Hollywoodbets Kenilworth didn’t merely stage a race meeting on Saturday, 13 December, it unfurled a full Cape Town carnival, where thundering hooves and ghoema beats ran in perfect stride.
The Festive Fair feat, the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, crowned by the KKKA Kaapse Klopse Voorsmakie, transformed the historic racecourse into a summer playground where sport, culture and community danced side by side.
From early afternoon, the venue felt less like a turf arena and more like a city square in full song.
Families drifted between artisan stalls, gourmet food trucks and photo-ready backdrops, while DJs Sophie and Vinny and singer Jarrad Ricketts provided a lively soundtrack.
Children filled the Kids’ Zone, fashion mingled with flavour, and racing fans soaked in an atmosphere that felt festive long before the first horse broke from the gates.
As the sun dipped, the volume surged. The KKKA Kaapse Klopse Voorsmakie took centre stage, delivering a dazzling preview of the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade, set for Monday, 5 January 2026 in Somerset Road, Green Point.
More than 8,000 performers from 16 troupes, arriving in over 90 buses, paraded along the track in a shimmer of sequins, brass bands and choreographed precision. It was a kaleidoscope of colour that drew crowds to the railings and turned the straight into a cultural catwalk.
Rooted in the mid-19th century within Cape Malay communities, the Kaapse Klopse tradition, once known as Tweede Nuwe Jaar, has evolved from early slave celebrations into one of South Africa’s most vibrant cultural expressions, blending music, dance and elaborate costume into an annual statement of identity and unity.
“Today is really our coming out for the season,” said Muneeb Gambeno, Director of the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA).
“The Voorsmakie allows the troupes to show their colours, their music and what they will offer for the season. For the first time, we see what each troupe brings, and that excitement is powerful for both performers and the public.”
Beyond the spectacle, Gambeno emphasised the deeper purpose behind the pageantry.
“Klopse has always been about harmony,” he said. “For decades, it has allowed community-based clubs to play the role they should play in society. It helps in keeping youth off the streets, empowering them, educating them and creating togetherness. It has become super competitive, but at its heart it remains about community.”
Racing delivers its own crescendo
Against this carnival backdrop, the racing hit a high note of its own. In the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (1600m), the compact, athletic Jan van Goyen surged clear like a lead dancer breaking formation, winning by 2.75 lengths to stamp himself as a major summer contender. Earlier, evergreen champion Dave the King rolled back the years to claim the Grade 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes, thriving on the fast track and calm conditions.
The double triumph sealed a red-letter day for the Mike and Mathew de Kock father-and-son training partnership and jockey Callan Murray, instantly elevating both horses to early favouritism for the L’Ormarins King’s Plate on 10 January 2026.
“Despite Jan van Goyen being a champion two-year-old last year, there were doubts about whether he’d stand up to the best in the Cape,” said Stephen Marshall, Events & Marketing Executive at Race Coast.
“He did so with absolute aplomb. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a Dave the King and Jan van Goyen match race in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate.”
Tradition that evolves and accelerates
The Voorsmakie marked the fourth year of partnership between the KKKA and Hollywoodbets, a collaboration that has helped the tradition grow while staying true to its roots.
“Tradition has to evolve,” Gambeno said.
“Fifteen years ago you’d see much smaller bands with banjos and goombas. Today you see precision marching bands, but you still hear the ghoema beat. That balance is how culture survives beyond our lifetime.”
For Hollywoodbets, the blend of racing and rhythm is intentional.
“The combination of the Festive Fair and the Klopse Voorsmakie reflects our commitment to inclusive, vibrant experiences that celebrate Cape Town’s culture while building momentum into the rest of the summer season,” said Devin Heffer, Brand and Communications Manager for Hollywoodbets.
With up to 100,000 spectators expected at the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade and the festivities continuing at Athlone Stadium from 10 January, the message from Kenilworth was clear: Cape Town’s summer is off and running. Where racing thunder meets minstrel harmony, the city finds its rhythm that is colourful, competitive and unmistakably Cape.
