Cape Town’s Underground Comes Together for a Two-Day Block Party of Sound, Style and Collective Joy
On the 17th–18th of January 2026, the city welcomes the inaugural edition of Sheer City, a multi-venue, day-to-night block party that unites some of the most influential underground nightlife collectives shaping the city today. Stretching across six downtown venues in and around the Harrington Street district, Sheer City isn’t just launching a festival, it’s marking a cultural moment.
Anchored at Harringtons, District, Surfa Rosa, Zer021 Social and The Electric, with a daytime extension at Texas on the edge of the City Bowl, Sheer City unfolds as a walkable inner-city experience. From sunlit dancefloors to deep, after-hours rooms, the festival invites movement between spaces, sounds, people and identities, mirroring Cape Town’s long-standing devotion to nightlife as a site of freedom, expression and experimentation.
A Return to Rave Culture, Reimagined
At its core, Sheer City is a deliberate return to rave culture in its purest form: exceptional selectors, intentional curation, high-design production and sound systems built for full-body immersion. The experience is fluid by design, encouraging discovery, chance encounters and shared moments that extend beyond any single room.
The festival is a collective conjuring, led by some of Cape Town’s most respected promoters and curators, united by a shared intention: to create more than a party. This is about community-building, about honouring the city’s deep-rooted relationship with LGBTQ+ culture, and about creating spaces where multi-racial and multi-gender identities aren’t just welcomed, they’re central.
One City, Six Experiences
Sheer City operates as a constellation of sound, style and community, shaped through collaboration between Sub Sahara, The Death of Glitter, Tropical Disko, CTEMF, Mila Rose & Friends and Bridges for Music. Each venue holds its own character while contributing to a shared universe.
Sheer Drop at Texas | 14:00 – 22:00
A daylight opening ritual, setting the tone and easing the city into motion.
Sheer Delight at The Electric | 17:00 – 02:00
Mila Rose & Friends return with a joyful takeover, joined by The Electric After 5 crew and a special appearance from Johannesburg’s Lelowhatsgood.
Sheer Disco at Harringtons | 18:00 – 04:00
Sub Sahara curates a high-tempo, sweat-driven room featuring Avi Subban, BlaqKongo, Flemish.Fetish, Fogshow (Live), Make A Dance, Roz and Shugi.
Sheer D.O.G at Zer021 Social | 20:00 – 04:00
The Death of Glitter honours a defining queer institution with an explosive one-night spectacle. Featuring Tama Sumo & Lakuti, special guest Mandy Alexander, residents Phijos and Dragmother, plus a surprise Sheer City headliner taking the midnight slot.
Sheer Assembly at District | 20:00 – 04:00
A reunion rooted in memory and sound. Downtempo and dub journeys from dj low and GlenVst on a custom-built Void system, followed by live electronic pioneers Sibot and Markus Wormstorm, with late-night weight from Das Kapital and Niskerone. Headliner Freudenthal closes the room with a Discothèque-led journey.
Sheer Dive at Surfa Rosa | 21:00 – 04:00
Pearl Daddy hosts the festival’s mischievous corner, a dive bar reimagined for maximal release with Shaun Westwood, Faffa Bruwer, Dario and Mr Mo.Across the programme, international icons meet local visionaries. The lineup features Horse Meat Disco, Freudenthal, Ante Perry, Tama Sumo & Lakuti, Make A Dance, Flemish.Fetish, Esa and Thor Rixon, alongside more than twenty local artists, dancers, performers and installation creatives, forming a living portrait of Cape Town’s future-facing creative identity.
The Weekend Doesn’t End There
Presented by Bridges for Music and Sub Sahara, the closing chapter unfolds at Texas (14:00–20:00) and Harringtons (18:00–02:00). Expect a warm, soulful South African afternoon soundtracked by deep house and Afro-centric selections, with a headline moment from Esa, a Cape Town icon marking a defining chapter in his career. Harringtons closes the weekend with reflective house, surprise back-to-back sets, Bloody Marys and a braai for those still finding their feet.
Why “Sheer”?
The name is intentional and playful. Sheer holds he, she and her, a nod to fluidity. It evokes softness, luxury and transparency. It suggests sheer delight, sheer freedom and sheer possibility, while hinting at boldness, the thrill of the drop, expression without restraint.
This is Sheer City.
A city within a city.
A shared universe of sound, style and collective authorship.
Welcome to Sheer City. Enjoy your stay.
Tickets | From R200
Available Online:https://tickets.airdosh.co.za/event/sheer-city/qPNjQB0mG9TVGzT
