Hailing from the UK, veteran busker Bill Ferguson is a master of crowd control and hand-eye coordination: he’s one of the best non-juggling jugglers in the world. If he can’t meet the crowd’s challenge of juggling any three things they give him, he gets a pie in his face.
From South Africa, Andrew ‘Magic Man’ Eland will be wowing the crowds with his very special brand of magic that has seen him travel the world. He is joined on the programme by a number of other magicians performing various acts.
Soccer skills champs Cape Town Freestylers will inspire kids of all ages to work on their ball talents, and Owen Bravo will be balancing and juggling with his mouth in a remarkable one-man show. Expect some belly dancing and physical theatre too.
Two other international performers will be headlining: Imre (from Hungary) will take audiences on a playful journey of acrobatic stunts and hilarious interactive comedy. Watch him wrap his spell around the crowd as they become the heroes of the show, while Spanish performer Katay has been perfecting the use of the body as a form of expression. He masterfully uses it as a tool to amaze his audiences around the world.
There will be surprising blends of music and performance arts from Isiko Lam Sensation, marimba from Imbhewu Marimba band and even more music - ranging from brass bands (Street Kings) to classical (Heavenly Quartez), loops from Lonesome Dave Ferguson and Zenn and guitar and vocal and lots of other great talents - some known and others just discovered.
Coming in at just under 40 acts across 269 performances, it’s the biggest Cape Town Buskers Festival yet, turning the V&A Waterfront into a lively stage for the talent with a hat. This being a reference to the fact that all busker performances are free of charge but rely on crowd donation – often in a hat. This age-old tradition sustains busking the world over and audiences are advised to bring their notes and nickel.
The third Cape Town Buskers Festival is produced by the Cape Town Fringe, a project of the National Arts Festival. During the Cape Town Buskers Festival, performers also network and share their skills and experience, building the street performers community towards a stronger busking tradition for South Africa.
The full programme with dates and times will be revealed on www.ctbuskersfestival.co.za.
