A whole Italian piazza — food, wine, opera and a brass-loud main stage — packed inside South Africa's oldest colonial building for two days.
Early Bird closes 31 October. Book now and pay R150 Saturday, R120 Sunday.
Italy in Town moves into the Castle of Good Hope for the first time. Five bastions, two courtyards, a moat and a whole weekend of Italy — presented by the Italian South African Chamber of Trade and Industries with the Consulate of Italy and COM.IT.ES.
Wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta rolled in front of you, porchetta, arancini, cannoli and gelato — from vendors chosen for one thing only: whether it tastes like it should. Plus a Chefs' Stage running live demos across both days.
Spritz, negronis, Italian beer and espresso poured in the courtyard from open to close.
Kick-off 18:30 on the Saturday, live on the Main Stage screens in the First Courtyard. Pizza in one hand, Springboks on the other — then Dino Moran takes the stage again at 20:30 and the party runs to 22:00.
Thando performs on both days. Accordion opens each morning at 10:00.
An artisan market of Italian and Italian-inspired makers — ceramics, leather, deli goods, design, lifestyle and gifting well ahead of December.
It's a family festival, not a night out with a queue. Open from 10:00, run in daylight, in a walled venue with plenty of room to sit down and eat.
Same festival, new home. Here's the crowd, the food and the noise from the last edition — now moving into the Castle of Good Hope with a bigger site and a bigger programme.
One ticket, one day. Saturday is the longer programme and includes the rugby; Sunday is the relaxed one. Doing both days is easy — buy a Saturday and a Sunday ticket in the same Quicket checkout.
Tickets are valid only for the date selected at checkout. Food, drinks and separately ticketed experiences — including the wine tasting cards below — are not included in general admission. Programme details may change.
Two warm-up events in the run-up to November. Both are ticketed separately from the festival, and both have small capacities — these go first.
In celebration of World Pasta Day, a hands-on class with Italian Deli Online — learn to make pasta from scratch, eat well and meet people. Mangia, parla e divertiti.
Wake up the Italian way. With La Marzocco and Lavazza — expertly crafted espresso, fresh pastries, beautiful machines and feel-good music, before the working day starts.
Come for the coffee. Stay for the atmosphere. Leave ready for Italy in Town.
No sit-down class, no fixed seating time. You buy a card, then walk the festival and spend your tastings wherever you like — every participating wine vendor pours you one and marks the card off.
Four tastings, spent wherever you like. Your card is good for up to four wines from the participating vendors around the festival. Valid for one person.
Six tastings from the premium pours. An elevated selection — your card is good for up to six premium wines across the participating vendors. Valid for one person.
Read this before you book: a tasting card covers the tastings only. It does not include entry to Italy in Town 2026 — you'll need a festival entry ticket for the same day as well. Over-18s only, ID may be requested.
First Courtyard, both days. The Chefs' Stage runs its own live cooking schedule alongside this, and the Cape Town Culture Band roams the grounds off-stage.
Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, it's the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa — a five-pointed bastion fort with a moat, two courtyards and walls thick enough to hold a festival inside. It sits on the edge of the Grand Parade, five minutes from Cape Town station.
Layout follows the official festival floorplan in the vendor pack and may be adjusted before the event. Castle history and bastion names via City Sightseeing Cape Town.
Join the Italy in Town list and we'll email you a code to use on Quicket, plus first word on programme drops, tasting cards and vendor reveals. One or two emails a month, nothing else.
We're inviting vendors to apply for Italy in Town 2026 at the Castle of Good Hope, 21–22 November 2026.
Stands from the last edition — producers, retailers, deli, drinks and everything in between.
This curated festival celebrates the very best of Italian culture, cuisine, craftsmanship, lifestyle and community, bringing together an exciting audience of food lovers, families, culture seekers and Italian lifestyle enthusiasts in the heart of Cape Town.
If your brand, product, food offering or experience aligns with the spirit of Italy, we invite you to be part of this vibrant celebration.
Download the vendor pack below. One PDF with everything you need: the event and schedule, the floorplan, vendor categories and fees, what each stand includes, add-ons — plus the application form, contract and terms.
Supporting documents required from approved vendors: Hawkers or Business Licence (all vendors), a current Certificate of Acceptability (food vendors), Gas COC if working with gas, Trailer Licence and trailer gas & electrical COC if applicable.
Information pack, floorplan, fees, application form, contract and terms — one 8-page PDF.
Download the vendor pack (PDF) Email the vendor team
Interested in partnering with Italy in Town 2026? Talk to the sponsorship team.
Early Bird pricing runs until 31 October — R150 on Saturday and R120 on Sunday. From 1 November it moves to R180 and R150, and a VIP option will be announced closer to the time.
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