Nightlife
All the large cities have
cinemas screening international films,
theatres showing
plays,
operas and
musicals, and
comedy clubs hosting
cabaret nights. Some cities have
arthouse cinemas which show grittier releases and foreign language films and occasionally host film and documentary festivals.
South Africa has a thriving
music scene, covering everything from symphony concerts to late-night jam sessions. There is a unique South African township
jazz style, exponents of which can be seen in all large cities, but particularly Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein. Local bands also play homegrown rock, reggae, rap and kwaito, a type of hip hop originating from Johannesburg.
There are a number of annual local music and
arts festivals, of which the most famous are the Cape Town Jazz Festival (
www.capetownjazzfest.com) in March, the Splashy Fen rock and pop festival in Underberg, KwaZulu Natal (
www.splashyfen.co.za) in April, the 10-day National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape (
www.nafest.co.za) in June and Woodstock, held near Johannesburg (
www.woodstock.co.za) in November. Open air
concerts are held in Cape Town's Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on summer Sundays (December to March). Sports stadiums host international pop and rock stars on a regular basis.
Most
restaurants and
cafes double up as
bars in the evening and some have large screen TVs to watch sporting fixtures. In the towns and cities, the nightclubs stay open until late; Cape Town has a thriving gay scene. Sun City's glitzy
casinos not only have gaming floors but also entertainment such as
bowling alleys, restaurants, and sometimes supper theatres for
comedy and
cabaret.
Large hotels usually have
live music, and may lay on tourist-oriented music, drumming and
dance shows. In the parks and reserves, there may be some organised entertainment, but it tends to be low-key; it's more usual for safari lodge guests and staff to gather round a campfire to swap stories.