| Maynardville Open-Air Festival 2026 When: January 13 to March 8, 2026 Where: Maynardville Park, Piers Rd, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800 Website: www.maynardville.co.za Bookings: Quicket Direct booking link: https://www.quicket.co.za/organisers/56357-maynardville-open-air-festival Schools discount bookings: Contact boxoffice@maynardville.co.za for educational discounts Box office phone line: Active from 14h00 – 17h00 Monday to Friday. Call or WhatsApp 069 792 6020 Box office on site: Open during the festival season to assist with any last-minute queries or sales Parking: R50 by credit card for secure parking at Simon Van Der Stel Primary School Sports Field located just past the Engen Chelsea Village Convenience Centre at 6B Carr Hill Road -150m from the entrance with security patrolling the walkways. Free Unsecured Parking is also available by the Wynberg Public Library on Glaren Road or along public roads near the venue. |
Happy 70th birthday! Maynardville Open-Air Festival
Sublime opening concert- Shades of Blue – classically inspired jazz. The concert was last night, Tuesday January 13. It was a one-off. Tonight, Wednesday January 14 is Jazz in the Park. That is jazz-jazz. Light rain is predicted later in the evening, but hopefully the concert will proceed.
The theme of Maynardville 2026 is in Full Swing – with jazz notes to much of the programme.
The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra is on Friday January 16 and Sat January 17 – with jazz inspired American faves.
Last night, Shades of Blue, featured Elna van der Merwe (piano), Roxane Steffen (double bass), Liesl Stoltz (flute), Dylan Tabisher (percussion- drums and marimba) and David Cyster (clarinet).
Vibrant mashed-up eclectic programme included: Mike Mower’s Sonata Latino, Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano by Joseph Horovitz, Emmanuel Sėjournė’s Concerto for Marimba and Strings. Yes, they brought out a marimba to the open air festival. Awesome. It is not often that we see a piece for marimba on stage and the presentation in the open air was magical. The multi award winning Dylan Tabisher dazzled us on the marimba. He has a MMus in Classical Percussion Performance from Stellenbosch University.
It was also wonderful to see rising star David Cyster on clarinet, Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano by Joseph Horovitz (accompanied by Elna van der Merwe). Cyster recently received his Masters in Music (clarinet), focusing on “the chalumeau – the Baroque predecessor of the clarinet – and its role in Historically Informed Performance Practice…” Fascinating notes in the festival programme, by the way.
Lovely intro and narrative links between sets by Wessel Odendaal – executive producer of VR Theatrical. He mused how nature provides a visceral accompaniment at the festival. “It is another character”, he remarked, echoing previous comments about the need to embrace the ambient soundscape in the park. The hadidas and other birds were in fine form last night and then they quietened down as it got dark.
Congrats to VR Theatrical and partners for bringing us the 70th edition of Maynardville. Awesome. The 2026 Maynardville festival runs until March 8, 2026.
See Facebook for more pics: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FNmprXGdE/?mibextid=wwXIfr
✳ Featured image: Shades of Blue, opening concert, January 13, 2026, Maynardville. Pic by Tamryn Wdowinski. Supplied.
