Cape Town Jazz guest
Cape Town International Jazz Festival returns March 27–28 and will feature Grammy‑nominated singer and flautist Varijashree Venugopal — a sign the bill is leaning global. (travelandtourworld.com)
The festival is being staged at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and is produced by espAfrika, the organisation listed on the event's official site. (capetownjazzfest.com) The announced 2026 roster stacks several international headliners alongside South African artists — names on the bill include Jacob Collier (UK), Yellowjackets (USA), The Yussef Dayes Experience (UK), Fatoumata Diawara (Mali) and Sheila E. and the E‑Train (USA). (capetownjazzfest.com) Varijashree’s Grammy credit is specific: she received a nomination in the Best Global Music Performance category for the track “A Rock Somewhere,” a collaboration credited with Jacob Collier and Anoushka Shankar. (grammy.com) Organisers and reporting note the festival’s scale and legacy — CTIJF has been promoted as “Africa’s Grandest Gathering,” moved to the CTICC in 2004, and has drawn audiences of roughly 32,000 in peak years. (themercury.co.za) Programming this year mixes curated ensembles and centenary tributes with international bookings, including a CTIJF Jazz Orchestra slot, a Kippie Moeketsi centenary tribute and Igor Butman & Moscow Jazz Orchestra on the bill. (capetownjazzfest.com) Media rollout has emphasised a strong presence of South African and female artists — publicity and coverage flag Tutu Puoane, Zoë Modiga, Mohini Dey and Fatoumata Diawara among the highlighted performers. (capetownjazzfest.com)
