Cape Town has been hosting Pride events every year since 2004. Spanning ten days, usually in late February/early March, Pride Cape Town celebrates cultural diversity and creates awareness for LGBTQ+ issues in South Africa and beyond.
This year’s Pride Festival culminates with the Pride March and Mardi Gras on Saturday, 4 March 2023.
Here is everything you need to know:
Pride Festival March
Per the website, this year’s Pride March will form outside Prestwich Street Primary School in Alfred Street in De Waterkant.
At 11:00, the parade will leave and proceed along Prestwich Street, make a right into Chiappini Street and another right into Somerset Road.
The Parade will stop at the Rainbow crossing for the official ribbon cutting to start the Parade. It will then proceed along Somerset Road through Green Point and around the Helen Suzman Boulevard circle.
It will finish in the car park at the Green Point Track.
The parade is open to all members of the public, and participation is free.
Pride Festival Mardi Gras
This year’s Pride Festival Mardi Gras has an incredible lineup of talent performing, including Dope St Jude, Jarrad Ricketts, Manila Von Teez, 3 Fingers, 3 Divas, The Trans-formers, 3 Tons of Fun, Belinda Qaqamba Ka-Fassie, Craig Jordaan and more.
Mardi Gras will take place at the Green Point Track, with celebrations set to begin directly after the March at 12:00.
In addition to the Pride Stage, the event will host a village of stalls selling LGBTQIA+ goodies, food stalls, bars and refreshment stations, a children’s area, and chill-out areas.
Tickets are sold out.
Pride Service
On Sunday, a Pride Service will be held at the Rondebosch United Church.
The service, themed ‘I am the door’, starts at 18:00 and is free for all members of the public to attend.
Pride Movie Night
To conclude the weekend a Pride Movie Night will be hosted at the Labia Theatre, also starting at 18:00.
Dance Me To The End Of Time will be screened. The film is “a deeply personal film about love in the face of death. Award-winning filmmaker, Melanie Chait, documented the last four years of her life partner, outspoken lesbian, artist and theatre director Nancy Diuguid’s life as she fought breast cancer. Woven into Nancy’s story are insights from US scientist and ecologist Rachel Carson, whose seminal book, Silent Spring, exposed the health dangers of pesticides,” reads the synopsis.
Tickets cost R70 and can be purchased HERE.
Source: https://www.news24.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/arts/everything-you-need-to-know-about-this-years-cape-town-pride-festival-20230303-2
