Norval Foundation

I've been to Norval Foundation for a number of different events. But my ultimate favourite activity is the Candlelight concerts. The venue itself is a 10/10. But then you add this string quartert playing covers of Coldplay and Ed Sheeran? Snatch my soul immediately! There's also a restaurant right next to the concert area (make sure you book though). So if you're looking for a beautiful evening with some razzle dazzle - then I highly recommend the Candlelight Concert at Norval.

Wow this is beautiful! World class. Stunning building with larger-than-life sculptures. Lots of incredible bright colours interspersed with the real wild Afrikan plants, succulents, snakes and birds

A hidden gem indeed if you luv Art and Architecture. Loved the string quartet's performance. A real magical experience. Will definitely return to experience it during the day.

If you’ve ever wondered what Hans Zimmer would sound like if he were performed not by an orchestra but by three violins (one of which seemed determined to redefine the concept of tempo) and one cello — wonder no more. Just go to the Candlelight Concert of Hans Zimmer in Cape Town and marvel as they bravely attempt to strip cinematic scores of everything that makes them cinematic, epic or remotely enjoyable. I’d had my eye on these Candlelight Concerts for a while, and when our dear friend gifted us tickets I thought, “Lovely! Finally!” What can I say? Despite the awe in the online reviews (which I now suspect were written by people whose main exposure to ‘classical music’ is the occasional sheep bleating or cicadas chirping on a summer night), the whole experience was dreadful. Not ‘meh.’ Not ‘underwhelming.’ Dreadful. Hans Zimmer’s music is literally written for orchestras, for walls of sound, sweeping crescendos and layers of texture — not for three exhausted violinists and a cellist doing their best impression of a lion with laryngitis. It felt like watching someone try to perform Wagner on a kazoo. Ambitious, yes. Advisable, absolutely not. I strongly urge you not to waste your time, money or expectations. They also offer a Vivaldi programme which might — only might — sound better simply because Vivaldi is supposed to be played on lots of strings anyway. But at this point my trust issues are profound. Now — to be fair — there was one saving grace: the venue. The Norval Foundation is absolutely spectacular. A modernist masterpiece of glass and concrete nestled calmly in the Constantia landscape, surrounded by a superb sculpture park and a surprisingly compelling art collection. Honestly, just go there for the architecture and skip the concert entirely. You’ll thank me later. In conclusion: Hans Zimmer + Candlelight = no. Hans Zimmer + orchestra = yes. Norval Foundation without violins on the verge of collapse: absolutely yes.

In November I attended 2 Candlelight Concerts on 1 evening. The Abba vs Queen was FENOMINAL! Even got one lady to stop the show to tell the Quartet that they had achieved their goal of drawing us into the performance, I was waiting for somebody to start dancing since we had already sung along! Amazing!! I'll have to go back to the Norval Foundation to admire the art.

A beautiful exhibition space and in particular, the current Brett Murray exhibition is phenomenal.

What a wonderful experience. Beautiful venue, with lovely art around, against the backdrop of the sun setting on the mountain around you. We had the shared menu, that came with a complimentary bottle of wine. The restaurant decor and the food, was picture perfect. Friendly staff that explained the menu and wine. Will go again.

A beautiful gallery featuring exhibitions by local African artists, as well as a very interesting and informative overview of South African history and the struggle for freedom. The sculpture park is also well worth a visit.