Cape Town International Kite Festival
BUILD in kite-making workshops; fly kites; watch show kites.
Your way in
Buy a ticket; join kite-making workshop (offered 2025).
Join a kite-making workshop
Kite-making workshops were offered in 2025; the 2026 workshop programme is not verified.
Fly kites and watch show kites
Buy a ticket, fly kites and watch the show kites.
- You build or use
- BUILD in kite-making workshops; fly kites; watch show kites
- Participation
- Build (workshop) / Use
- Entry and deadlines
- Ticket
- Where
- Youngsfield Military Base, Ottery, Cape Town, South Africa
Dates and deadlines, Oct 2026 to Dec 2027
Usual timing: October. Dates are only shown where a source publishes them; everything else is marked TBC.
Skills you'll need
What to learn and practise before you go. Each resource is marked Official or Community-accepted and names its publisher. Difficulty and prep time are our estimate.
Making a simple kite in a festival workshop (frame, sail, bridle, tail)
Also useful:
- Launching and flying a single-line kite on a crowded family field
- Field safety around show kites
Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures.
Refresher
- A good kite is light but strong: straight, balanced spars, a taut sail and a correctly placed bridle point matter more than decoration.
- Tie the bridle so the kite meets the wind at a slight angle; move the tow point up in stronger wind and down in lighter wind, in small steps.
- Add a lightweight tail if the kite spins or dives in gusts.
- Launch with your back to the wind; let line out and pull in as it climbs. A helper can do a long launch in light wind.
- On a busy family field, keep clear of show-kite arenas and other people's lines; wear a hat and sunscreen.
- Cape Mental Health's festival includes kite-making workshops; book or join on the day as the programme allows.
Practise before you go
- Build a sled or diamond kite from a plastic bag and two sticks following AKA's kite-making pointers.
- Test-fly it at a park and adjust bridle and tail.
- Bring your own decorated kite to fly if workshop places fill up.
Safety notes
- Keep clear of show-kite arenas and lines.
- Sun protection; gloves if your kite pulls hard.
Resources
Cape Town Kite Festival 2026 – #ColourTheSky
Official 2026 dates and venue, with confirmation of kite-making workshops and the Edukite programme.
Publisher: Cape Mental Health (organiser)
How to Make a Kite
Starter guidance on kite structure, materials and plans.
Publisher: American Kitefliers Association (AKA), US national kite association
How To Fly A Kite
Launching, bridle and tail corrections.
Publisher: American Kitefliers Association (AKA), US national kite association
Kite Safety
Field safety for crowded family events.
Publisher: American Kitefliers Association (AKA), US national kite association
No official resource yet
No official kite-making guide from the organiser yet; the national kite association's guides above cover the basics. The 2026 workshop timetable isn't published.
See also the skills guide: Kite basics → · All skills guides
What we could and couldn't confirm
Before you book
- 2026 workshop programme not verified.
- Costs are not listed on buildwith. Check them, and the latest dates, on the official site.
Official and source links
All links open in a new tab. Every fact on this page is logged in sources.md.
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