spirals into something significantly more complex. 

Albee's exploration of societal disconnect and the human condition is as relevant today as it was when the play first debuted in 1958.

JABULILE MAJOLA
GENRE: MUSIC

DATE: 6 August
TIME: 8pm - 9pm
VENUE: HUB Gallery, 25 Commercial Street
 

​Inspired by the storytelling of Bon Iver, Paul Simon, Joseph Shabalala and Leonard Cohen Jabulani directed his own talent with the pen towards a project he named after his mother, Jabulile Majola. Through his writing, Jabulani explores his complex identity with tremendous vulnerability and a voice that carries a depth of emotion matched only by his poignant lyricism. Folksy, lyrical and moving storytelling through song and music.

DREAMS & DESIRES
GENRE: OPERA

DATE: 8 August
TIME: 7pm - 8pm
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street
 

The award-winning Opera UCT, headed by the world-renowned conductor Jeremy Silver, will present a series of arias tailored to the HEAT Festival's Other Worlding theme. The supremely talented singers in this company will blow audiences away with their operatic talent. 

Dreams and Desires invites us into a world where yearning meets imagination, where the boundaries between hope and reality blur. Through music that navigates night-long longing, restless ambition, and the search for belonging, the concert explores the emotional landscapes we often dare only to dream. 

REDISCOVERING GENERATIONS
GENRE: TALK

DATE: 9 August
TIME: 12pm 
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street

Generations of women artists have been overlooked and sidelined despite their profound creative contributions. Many entered an art world that was underdeveloped and closed to women. In recent years, solo retrospectives for trailblazers like Sue Williamson and Esther Mhlangu have sparked overdue recognition, and auction records for Marlene Dumas have prompted institutions and collectors to reconsider older female artists' practices, yet countless other female artists continue to work in the margins—unseen.

​

Panel: Emma Van der Merwe, Christina Fortune, Nkgopoleng Moloi, and Virginia Mackenny.

LEMONS, LEMONS, LEMONS, LEMONS
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 9 August
TIME: 8.30pm 
VENUE: WAVE THEATRE, 44 Long Street

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, the critically acclaimed rom-com by Sam Steiner, made its South African debut in Cape Town in 2024. This tender and thought-provoking production explores the power of language, restraint, and human connection in a world where words are limited.

In a world where spoken language is restricted to a set number of words, the choices we make about what we say—or withhold—take on profound meaning. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons follows Oliver and Bernadette, two people grappling with the limits of communication and the impact it has on their relationship. Hilarious yet poignant, the play explores what happens when we can no longer speak freely and how humans continue to communicate through actions, body language, and the spaces between words.

PUBLIC ART TOUR
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 10 August
TIME: 2pm 
VENUE: Iziko SA National Gallery (starts on the steps)

Sponsored by the Mission for Inner City. This is a walking tour of a selection of outdoor public artworks in the city centre. It is led by Richard Kilpert of Art Route and promises to be a lively and engaging experience.  Expect to see artworks by leading South African artists that include Brett Murray. 

DREAMS & DESIRES
GENRE: MUSIC

DATE: 12 August
TIME: 7pm - 8pm
VENUE: Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street
 

The award-winning Opera UCT, headed by the world-renowned conductor Jeremy Silver, will present a series of arias tailored to the HEAT Festival's Other Worlding theme. The supremely talented singers in this company will blow audiences away with their operatic talent. 

​

​Dreams and Desires invites us into a world where yearning meets imagination, where the boundaries between hope and reality blur. Through music that navigates night-long longing, restless ambition, and the search for belonging, the concert explores the emotional landscapes we often dare only to dream. 

CURATOR-LED TOUR
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 14 August
TIME: 4pm 
VENUE: Starts at Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street

Heat Curator Nkgopoleng Moloi will take visitors on a walking tour of some of the HEAT Festival exhibitions. Baloyi will introduce the theme of the festival and tease out through artworks and conversations how it relates to artworks. During this journey, you will meet artists, curators, and art dealers to discover what motivates artists and how they approach their art-making.

ZOO STORY
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 15 August
TIME: 6pm 
VENUE: WAVE THEATRE, 44 Long Street

The Zoo Story is a powerful and provocative play written by renowned American playwright Edward Albee. This intense, thought-provoking drama delves deep into themes of isolation, communication, and the complexities of human interaction. Set in New York City’s Central Park, the story unfolds as two strangers, Peter and Jerry, engage in a seemingly innocent conversation that quickly spirals into something significantly more complex. 

Albee's exploration of societal disconnect and the human condition is as relevant today as it was when the play first debuted in 1958.

CURATOR-LED TOUR
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 16 August
TIME: 10am 
VENUE: Starts at Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop Street

Heat Curator Voni Baloyi will take visitors on a walking tour of some of the HEAT Festival exhibitions. Baloyi will introduce the theme of the festival and tease out through artworks and conversations how it relates to artworks. During this journey, you will meet artists, curators, and art dealers to discover what motivates artists and how they approach their art-making.

MEET THE ARTISTS: CUBICLE SERIES
GENRE: VISUAL ART

DATE: 16 August
TIME: 10am 
VENUE: CIRCA Gallery 

Meet the six artists participating in the Cubicle series, an ongoing platform at CIRCA Cape Town giving artists scope to exhibit smaller bodies of artworks and site-specific installations for two weeks. Participating artists for the Cubicle Series are;  Mikky George, Samukelisiwe Majola, Rebaone Finger, Hannah Macfarlane, Kea Seema and Gwen Van Embden.

They will each be present at this event and introduce their work and discuss it with visitors.  This is going to be a stimulating and inspiring morning, getting to know these rising artists on the Cape Town art scene.

LUUKHANYO & THE HI ROLLERS & DJ NYAUIST
GENRE: THEATRE

DATE: 16 August
TIME: 9pm 
VENUE: Hub Gallery,
25 Commercial Street

Luukhanyo and the HI Rollers

LUUKHANYO is a dynamic South African rapper from Cape Town whose genre-blending sound fuses contemporary R&B, hip-hop, funk, and jazz. Emerging as one of the most compelling voices in South Africa’s alternative music scene, LUUKHANYO has earned acclaim for both his distinctive musical style and his magnetic stage presence. His performances at major festivals such as CottonFest, Smalltown Beat, Up the Creek, Feastival, and MTN Bushfire have showcased his ability
to captivate diverse audiences.

​

Kapula also known as Nyauist is a Zimbabwean sonically fearless Vinyl Selector, Dj and Sound artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. His
musical roots trace back to playing drums at his father’s church - an early spark that lit a deep, enduring love for sound and performance. His
sets are a nostalgic journey through time and space, in which he highlights, contrasts, intertwines and plays with the multiple ways in
which people and societies negotiate culture - from Samba, Cumbia Afro Funk, High Life, Funk Disco, House, AfroBeat to name a few. Kapula
has been instrumental in shaping innovative musical and curatorial projects across the continent.