Zeitz MOCAA is waiving entry fees this Heritage Day, with tours, workshops and live music thrown in. Here’s what to expect, and where else in Cape Town you can get in free.
This Heritage Day, Zeitz MOCAA is throwing its doors open. Free entry, all day, no ticket needed.
The museum opens from 10am to 6pm on Thursday, 24 September. You don’t need to book. Just show up, and you’re in.
Inside, there’s a full day planned. Multilingual architecture tours take you through the Grain Silo’s journey from grain store to one of Africa’s boldest museum spaces. Guided exhibition tours walk you through what’s currently on the walls.
If you’re bringing kids, there’s plenty for them too. The Silo Tote Bag Workshop is back, letting teens and adults design their own tote inspired by the museum’s silo shape. There’s also a brand new kids’ workshop tied to the current exhibitions, plus a new experience from the museum’s Art Patrol, where you get to see the building through the eyes of the people who protect it.
Outside, Makers Landing runs the food court for the day. Expect good food and live music from the V&A Buskers and other local acts.
Members still get to skip the queue. But for everyone else, this is the one day a year you can walk into Zeitz MOCAA for nothing.
“Heritage Day is a day of celebration but also of remembrance, acknowledging the sacrifices made by others so that we can enjoy our freedom and our diverse cultures side by side,” says Liesl Hartman, Head of the BMW Centre for Art Education at Zeitz MOCAA.
“At Zeitz MOCAA, a sanctuary for artists from all over Africa and its diaspora, we welcome South Africans home to celebrate with us.” – Liesl Hartman, Head of the BMW Centre for Art Education at Zeitz MOCAA
Talia Naicker, the museum’s Education Manager and Heritage Day Project Manager, puts it simply:
“Whether experiencing the Museum for the first time or returning with friends and family, the day promises inspiration, creativity, and a shared sense of community at Africa’s leading museum of contemporary art.”
Not the only free museum in town
Zeitz MOCAA isn’t the only spot opening up. Iziko Museums runs its own free entry every Heritage Day too, as part of the in_herit Festival. This year that covers the Iziko South African Museum, the National Gallery, the Slave Lodge, Bo-Kaap Museum and Old Town House. The Planetarium and Digital Dome aren’t included.
- See the Iziko Museum Heritage Day programme here
So if you’re planning a Heritage Day out, you could realistically hit Zeitz MOCAA at the Waterfront and a few Iziko sites in the CBD, all without spending a cent on tickets.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
When: Thursday, 24 September 2026, 10am to 6pm (last entry 5:30pm)
Where: Zeitz MOCAA, Silo District, V&A Waterfront and Iziko Museums
Cost: Free, all day
Booking: Not needed, just walk in
