Maynardville Open-Air Festival Announces 2027 season.
Macbeth, directed by Lesedi Job, headlines a summer of theatre, music, ballet and opera at Maynardville.
The Maynardville Open-Air Festival has announced its 2027 season, running from 13 January to 14 March 2027, with an expanded programme of live performances in one of South Africa’s most extraordinary settings. Best known for its annual flagship Shakespeare production, the festival’s 2027 season will be headlined by a new staging of Macbeth, directed by award-winning South African director Lesedi Job. The programme is also packed with ballet, orchestral music, opera, jazz and symphony concerts that continue to delight a growing fan base as evident in full houses.
Maynardville stands among the bucket list summer experiences in the city – an open-air park in the heart of Cape Town where audiences (both local and visiting) gather to eat, drink and watch world-class performance under the night sky. Now in its 71st year, the festival continues to honour its long Shakespearean tradition while welcoming a new generation of audiences to the magic of live performance.
MACBETH – New World, Ancient Hunger
5 February- 14 March (except Sundays)
At its core, Macbeth is a story about what happens when grief, ambition and vulnerability collide in a society where ethical structures have begun to give way. As Macbeth’s rise to power accelerates, paranoia grows, loyalty erodes and violence becomes the only language left, until the world he has built slips beyond his grasp.
Directed by Lesedi Job, this powerful staging of Macbeth unfolds in a world that is both familiar and fractured. Rather than anchoring the play in historical Scotland, Job will place Shakespeare’s tragedy in a constructed, timeless landscape created by South African artists – a world shaped by conflict, instability and urgent questions about leadership, power and moral collapse.
Lesedi Job is looking forward to the challenge, saying, “Macbeth stands as one of the most profound explorations of the tragic hero and the fragility of human nature. I have always been drawn to the complexities of human behaviour, but what I find most compelling is that the play reaches beyond psychology into questions of the human spirit – asking not only what people think and feel, but what governs their conscience. It is a play of enduring questions: about destiny, free will, and the unseen forces that shape the choices we make.”
Says the Festival’s Executive Producer, Jaco van Rensburg, “We are honoured to welcome Lesedi Job to Maynardville for the 2027 Shakespeare. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most atmospheric and unsettling plays – a work about ambition, fear, power and the cost of moral compromise. In Lesedi’s hands, and under the African night sky, we believe this will be a thrilling and deeply resonant theatrical experience.”
The production runs at approx. 95 minutes without an interval, with performances Monday to Saturday throughout the festival season. As a part of Maynardville’s ongoing work to expand accessibility to non or partial hearing audiences, South African Sign Language-interpreted performances take place on Thursday 11 February (schools) and Saturday 13 February 2027 (public). A hard-of-hearing loop-system will be available to patrons with suitable hearing aids over the course of all productions, including the once-off concerts.
THE FULL 2027 PROGRAMME
The 2027 season features an extended run of ballet and some nice new surprises!
Cape Ballet Africa presents The Architecture of Beshert | 13 -16 January A classical double-bill programme exploring destiny, love and human connection, inspired by the concept of beshert (one’s destined path) through sweeping choreography and visually striking design.
Jazz in the Park | 19 January 2027. Returning by popular demand for a strictly limited season, expect a curated evening of jazz – from smooth classics to contemporary favourites.
Beethoven Bewitched | 20 & 21 January 2027. An intimate chamber music evening exploring the storm-and-stress of Beethoven’s most intense work, led by celebrated pianist Elna van der Merwe.
Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra | 22 & 23 January 2027. A perennial highlight of the season, the CPO returns for two Maynardville concert dates. Programme to be announced.
Cape Town City Ballet presents Noir | 27 – 30 January, a triple bill anchored by the iconic Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake, alongside the world premiere of Bolero – a bold new work choreographed by Chesney Stanfield and Emile Petersen, created especially for Cape Town City Ballet and set to Ravel’s thrilling score.
Sunset Serenades | 14 & 21 February 2027. A golden-hour concert weaving Shakespeare’s love sonnets with music spanning golden oldies to contemporary love songs. The perfect Valentine’s evening.
Nataniël in Concert | 28 February 2027 (Age restriction: no children under 14). The legendary Nataniël makes his long-awaited Maynardville debut, joined by multi-award-winning pianist Charl du Plessis, in an evening of storytelling, music, and wit performed in English and Afrikaans.
Cape Town Opera: Vienna in the Park | 7 & 14 March 2027. An evening of waltzes and operetta beneath the stars, featuring soloists, the Judith Neilson Young Artists, and the Cape Town Opera Vocal Ensemble performing beloved extracts from Die Fledermaus and The Merry Widow.
THE MAYNARDVILLE EXPERIENCE
Now in its fifth year of being presented by VR Theatrical, the Maynardville Evening Food Market & Market Bar is as much a part of the festival as the performances themselves. Open on every performance evening to ticket holders and the wider community, the market brings together local producers, artisanal vendors and beverage partners in the park grounds – a lively gathering place that transforms well before curtain and continues well after.
Secure parking is available at the Simon Van Der Stel Primary School Sports Field, 6B Carr Hill Road, Wynberg – 150 metres from the entrance, opens two hours before showtime, R50 per vehicle payable by card. Proceeds benefit the school directly.
The festival’s VIP Experience returns for 2027, offering premium seating, exclusive lounge access, priority entry, and dedicated bar and table service. VIP tickets are strictly limited and sell out each season.Tickets can be booked via Quicket. For corporate and private hire enquiries, email foh@openaircollective.co.za
A long tradition, Maynardville Open-Air Theatre has a busy school programme that brings thousands of high school learners to an evening of Shakespeare at a special discounted rate. With learners coming in from across the Western Cape, schools are advised to book their seats soon: schools@maynardville.co.za
DATES AT A GLANCE
Season runs 13 Jan – 14 Mar 2027
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
Macbeth (directed by Lesedi Job) | 5 February – 14 March |
| Cape Ballet Africa: The Architecture of Beshert | 13 – 16 January 2027 |
| Jazz in the Park | 19 January 2027 |
| Beethoven Bewitched | 20 – 21 January 2027 |
| Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra | 22 – 23 January 2027 |
| Cape Town City Ballet: Noir | 27 – 30 January 2027 |
| Nataniël in Concert | 28 February 2027 |
| Sunset Serenades | 14 & 21 February 2027 |
| Cape Town Opera: Vienna in the Park | 7 & 14 March 2027 |
| Macbeth SASL-interpreted (schools) | 11 February 2027 |
| Macbeth SASL-interpreted (public) | 13 February 2027 |
Ticketing & Information
Tickets available at www.maynardville.co.za and www.quicket.co.za.
School group bookings and accessibility enquiries: boxoffice@maynardville.co.za
Deaf & Hard of Hearing patrons: WhatsApp +27 69 792 6020
ENDS
