Your guide to Cape Town & Surrounds – 25 December 2025
Merry Christmas, Cape Town. If you are reading this, you have likely survived the family lunch politics, the trifle coma, and the inevitable gridlock on the N2. We are now in that strange, suspended reality between Christmas and New Year’s Eve where days of the week lose all meaning. The Cape Doctor seems to be taking a rare sabbatical, but the forecast is throwing us a curveball with some summer showers predicted for the weekend. Do not let that keep you indoors. The rain brings a rare, moody atmosphere to the mountain that you usually only see in July. It is the perfect excuse for long, lazy lunches, finding a dark corner in a speakeasy, or dancing in the rain at the Castle. Here is your game plan for the last stretch of 2025.
The Big 5 This Week
Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concert: The Kiffness
David Scott is bringing his trumpet, loop pedal, and internet-breaking beats to the garden this Sunday. If you have only seen his viral cat collaborations online, you are missing the point—he is a serious musician with a chaotic, high-energy stage presence that works perfectly on the lawns. It is the kind of show where the energy ripples all the way to the back of the crowd.
📍 Kirstenbosch Gardens, Newlands | ⏰ Sun 28 Dec, 17:15 | 💰 R255 – R360
Find details at: Webtickets
Home Is Where The House Is
If you prefer your beats deep and your venues historic, this electronic festival at the Castle of Good Hope is the move for Monday. There is something distinctly Capetonian about listening to cutting-edge house music inside the oldest colonial building in the country. The stone walls trap the sound beautifully, and the courtyard creates a contained, intense dancefloor vibe that open-air festivals often lack.
📍 The Castle of Good Hope, CBD | ⏰ Mon 29 Dec, 14:00 | 💰 Check listing
Find details at: Howler
Rocking the Camel at Camel Rock
Scarborough’s local institution hosts a Saturday session that feels less like a venue and more like a private house party in the wild west. Camel Rock is unpretentious, gritty, and miles away from the polished veneer of the Atlantic Seaboard. The line-ups are usually local, the crowd is barefoot, and the seafood is fresh off the boat. It is the perfect antidote to the “seen and be seen” culture of Clifton.
📍 Camel Rock, Scarborough | ⏰ Sat 27 Dec, 19:00 | 💰 Free / Cover charge varies
Find details at: Their Facebook page
Fish Braai & Jazz Jam Session
This is the ultimate Sunday comedown. Camel Rock fires up the coals for a traditional fish braai while local jazz musicians set up for a jam session in the corner. It is loose, loud, and communal. You share tables, you share stories, and you eat snoek with your hands while listening to saxophones drift over the noise of the ocean.
📍 Camel Rock, Scarborough | ⏰ Sun 28 Dec, 17:00 | 💰 Price of meal
Find details at: Their Facebook page
Mango Groove & The Billy Joel Experience (NYE)
There is no more classic way to see in 2026 than on the lawns at Kirstenbosch. Claire Johnston and the band have been the soundtrack to South African summers for decades. “Special Star” hitting just before midnight is a core memory waiting to happen. It is wholesome, nostalgic, and guarantees you won’t be stuck in a sweaty club queue at 11:59 PM.
📍 Kirstenbosch Gardens, Newlands | ⏰ Wed 31 Dec, 20:30 | 💰 R540
Find details at: Webtickets
The Day Trip
If the coast is too crowded, we are heading over the mountain to the Elgin Valley. It is apple country, it is lush, and the “cool climate” reputation usually means a welcome break from the city heat.
Coffee: Peregrine Farm Stall
You cannot drive the N2 without stopping here. It is practically a legal requirement. The coffee is solid, but you are really here to grab a venison pie from the bakery for the road. It fuels the journey.
Find details at: Their Instagram page
Main Event: Elgin Railway Market
Housed in an old apple warehouse converted into a Steampunk Art Deco masterpiece, this market is visually wild. It is not just about the food stalls; it is about the architecture and the energy. If you time it right (around 11:30 AM), the steam train from Cape Town often pulls in, blowing steam and whistles right next to the tables. It is loud, chaotic, and brilliant.
📍 Oak Avenue, Elgin | ⏰ Sat & Sun 09:00 – 16:00
Find details at: Their Website
Lunch: Cheverells Farm
After the sensory overload of the market, drive deeper into the valley for lunch here. They have converted a 1960s apple packing shed into a glass-walled café that looks right out over the orchards. It is bright, airy, and unpretentious. The food comes straight from their garden—try the harvest bowl or the gourmet burger, and definitely leave space for the apple and frangipani tart.
📍 Highlands Road, Elgin | ⏰ Wed-Sun for Lunch
Find details at: Their Website
The Adventure Log
Simon’s Town Water Bikes
The Lowdown: You are literally riding a bike on the ocean. These non-motorized pontoon bikes are stable, silent, and allow you to pedal right past the naval base.
Why go: Unlike kayaking, you sit high up, giving you a much better vantage point for spotting penguins, seals, and marine life in the kelp forests below. Plus, you don’t get wet, so you can do this in your normal clothes (though maybe skip the jeans). It is a surreal perspective of the coastline and a surprisingly good leg workout without the traffic stress.
Find details at: Cape Town Water Bikes Website
Establishment Feature
Seebamboes
From the team behind Belly of the Beast (Neil Swart and Anouchka Horn) comes this intimate, ocean-obsessed spot in the East City. The name means “kelp” or “sea bamboo,” and the concept is a love letter to the South African shoreline. There is no menu—you sit down and let the kitchen feed you a multi-course surprise that blurs the line between surf and turf. It is bold, technical cooking that relies entirely on what the boats and farms delivered that morning. The space is small (maximum 4 guests per table), personal, and unpretentious.
Find details at: Dineplan
The Local Secret
The Art of Duplicity
You won’t find a sign, and you will need a password. Located in a repurposed 1894 Victorian warehouse, this speakeasy embraces the 1920s Prohibition aesthetic with obsessive detail. To get in, you need to book online to receive a password and a location hint. Once you find the spot (usually an unassuming alleyway), you knock, whisper the code, and are ushered into a world of velvet, jazz, and shadows. The cocktails are serious, served in crystal glassware, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you are doing something illicit.
Find details at: Their Website (Book to get the password)
Community Corner
NSRI Warning: Spring Tide & Rip Currents
With the new moon spring tide peaking, the ocean is pulling harder than usual this week. The NSRI has issued specific alerts for strong rip currents, particularly around Fish Hoek and the Atlantic Seaboard. If you are swimming, stick to the lifeguarded areas between the flags. The sea is beautiful but it is not playing games this week—keep an eye on the kids and don’t take chances on empty beaches.
Upcoming Events
- Goldfish (Kirstenbosch) – 4 Jan Find details at: Webtickets
- L’Ormarins King’s Plate (Kenilworth Racecourse) – 10 Jan Find details at: Computicket
- The Greatest Love of All starring Belinda Davids (Kirstenbosch) – 11 Jan Find details at: Webtickets
- Calum Scott (Avenoir Tour) – 14 Jan Find details at: Ticketmaster / Webtickets
- Freshlyground and Manana (Kirstenbosch) – 18 Jan Find details at: Webtickets
- World Sports Betting Cape Town Met (Kenilworth Racecourse) – 31 Jan Find details at: Computicket
Weekend Weather
It looks like the skies might actually open up this weekend. We are expecting some showers and thundershowers from Friday through Sunday—a rare summer occurrence in the Cape. The wind is swinging from North-West to East-North-East, which usually brings the humidity. Pack a light jacket if you are heading to the concerts, but don’t cancel your plans—Cape Town rain usually passes as quickly as it arrives.
All the best,
The Local Digest Team
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