Welcome to Capetown’s premier nightlife guide.
On this page, you’ll discover the vibrant and varied nightlife scene in Capetown. You’ll find the perfect venue for you and your preferred night out. Whether you want to go all-out clubbing or if you’d like a more laid-back dinner and drinks with a view, we’ve got your covered.
Enjoy!
There lies a breathtaking environment on the peninsula under the towering Table Mountain, aka paradise on earth. You can visit this paradise at any time. Cape Town is a port city and the capital of South Africa. It is a city full of adventure and extraordinary vegetation. Cape Town also offers some of the best tropical African-style nightlife, including great history, impressive wildlife, dazzling adventures, delicious wines, and dinners.
If you plan to visit Cape Town and are looking for the best way to spend the night with your friends and family, these are some of the best places to visit.
Capetown nightclubs and bars
What is Africa without some funky music and some Afro dance moves? Oh! And also, add some lip-smacking food and mind-refreshing drinks to the list. The following are some of the best nightclubs and bars in Cape Town that you must visit.
- Beefcakes
This is a fantastic eatery with various drinks available. This place is famous for its range of burgers, and you will be amazed to see the hunky waiters who serve your food. It is a themed dinner kind of restaurant where you can enjoy yourself thoroughly. They are best in throwing parties that are theme-based which is perfect for the girls. If you are in Cape Town with your girls’ gang for a bachelor’s party, this place is the best for a bridal shower and such parties. The Monday nights are meant for the drag nights, while Tuesday nights are Bingo followed by the Wednesday nights, which are turned into comedy nights. Thursday nights, you can experience Throwback Thursdays, and if you are wondering about what’s more they provide? Well, they have their very own and fantastic theatre nights on Fridays and Saturdays. The fun part of this place is that the glamorous drag queens manage all these nights. This place is one of the most popular places to visit Cape Town to enjoy real nightlife.
- Rooftop Bar On Kloof
Africa is famous for its jungles. However, a sip of whiskey in the jungle is not appropriate. Instead, you can visit this fantastic jungle-themed rooftop bar in Kloof. There is no doubt that the creator of this rooftop bar wants to give people the essence of the African jungle in a nightclub. When you enter the bar for the first time, you will be fascinated. You will find yourself in an urban jungle with flowers, vines, and trees everywhere in the bar. In addition to the theme, this bar also offers youth beer bars and other notorious drinks and cocktails. You can also enjoy local and international DJs in the house every other day and live music every weekend. The best part? So, there is no entrance fee at all.
- First Thursdays
Cape Town is famous for its nightlife not only because of the extravagant bars and pubs but also because of its richness that you can experience at night too. The first Thursday of each month is dedicated to the people who love the cultural part of the place. Here, the art galleries and the other cultural attractions can be experienced throughout the evening. You can take a walk around the place to see the exquisite cultural and traditional part of Cape Town. You can visit the art galleries to see the cultural richness of the local people and shop or visit the beer bars here at this spot.
- BOOGIE
Are you a fan of old classics from the 80s and 90s? Boogie is a classic bar in Cape Town, offering some of the best drinks and food, as well as an 80s disco stage with rock music in the background. Boogie provides travelers with a combination of old and new music. If you like discos, you must visit this 80s style bar. You can also take a look at their special hours to experience the amazing food and drink menu.
- The Baxter Theatre
This is one of the oldest theatres in Cape Town. This theatre provides various historic performances that are vibrant and spectacular to watch. The theatre is situated under Devil’s Peak, which we can find near the University of Cape Town. You can enjoy the dramas that are performed here with your friends or alone. The plays performed here are simply unique, and if you are a lover of literature, you will get more interested in this place. Besides enjoying the shows, you can have mouth-water food and beer at their restaurant. This theatre marks a different evening for the tourists who can have something different to experience other than pubs and bars. This theatre makes the nightlife in Cape Town even more attractive.
- Pub Quiz Night
This is yet another most exciting place for tourists in Cape Town. Nothing is exciting and full of enjoyment for a group of friends to have their drinks together while having a brainstorming activity. This place provides quiz night which is indeed very unique in itself. Here, you can get deep into your general knowledge and find the right answer to win hampers and prizes. With the right answers, there is the chance of moving to the next level and winning more prizes. Quiz nights will let you learn while enjoying your drinks. There are three types of quiz nights available: Oblivion, where there can be teams of any size formed to play the quiz over a glass of wine or other drinks. The most exciting part of the game is that the winning team will get a round of drinks for free. The other two types of quiz nights here are The Fireman’s Arms and the Foreign Exchange Bar. Both these quiz nights have different rules and games to play, making you enjoy your drinks without any cost.
- Thirty-one
A drink in hand, beautiful background music, refreshing African cuisine, and a beautiful view of the city from the third floor are the hallmarks of this famous Cape Town nightclub. ThirtyOne is an upscale nightclub with a dress code and private lounge. You can enjoy upbeat music from international DJs and a private space for informal meetings and appointments. At Thirtyone, you can enjoy commercial music, contemporary cuisine, and world-renowned beverages.
Night Markets in Capetown
People and tourists of Cape Town love their markets. There is a unique combination of friendliness and cultural richness which you can experience in Cape Town. The night markets are something that the tourists want to indulge into after a long day of sightseeing or traveling. Right from socializing with other people and friends, knowing their culture, and having mouthfuls of amazing treats are things that tourists look forward to. The marketplaces have a vibrant atmosphere, and everybody here can find their way of merry-marking. These markets are the finest places to unwind after a hectic day with a glass of beer or sip your favorite wine. Here are the most popular night markets that you can visit while in Cape Town.
- Century City Natural Goods Night Market
This market is situated in Intaka. Intaka is one of the beautifully protected areas as well as a bird sanctuary. It is sure that you will get mesmerized by the surroundings and when shopping in this market, it’s a new experience altogether. This night market takes place not daily but during the winters only, and hence you will feel a prominent vibe throughout. This market is located in Eco Centre on this island, and therefore you can enjoy shopping here in a comfortable climate. The market will provide fireplaces or heaters that would help you stay warm as you indulge in shopping or sit by a corner or eatery enjoying steamy meals or your favorite drinks. The live music here attracts the shoppers here, and the tent beer parlors are fantastic to have a great time with friends. You will find so many local and branded products to purchase.
- Earth Fair Market:
This is an indoor market which is excellent for tourists. You can enjoy food and drinks with your family and friends in this market, thereby creating special moments. This place is ideal for the kids too, and hence you can take your kids along to let them enjoy the best of their vacation. The Little People’s Corner is specially designed for the kids who can find various entertaining things for them and thereby can keep themselves busy. At the same time, the adults may enjoy shopping a range of locally made and organic fruits and vegetables. Craft beers and artesian cheese are famous in this market.
- Friday Night Market at Boschendal
Boschendal’s Friday night market offers stunning views, beautiful gardens, and magnificent mountain views. One interesting fact about this market is that you will hardly notice the same store from the previous days every time you visit this night market. The stalls at this market change every week, which means you will see new faces, enjoy new members, and try new things every week. Starting with food, live music, and drinks, you can buy them at the Boschendal night market if you wish.
- Blue Bird Garage Market.
Blue Bird Garage Market offers a bohemian atmosphere in the seaside suburb of Muizenberg. The Blue Bird Garage Market is an ideal place for you to go out with your family. In addition, children can spend time and have fun on the playground or jungle gym. If you have dogs, you can also invite them to this beautiful market, but please make sure they are tied. Wednesdays are dedicated to bakeries, artisans, artisans, and winemakers. On Thursdays and Fridays, you can enjoy New York’s lively East Village, where you can enjoy delicious food, books, jewelry, pottery, clothing, and more. The Bluebird Garage Market is an ideal place for outings.
- Oranjezicht City Farm Market
Oranjezicht City Farm Market is a farmer’s market in Granger Bay. You can visit this market every Saturday and Sunday morning on weekends and Wednesday nights. This market is usually run by the people who founded the urban farm, also known as OZCF. The team provides visitors with Cape Town’s local products and artisan culture. The agricultural market in Oranjezicht is popular for its weekly grocery store. Starting with fruits, bread, organic dairy products, free-range eggs, raw honey, cereals, meat, and seafood, you can also look at the retail section of the stall, where clothes and shoes, antique items, indoor plants, and flowers are sold. In addition, you can also enjoy hand-made food stalls that sell well-cooked raw food for all kinds of people. Whether you are a vegetarian, a chocolate addict, or a diabetic, there is always more food on the food list for you to enjoy while gazing towards the sea view.
Overnight hiking in Cape Town
As we mentioned before, Africa is an adventure paradise. Not only during the day, but Cape Town also provides overnight hikes for tourists. Here are the best overnight hikes in Cape Town that you should consider trying.
- Lion’s Head Full Moon Hike
Lion’s head is a popular nightlife in Cape Town. Thanks to its extraordinary and distinct feature, which has a slope and a mountain, it looks like a lion’s head. This is situated alongside Table Mountain. This is one of the best hiking spots in the world and tourists come here for this reason. It has got outstanding views at night, and it looks amazing when the sunsets here over the sea which is visible on one side and the other side you can experience the rising of the moon simultaneously. This spot is more popular with the tourists who love to visit this place just before the sunset. If you start before evening, it takes almost one and a half hours to reach the place before sunset. Hence visiting this place accordingly will provide you the best of time that you would love to spend here. After hiking up the place, you can settle down with your favorite drink and can enjoy a picnic with your loved ones while enjoying the magical view.
- Boosmansbos Wilderness Area
Boosmansbos is also known as the forest of the ‘angry man.’ This is the given name of the hermit who roamed in this wilderness in the early 19th century. He was popular for frightening anyone who dared to disturb him or his precious hives. However, today, hikers can walk freely without worrying about being disturbed. To start hiking, you need to start at the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve office and end where you want. A maximum of 12 people is allowed to walk at a time. In addition, they can choose their route. However, you may need to bring your food, clothes, water, maps, and other necessities. In the evening, you can rest in a hut in reserve. Drinking water comes from a nearby stream. If you are looking for a legal overnight self-guided hike, Boosmansbos Wilderness Area is a true wilderness adventure.
Wrap up
Cape Town is a capital that lives in our hearts, as does its food, music, people, and culture. Among the ordinary, you will find the best in Cape Town. It can be in the case of a disco or a night market. When visiting heavenly Cape Town, be sure to check out these top nightlife destinations.
Video To Watch To Discover
Is Cape Town good for nightlife?
Cape Town is known for its bustling nightlife. The city is dotted with places where you can enjoy live music from talented local artists, dance the night away at a nightclub, or enjoy a sundowner.
Are South Africans touchy?
Physical Contact: South Africans are generally comfortable with physical affection and like to express warmth through actions such as hugging and patting each other on the back. A lack of physical contact can be interpreted as aloofness, unfriendliness or a lack of trust.
