Not sure how you’re going to celebrate the new year? There’s plenty of options in Cape Town.
|||Not sure how you’re going to celebrate the new year? There’s plenty to do – from fireworks and clubs to a quiet time watching telly or the slower tempo of an outdoor music festival on a farm not far from the city.
At the clubs and festivals
* Cape Town’s biggest New Year’s Eve festivals are already in full swing. The Rezonance New Year’s Eve Festival – one of the greatest festive season parties – takes place over four days at the Contermanskloof Farm in Durbanville, and features various international and local acts on two dance floors.
Tickets range from R450 to R540 per person.
* A similar bash – the Boomerang outdoor electronica festival – will start tonight and continue until January 2.
Held at the West Coast Ostrich Ranch, the party will set you back between R330 and R360.
* The Loop Night Club in the CBD will host a “Bloc Party” – and manager Vaughan Cragg says he is positive their New Year’s Eve celebration will be a success.
“This is only our second New Year – the first one wasn’t that big but now we are going big. We will be broadcasting live on Good Hope FM,” Cragg said. He said they will even relax their dress code for the night. Entry ranges from R100 to R175.
At the V&A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront will host its annual fireworks display and a number of the complex’s restaurants and exclusive charters will host various dinners.
V&A Waterfront PR manager Carla White said she was expecting a good turnout as New Year’s Eve at the Waterfront was always popular.
“We will have three main events: the Market on Wharf, the 5fm party and free entertainment at the amphitheatre. There will also be various various dinners at the hotels and restaurants,” White said.
The Market on Wharf will host Mark Haze, Tombstone Pete and Jack Mantis, at R250 per person, at the amphitheatre. The ticket includes a dinner voucher from various food stalls.
The V&A Hotel is inviting Capetonians to “dance the night away” at their OYO restaurant at a Moulin Rouge-themed dinner-dance, for R1 495 per person.
Restaurants
* Kenny Dani, manager of the Azure restaurant at the 12 Apostles Hotel near Camps Bay, said the venue was extremely popular for this New Year’s Eve.
“We have been fully booked since October. This is a first in the history of the 12 Apostles,” Dani said.
He said they will have a set menu with various options that will cost R1 895 per person.
“We will serve Champagne and oysters when the guests come in, and at midnight a six-litre bottle of bubbly will be opened,” Dani added.
He said their menu changed annually so returning guests would not experience the same food.
* City Grill and the Greek Fisherman will be serving a three-course dinner for R995, while Portuguese restaurant Tasca de Belem will offer a complimentary glass of Champagne with their R950 three-course meal.
White said the Waterfront was prepared for the influx of people, and she encouraged them to use public transport as parking was limited.
“We encourage people to get there early or to park near the stadium and walk down.
“We will have emergency personnel on site and we also have special events security who know how to deal with massive crowds,” White said.
* Den Anker: Canapés will be served on the terrace from 7.30pm; three-course meal begins at 8.15pm and entertainer Lynne Poulsen will perform from 10.30pm. R1 200 per head. Sparkling wine will be served at midnight.
Location: Pierhead, V&A Waterfront
Website: www.denanker.co.za
* Meloncino: Four-course Italian set menu. Complimentary aperitif on arrival and perfect view of midnight fireworks display. R995 per person. Ensure bookings are faxed or e-mailed in advance to avoid disappointment. Restaurant opens at 7.30 pm. Dinner is served at 8pm.
Location: Shop 259, Upper Level Victoria Wharf
* Sevruga: Glamorous sit-down dinner at R1 500 per person.
Location: Quay 5
* Balducci’s: Three-course dinner with Champagne on arrival and live entertainment. Tickets cost R990 per person. Location: Lower Level, Victoria Wharf
* Hildebrand: Five-course dinner with a complimentary glass of bubbly on arrival at R1 400 per person. Doors open at 6.30pm; Moet will be available throughout the night at R495 per bottle. There will be a dance floor with a five-piece band, and perfect views of the fireworks display at midnight.
Location: Quay 4 / Pierhead
* Wang Thai: Authentic royal Thai cuisine set menu, with highlights such as whole crayfish, sushi rolls, prawn parcels and green curry at R880 per person. Location: Shop 261, Upper Level, Victoria Wharf
New Year choirs and bands
Many Capetonians will be entertained by song and dance as approximately 60 choirs and bands will participate in the annual minstrel carnival today. The procession of colourfully dressed musicians will begin at the Keizergracht Castle Bridge and continue into Bo-Kaap.
The parade will start at 9pm and end at about 3am.
The City of Cape Town has set aside eight places where fireworks can be ignited and have warned that the city’s law enforcement officers have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to those who discharge fireworks illegally.
Outside the city
Rock the River SA, the annual New Year’s Eve outdoor music festival near Durbanville gives jaded revellers the chance to ring in 2013 at a beautiful venue amid amped-up vocals, seething bass and wicked riffs.
The five-day jol (which started on Friday and ends tomorrow) features three stages – a main rock stage, an electronic stage and a metal stage – over 200 local artists and a jam-packed line-up of off-the-hook festival activities (last year’s party included crazy activities such as sumo wrestling, hostile paintball and a shredder competition).
The venue for the party is the Savannah Farm in Paardeberg, also known as Perdeberg, a region in the warm heart of the Boland roughly 20 minutes from Durbanville.
While early-bird tickets for the festival are sold out, normal tickets for the 2012/2013 Rock the River New Year’s festival are on sale through Computicket.
Prices for this year’s shindig range from R400 per person (from Computicket) to R450 per person (from the venue on the day).
A quieter New Year’s Eve:
For R270 you can bid farewell to 2012 with the soothing sounds of acclaimed jazz musician Hugh Masekela and leading local band Hot Water at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Enjoy a relaxed picnic on the lawn or grab a bite from Kirstenbosch’s Moyo restaurant.
Gates will open at 7pm, with the show starting at 8.30pm and ending just after midnight.
Tickets can be bought from webtickets.co.za or at the Kirstenbosch ticket office.
* If even that’s too rowdy for you, spend the night at home with various New Year’s Eve-themed shows and concerts on TV.
BBC Entertainment will showcase The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at 8pm, with performances by Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard and Tom Jones. E.tv will screen Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad concert at 10.10pm, while SABC 1 will start their annual countdown show at 9.30pm with Come Duze 2013, which will review the year in entertainment, with music |the emphasis.
* If you are still undecided, the Cape Town Magazine’s website has a complete guide to events and parties around the city. Simply visit www.capetownmagazine.com/nye
yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za
Cape Argus