The Head of Durban Tourism , says that the city of Durban is expecting a bumper long weekend in March and the city is proud to be host city for the 5th BRICS Summit that coincides with all the hype in the city. Once again Durban will be showcased on a global platform as a destination of choice and as a leading events hub for South Africa.
Durban’s Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre will provide the venue for the 16th installment of Time of the Writer (18th– 23rd March 2013). In addition to the nightly showcases at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, a broad range of day activities are scheduled to take place to promote a culture of reading, writing and creative expression.
The lifestyle exhibition Decorex will be taking place at the Durban Exhibition Centre on the 21st – 24th March 2013.
The fifth BRICS Summit is taking place on the 26th-27th March 2013 at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Center (ICC). BRICS is an association of international emerging market economies which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Splashy Fen 28th – 31st March 2013. Splashy Fen has evolved into one of South Africa’s premier music festivals which nowadays sees thousands of people making the annual pilgrimage to Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal for what is regarded by many as the ‘ultimate outdoor experience’.
For serious cyclists the aQuelle Tour D’Urban held on the 28th April 2013 at Durban’s iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium is the place to be. The 2013 aQuelle Tour Durban offers riders three route options, including the brand new CYCLOCROSS event. The signature event is the 105km Road Race, attracting the country’s top cycling professionals. The 45km road race has become hugely popular over the past 3 years as social riders, both road and mountain bikers, realise how easily attainable the 45km road distance is. The brand new addition to the race is the 55km Cyclocross Event, which is a new concept that combines the best of mountain biking and road cycling.
Durban’s uShaka Marine World will be hosting Africa’s Largest Easter Egg Hunt for the second year in a row on the 30th – 31st March 2013 from 7am – 9am. 100 000 Easter Eggs will be hidden around uShaka and our budding little adventurers are invited to pick as many eggs as their hearts desire and as many as their bags can hold.
Tens Rugby Festival will be taking place in Durban during the Easter weekend (30th – 31st March 2013). Run by ex-rugby Springbok Robert du Preez and hosted by Rovers Rugby
Club, the ‘Tens format’ has already enjoyed enormous success in South Africa over the past 10 years and we are proud to announce that this year marks the inaugural East Coast Tens Rugby Festival.
The Sapphire Coast Beach Festival will take place at Amanzimtoti Main Beach from the 29th March – 1st April 2013. Beach Road and Rogies Park in Amanzimtoti will provide the venue for the Night Market on the 30th March 2013, held in aid of the Pregnancy Resource Centre. This night market will feature great music, a variety of stalls and delicious food. The kids can also put their angling skills to good use at the Junior Angling Bonanza at Warner Beach on the 30th March 2013.
For the die-hard fishermen, the new annual Durban Beachfront Shorefishing Competition at the Suncoast Beach will take place during the 30th – 31st March 2013 with over R250 000 worth of prizes up for grabs. The top prize is R50 000 cash for the ambitious angler that catches the biggest spotted grunter. All Rock and Surf (R & S) anglers are invited to the two day shore fishing festival brought to you by Cast Events, ASFN and the Ethekwini Municipality. This two day event will provide anglers a platform for educational clinics by top R & S anglers, an opportunity to look at new equipment, tackle and just have some fishing fun for the entire family FREE of charge.
Festival of Chariots is a Hindu festival that will take place at the Durban Beachfront on the 29th March – 1 April 2013. The parade is the highlight of the festival, where hundreds of festival-goers pull 20 handmade wooden chariots bearing the various Hindu Gods. Traditional 15 meter high chariots will be joined by community floats, drum majorettes, brass bands, Chinese dragons and dancers to create a wonderful carnival spirit. Inspired by His Worship Mayor Cllr. James Nxumalo’s call for socially cohesive society, the festival has adopted the theme of “Culturally Many, Spiritually one”.
In keeping with the same theme, on the 6th April 2013 The Wavehouse at Gateway will host the city’s first ever Colour Festival. The concept has its roots in the Hindu religion and the annual and legendary Holi Festival in India – but in South Africa, and elsewhere, the expression is a meeting of music and magic: an electronic dance party that integrates the colour powders of Holi festival with a line-up of South Africa’s top deejays and a mission to unite all in colour. To date the Colour Festivalconcept has taken the world by storm and successfully spread to countries such as Singapore, Germany and the USA, with Spain, France, Switzerland and many others currently planning to host their own versions.
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Issued by the Marketing Department of Durban Tourism. Tel: 031 322 4188
