LUMENOCITY – The Art of Light is set to take place in the Company’s Gardens in April 2026
Next April, Cape Town will illuminate in a way it never has before as the city prepares to host LUMENOCITY – The Art of Light, Africa’s first large-scale festival dedicated entirely to light-based art, storytelling, and immersive creative technology.
From 9 – 12 April 2026, the historic Company’s Garden will transform into a glowing world of colour and imagination – a four-night celebration where art, technology, and play blend into a shared experience of wonder.
Designed and created exclusively by South African artists, including celebrated Cape Town illustrator and multi-disciplinary artist, Yay Abe, LUMENOCITY showcases the depth and innovation of the country’s creative community, offering audiences a completely new way to experience the city.
Timed to coincide with the Two Oceans Marathon, the festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors, families, travellers, and art lovers seeking fresh cultural experiences in Cape Town.
At the heart of the festival is a curated journey of immersive encounters: more than 20 large-scale light installations and interactive artworks that invite movement, touch, and exploration. Highlights include projection mapping by Yay Abe across the Museum and National Gallery, and a signature 10-metre light tower housing a 5x5m LED “cave” that guests can enter for a full visual immersion. Meanwhile, the Beam of Hope, launching in early April, will cast a visible column of light across the city skyline for the duration of the festival.
“LUMENOCITY is about igniting wonder — that electric moment when imagination feels real,” says Gareth Hadden, LUMENOCITY Founder and Creative Producer. “We want every visitor to leave with a sense of possibility, reminded that creativity isn’t just art on display, but a future Cape Town can shape and lead.”
From dusk till late, the Gardens will become a living canvas – glowing pathways, illuminated trees, ambient performances, and artworks that respond to sound and movement. Food trucks and family-friendly spaces will complete the experience.
Beyond its cultural impact, LUMENOCITY aims to stimulate meaningful creative and economic opportunities in Cape Town, from job creation and tourism growth to mentorship and platforms for emerging artists.
And this is only the beginning. Guided by a bold five-year vision, the festival plans to expand further across the Gardens, explore citywide light trails, activate iconic locations, and ultimately culminate in the proposed projection-mapping of Table Mountain – a breathtaking showcase of African creativity on the global stage.
“Cape Town is a city shaped by light – from its mountains and oceans to its people and stories. LUMENOCITY celebrates that light, and amplifies it,” adds Gareth Hadden.
