The Cape Town Festive Lights Switch-On returns!

Image supplied: The Cape Town Festive Lights Switch-On returns this year

The theme for this year’s extravaganza celebrates Capetonians’ resilience, and how, as a united force challenges can be overcome. ‘Cape Town - City of Hope’ encapsulates that feeling of expectation, promise and irrepressible energy that is wrapped up in all the people who call the city home.

The entertainment programme will kick off at 4pm on 27 November at the Grand Parade in Cape Town, with the official switch-on moment expected at around 8.30pm in the evening.

The evening will wrap up at 10pm, with a spectacularly choreographed video mapping lights display across City Hall, always something that sparks wonder and awe for those lucky enough to be there.

“The Festive Lights Switch-On is a wonderful Cape Town tradition and has always been a personal favourite of ours. I am particularly excited this year to welcome back the whole of Cape Town so we can celebrate as a ‘city family’ for the first time since 2019. Much has changed in all our worlds over this time, but one thing that remains is our collective enthusiasm to celebrate the good in life, and in our city. I’m really looking forward to sharing that with you all this year,” said executive mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The Festive Lights Switch-On also heralds the start of South Africa’s summer, a perfect time to get out and get things done too. This year’s Festive Lights event will also run parallel awareness campaigns around the spring cleaning and clean energy missions, which underpin how residents can live smart – all year round.

Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival returns after 2 years

24 Oct 2022

In fact, for the first time, the Festive Lights Switch-On event in 2022, will be powered by renewable energy, thanks to the green credits banked by the City by way of the Darling Wind Farm, with whom the City has a partnership.

Several schools in and around Cape Town will be participating in a new waste-to-art challenge. The aim is to showcase not only how one person’s waste is another’s treasure, but to highlight how much of what we throw away can indeed be recycled or upcycled, along with some tips on how to minimise the waste generated over the festive season ahead.

The artworks will go on display at a mini-expo housed on the second floor (concourse level) of the Cape Town Civic Centre at the end of November 2022.

The Festive Lights Switch-On 2022 is free for all. No ticket is required.