For the first time in 20 years, the Cape Town Festival will not take place on Human Rights Day on Wednesday
Subtitled One City, Many Cultures, the aim of the festival was to promote a more tolerant, integrated and united city.
The festival was held in The Company’s Garden before being moved to the Castle last year.
Chairperson Ryland Fisher said that the decision was made to cancel this year’s event because of a lack of funding.
“We really struggled to convince investors to come on board this year. It was difficult to get funders to buy into the idea of a project that supports social cohesion,” said Fisher.
Originally conceptualised in 1999, the festival grew in size and diversity with performances by local artists, film screenings, dancers, theatre productions and more.
“We promoted the social cohesion through music and workshops and the idea was to bring the people from different backgrounds together that might not have interacted otherwise.”
“If we can get some funding then we could do something smaller later this year.”