16th Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa: A youth-driven celebration at Baxter Theatre
Lalela in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the 16th Shakespeare Schools Festival.
Image: Supplied.
The 2026 Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa is set to return for its 16th season, bringing a bold, youth-driven perspective to the Bard’s works in Cape Town from May 6 to 23, 2026.
The festival will be staged at the Baxter Theatre, marking an exciting new chapter for the programme. The festival is renowned for its fresh approach, challenging learners—many of whom are performing on a professional stage for the first time—to rework full-length Shakespearean plays into sharp, high-energy 30 to 45-minute productions.
This format ensures fast-paced, inventive performances that make Shakespeare’s stories more accessible, relatable, and engaging for today’s audiences. This year's Cape Town leg will feature 42 schools, each contributing their own unique interpretation, style, and voice to the stage. The programme is founded on an ethos of accessibility, inclusivity, and diversity, creating a space for young people to experiment and collaborate.
Festival Founder Kseniya Filinova emphasised the festival's broader impact, stating: “This festival is more than just a showcase of talent, it's a celebration of creativity, courage, and the power of young voices to inspire change and connect communities”.The commitment to diversity is reflected in this year's lineup, which includes a dynamic mix of returning and new participants. Among the newcomers are the Italian school, Società Dante Alighieri, which will present Romeo and Juliet in Italian, and Paarl School.
They join schools like De La Bat School, Pioneer School, and Vista Nova, ensuring a celebration of a wide range of talents, perspectives, and experiences. The return to the Baxter Theatre elevates the experience for the learners and invites wider audiences to connect with their work in a space known for showcasing some of South Africa’s best performances. Audiences can expect bold choices and creative risk-taking, whether it is a modern spin on Romeo and Juliet or a visually striking take on Macbeth, proving that Shakespeare's themes of identity, power, love, and belonging still resonate deeply with young people today.
Beyond the performances, the festival supports participating schools through Master Classes, workshops, and guidance from theatre professionals, helping learners build valuable skills like confidence, teamwork, and creative thinking.
Performances at the Baxter Theatre run Monday to Saturday and begin at 19h00. After the run in Cape Town, the festival will tour to Johannesburg (September 8 to 13 at the Joburg Theatre), George (September 11 to 13 at the George Community Arts Theatre), and Durban (September 21 to 27 at The Courtyard Theatre, Durban University of Technology).
Tickets are available via Webtickets.