Cape Town International Jazz Festival

Cape Town International Jazz is a two-day festival held during March or April featuring some 40 international and African acts performing on five stages to an audience of 15 000. It also features photographic and art exhibitions.The North Sea Jazz Festival was created by Dutch Jazz promoter Paul Acket, who in 1976, started what would become the most prestigious Jazz festival in the world. From an initial audience of about 9000, the festival has grown into an international spectacle, with 16 stages presenting 220 acts over a period of three days and over 70,000 people in attendance. The North Sea Jazz Festival-Den Haag is regarded as one of the most prestigious Jazz festivals in the world.Unlike its Dutch counterpart, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival has a unique programming formula. With a 50/50 talent split between Africa and the rest of the world, this South African event allows for local musicians to take their rightful place alongside International musicians, to the benefit of a very dynamic art form. No wonder the media has dubbed the Cape Town International Jazz Festival as Africa's Grandest Gathering. It is certainly regarded as the most prestigious on the continent.