WowZA! Cape Town Carnival 2025 - Media Launch Highlights

WowZA! The 2025 Cape Town Carnival is here, and it’s bigger, brighter, and more magical than ever before!
This year, we’re celebrating 15 incredible years of Cape Town Carnival with the theme ‘WowZA!’, a celebration of the culture, community, and creativity that make South Africa truly extraordinary.
Cape Town, get ready because this year, the Cape Town Carnival will be bigger and better than ever, as a host of stars from near and far are set to wow the Mother City when the Carnival takes to the Green Point Fan Walk on 15 March 2025.
Alongside hundreds of talented local performers and artists that have come to define the Cape Town Carnival, there will be various new faces parading down the Fan Walk in 2025. For the first time in the Carnival’s 15-year history, the DHL Stormers will bring their electric energy to the Cape Town Carnival as they take on the fan walk on their dedicated ‘Taking the Cape by Storm’ float.
Another new face will be the Rio Carnival’s Queen of the Drums, Erika Januza. Januza, a Brazilian actress and performer, will be bringing an international flair from the world’s biggest carnival to the streets of Cape Town.
Announcing “WowZA!” as the theme for the 2025 Cape Town Carnival at the launch yesterday (EDS: 16 January), Chairperson of the Cape Town Carnival Trust, Professor Rachel Jafta, said, “When you come to the Cape Town Carnival you see what South Africa can be. You see people from all over coming together to have fun and to tell and create stories through different formats like dance, music, performances, art and beautiful costumes. For me, that is worth celebrating as it is a moment that makes you say ‘Wow, South Africa’, which is where our theme of WowZA! originates from.”
The Cape Town Carnival represents an opportunity to connect people said Cape Town Carnival CEO, Jay Douwes.
“15 incredible years celebrating community-based creativity and culture - if you haven’t been to Greenpoint in March, you haven’t experienced the most life-affirming event of the year.”
Speaking at the launch, Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, congratulated the Cape Town Carnival on reaching its 15th anniversary.
"It is so important for residents to get out into shared spaces, celebrating art, dance and performance. This has become a mainstay of Cape Town event calendar and incredible that we are now celebrating the 15th anniversary of the CT Carnival. It is a confirmation of how integral it has become in our City’s culture. Congratulations on reaching this milestone. I’m sure it’s going to be another wonderful celebration."
Salmaan Moerat, Captain of the DHL Stormers, who delivered a video message at the launch, said “We are really excited about being involved in the 15th anniversary of the Cape Town Carnival. We will be having our own float. Making Cape Town smile is our mission, and we are so excited to be there!”
Minister of the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport, Ricardo McKenzie stated, “We love this city, and we love this province, and we will continue to proudly support events that promote the world’s greatest city.”
Manager of Cultural Events at the National Department of Sport, Arts & Culture Dunisani Chabalala commented on the Cape Town Carnival’s ability to provide a platform for unknown artists to shine.
“The Cape Town Carnival has been amazing in delivering job creation and supporting the production of locally developed content, which we believe is very important. It is quite critical that we give unknown artists a platform, which is what the Cape Town Carnival does.”
The Cape Town Carnival goes beyond being just a standalone event as it reflects the heart of the community it exists in said Head of Corporate Affairs South Africa and Africa at Multichoice, Litlhare Moteetee.
“The Cape Town Carnival is more than just an event; it is a platform for stories. It reflects the heart of Cape Town, the soul of South Africa and the dream of communities. The magic of the Carnival is also what goes on behind the scenes, as the Carnival creates jobs, empowers local talent and fosters a sense of belonging. The theme this year is WowZA! and it couldn’t be more fitting. It is a call to celebrate our creativity, our boldness and our ability to dazzle the world. A reminder that South Africa is a place of boundless talent, and the carnival is a platform to showcase it.”
Sponsors and Partners of the programmes and event:
• City of Cape Town
• Multichoice and DStv
• National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
• National Lotteries Commission
• Media24 including News24
• Western Cape Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and the Premier’s Office
• Kfm94.5
• Southern Sun
• People’s Post, Tygerburger and City Vision
• Tractor
• Media24 Lifestyle: Huisgenoot, You, Kuier, Drum and Via
• Wesgro
• Okushal Beyond Cordial
• Coca Cola Peninsula Beverages
• City Sightseeing Bus
#WowZA! #CapeTownCarnival #CapeTownMagic #15YearsOfCarnival