02 · GALLERY
Five frames.
The Grand Hall is a high vaulted room of plaster cornices and stained glass, with the organ rising at the back like the front of a cathedral. Most Thursdays the Cape Philharmonic plays here for 30 rand and 300 rand and everything in between, and the audience is a cross-section of the city: schoolchildren in uniform, retired professors, choirboys at the front. Outside, the Grand Parade is a flat dust square where Mandela walked free, and the music in the hall is shaped by that knowledge whether you want it to be or not.
Cape Phil run regular Thursday programmes. The CTICC across town runs the jazz festival in late April. Pair them.
The architectural anchor of African classical music, with the most historically loaded balcony on the continent.
Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra season runs February through November, mostly Thursday and Saturday evenings. The Grand Parade outside hosts free concerts and markets year-round; combine with a CTPO ticket.
Box office and tours weekdays 09:00 to 16:00. Performances most weeks during the CTPO season. Mandela balcony viewable from the Grand Parade at all times.
MyCiti bus to Civic Centre or Cape Town Station (5 minutes' walk). From the V&A Waterfront, 15 minutes by taxi or 25 minutes on the MyCiti. The hall faces the Grand Parade in central Cape Town, visible from Table Mountain.