3 – 11 OCT 2026
By Gillian MitchellThe Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees takes place this year from 28 September to 6 October. Get your tickets at Quicket. Undoubtedly a predominantly Afrikaans language festival, it is nonetheless an opportunity that English speakers should not let slip by. Irrespective of whether your Afrikaans is fluent, a little rickety, mostly made up of “Ja-nee” […]
Good news for all playwrights: The prestigious Nagtegaal Text Prize has been revived after 15 years in collaboration with the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, and there are big prizes up for grabs. The three winners will receive R100 000, R50 000, and R25 000 respectively, making it the largest competition of its kind in the country. […]
World class musicians, singers and conductors bring the drama, sensitivity and timeless passion of classical music to the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees. Come and listen to favourites such as Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, Grieg, Ravel, Brahms, Gershwin, Piazzola, Vivaldi, Huyssen, Chopin, Haydn, Handel and so many more and take a chance on something that you have […]
Laugh out Loud. We each have our own peculiar sense of humour and different cultures have unique aspects to the humour that their members enjoy. Three of South Africa’s top comedians bring two shows to the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees that crisscross many cultures (and a few of our 11 official languages) to bring you humour […]
The popular and thought provoking Discourse programme tackles issues that affect all South Africans. Whether you want to know more about politics, science, finance and investing, theatre makers, or what concerns students right now, there is a probing discussion with experts that you can attend. Some are solely in Afrikaans, but many are bilingual and […]
The Woordfees started out as a festival for the spoken word and 24 years later words remain at the heart of the programme through the EasyEquities Writers’ Festival where you can listen to talks on fiction, non-fiction, politics, spirituality, biography, memoire and so much more. Exclusive Books have a fully stocked facility in the Book […]
Othello, the internationally awarded South African production starring Atandwa Kani, Albert Pretorius, Faniswa Yisa and many more stellar South African performers comes to the Woordfees for five performances in the Adam Small Auditorium. Reset in Namibia at the time of the Herero Uprising under Dutch colonisation, this thought-provoking rendition of one of Shakespeare’s more controversial […]
The games aren’t quite over yet—the podium beckons. The nominations for this year’s Woordtrofees Awards have just been announced, featuring a new prize named after the legendary journalist Martie Meiring. The winners, who will each receive a certificate and a sum of money, will be announced on 28 October at an awards event in Stellenbosch. […]
We crossed the finish line and concluded a wonderful festival. Thank you to our dedicated artists – you give our festival life. And to all our loyal festival goers – you keep the festival alive. “We are very pleased with the quality of performances at this year’s Woordfees, as well as ticket sales,” says Saartjie […]
The Toyota Music Festival brings the best of contemporary South African music to Stellenbosch. You don’t need a single word to get into the groove of the magical jazz performances at Petites Bulles, the Daisy Jones Bar and at the SU Conservatory Amphitheatre. Ramon Alexander, Schalk Joubert, Alwyn Dyers, Melisize Plaatjie and many more. Late […]
Art doesn’t require words. You won’t need a word of Afrikaans to visit the many galleries and exhibitions that are open to the public during the festival – most of them free. The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees takes place this year from 28 September to 6 October and the theme is “play”. Get your tickets at […]