Opening Night: Official Launch & Finale

Join us as HEAT 2026 officially opens with an evening of exhibitions, live performance, choral music and jazz unfolding across Cape Town’s city centre.

Supported by Mission Inner City, the opening night invites visitors to move between galleries and historic venues, encountering the visual arts programme alongside performances that animate the streets and connect the festival’s different destinations.

6pm: Official Festival Opening at Aspire Art

The evening begins at Aspire Art, where HEAT 2026 will be officially opened by a representative of the City of Cape Town and festival founder and director Mary Corrigall.

The Amici de Lumine Choir will add a stirring choral dimension to the occasion before winding its way through the city towards the AVA Gallery. Visitors are encouraged to follow the music—or create their own route through the participating exhibitions.

7.30pm: Amici de Lumine at Iziko Old Town House

The Amici de Lumine Choir concludes its journey through the city with a final series of choral flourishes inside the atmospheric Iziko Old Town House.

Surrounded by the architecture and collection of one of Cape Town’s most significant historic buildings, the choir will bring the opening-night programme to a resonant and memorable close.

Entrance to Iziko Old Town House is included in the event ticket.

Come for the official opening, follow the choir through the city, encounter exhibitions and performances along the way, and experience Cape Town’s cultural district fully awake.