Festive season kick-start with the Festive Lights Switch-On

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This will be the 54th outing for this family-oriented free event, which is a highlight on the City’s event calendar and attracts thousands of people of all ages from across the entire metropole, including a growing contingent of foreign visitors to the tip of Africa.

This year, the City will provide festival goers with a glimpse into the future with a fresh new vibe and theme – Cape Town: A Future of Hope – that looks to meld the heritage of the city and natural environment with that of the promise of what a technologically charged tomorrow can bring.

With the future theme in mind, a youth performing arts competition will be announced soon to provide an opportunity for the youth to participate in the festive event.

Aside from the energetic lineup of gifted artists who will entertain, the executive mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, will officially switch on the festive lights.

Different this year, the switch-on moment will be directly followed by a pyrotechnics display and a spectacular light show mapped out on the wall of City Hall.

Also lighting up the Grand Parade this year, is a giant 10m high purpose-built tree that will be decorated with green foliage and festooned with lights to bring cheer throughout the festive period.

‘It’s been a long year for many, and the winter cold and rains have added another dimension to the challenges that many of us face. I, for one, am looking forward to the official start of summer, which is heralded by the switch-on of our festive lights.

‘This year’s theme of A Future of Hope encapsulates our vision for our city, and what every Capetonian wants for our country too. So, I hope you will all join me on the Grand Parade on 26November for some fun, a sing-along and a good day out for all the family, as all are welcome,’ said Hill-Lewis.

The artist lineup for the event will be released shortly, but the public can expect a raft of exciting competitions and prizes.