Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
City gears up for 2017 celebration
Best places to usher in the new year
IF THERE ever was a year that needed to be firmly sent out with a bang, and a positive celebration for a better and prosperous new year, 2016 is it.
Cape Town is just the place to do this, offering a range of options from extravagant dinners and a big trance party to traditional celebrations, theatre shows and a whole lot in between.
The V&A Waterfront holds what is without a doubt the biggest celebration of them all, beginning at 6.30pm and continuing into the wee hours of 2017.
Four entertainment zones will bring an Earth, Wind, Fire And Water theme to life with buskers, circus acts, musical performances and more.
More than 80 restaurants and eateries will be open, and additional food trucks will cater for all manner of hunger pangs.
The countdown to New Year will be marked by a fireworks display, as is tradition each year.
Driving and parking can be a nightmare (and should never be done drunk), so visitors are encouraged to use the MyCiTi bus service. The last bus departs from the Breakwater Boulevard at the V&A Waterfront at 1am.
Well-heeled holidaymakers can ring in the year with panoramic views of the city from the Cape Wheel, also at the Waterfront, which is renting out its gondolas for R1 800 a couple plus R100 for each extra person.
Drinks and canapés will be served on the platform, after which you’ll be loaded for a 30-minute ride to watch the fireworks with a bottle of chilled bubbles. If money is not too tight, there’s Belthazar Grill & Seafood Restaurant & Wine Bar, which is offering a set four-course menu for R2 100 a person.
Also at the Waterfront is the Cape Town Comedy Club’s party, which costs R350 a person, and includes a sparkling wine cocktail on arrival, five comedians, the countdown, and good music with DJ Godfrey.
The other big bash is at the Fire&Ice Hotel in New Church Street – the eighth such New Year’s party. Titled Future Fluo Fiesta, the theme is neon.
There will be a big-screen countdown, confetti cannons and lasers, and a DJ line-up to entertain with house and modern hip hop beats mixed with old-time favourites. There are three ticket options – general, VIP and VVIP.
Long Street will, of course, be buzzing.
Trendy Bree Street has a party with a difference on offer at The Station On Bree, which is themed on London’s tube system. Guests can lounge in a private carriage or hit the dance floor to hip hop and Afrohouse beats.
A different tone is to be found with Annie, one of the world’s favourite musicals that has been wowing audiences this holiday season at 9pm at the Artscape, after which the audience is invited to join the cast for bubbly and snacks on the piazza.
Similarly, Alan Committie, who is performing Laughing Matters at Theatre On The Bay, is inviting the audience to join him in the foyer after the show.
It is pretty much back-toback New Year razzle from the swanky hotels in the Waterfront all the way along the Atlantic coastline. These include the President Hotel in Bantry Bay, which will have a buffet with free entertainment. Even if you aren’t dining, you’re welcome on the pool terrace where the newly opened Deck Bar offers drink specials, shooters, cocktails and artisanal gins.
A Hollywood-themed evening at the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa will cost R2 950 per person for a five-course set menu and Champgne.
On the other side of the peninsula, Café Roux in Noord- hoek is offering a laid-back event in a Bedouin tent with DJ FunkyAl’s beats. Out of town there’s an electronic dance music fiesta, Rezonance NYE Festival, at Pat Busch Mountain Reserve in Robertson. Expect 150 musicians, includ- ing six international ones. This is all about camping out under the stars and partying.
A touch of luxury is to be found at La Petite Ferme in Franschhoek, with supper followed by music by Manouche at a cost of R1 300.