Friday Markets Cape Town
Whether you’re marking the end of the work week or simply looking for somewhere to be on a Friday evening, Cape Town’s Friday markets offer something distinct from the weekend browse: food, live music, good company, and an atmosphere that’s more about gathering than shopping. Below you’ll find every active Friday market across Cape Town and the Western Cape.
The best Friday markets in Cape Town and the Western Cape
Friday markets fall into two camps: the evening markets that start as the working week ends, and the daytime markets that trade Friday through the weekend. Both are listed below. Use the filters to narrow by area, type or feature.
Bay Harbour Market
Blue Bird Garage Market
Boschendal Night Market
Chilled Market at the Range
Elgin Railway Market
Lourensford Market
Stanford Sunset Market
The Mojo Market
Friday evenings
The Friday night market is its own thing. Less shopping, more standing about with a drink and something hot, usually with music and generally with a crowd that has just finished work.
Lourensford Market on the wine estate outside Somerset West is the after-work one. Fridays run 5pm to 10pm, with live music from Cape Town artists and DJs, around 60 permanent stalls under a covered u-shaped structure, and the estate’s own wines. It’s set among lawns, old trees and landscaped gardens, and there’s enough on the farm to keep children busy, including putt-putt and an interactive fountain. Free entry, R30 to park, and dogs are welcome. Closed over the winter months.
Boschendal Night Market is the other estate heavyweight, held outside Franschhoek with live music, food stalls and wine bars. Entry is bookable, which is worth knowing in advance, and like Lourensford it closes over the winter months.
Blue Bird Garage Market in Muizenberg runs Thursday and Friday evenings in a converted old airmail hangar, with hearty food, craft beer, local wine and clothing stalls. It’s the one to head for if you want the deep south on a Friday night.
There are others worth knowing about in the listings above, including Chilled Market at the Range in Tokai every Friday, Stanford Sunset Market on the last Friday of the month, and the Century City Winter Night Market, which runs in winter only and fills the gap when the summer evening markets close.
What’s different on a Friday?
Several of the bigger markets trade differently on Fridays, and it’s worth knowing before you drive out.
Elgin Railway Market is the one to watch. The full market, with its jewellery, leather goods, salvage shop and the rest of the retail, runs Saturdays and Sundays only. Fridays are 4pm to 8.30pm with a limited selection of food vendors and the bar. Still a lovely evening in a converted 1940s apple warehouse, but not the full Elgin experience if you’re making the hour’s drive for the craft and design.
Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay is the exception that does everything. It opens at 9:30am on Fridays and runs straight through to 9pm, with live music on the sound stage from 7pm, so you can browse the 100-plus traders in the afternoon and stay on for the evening. Indoors in a restored harbour factory, which makes it the reliable option when the weather turns. Their monthly gig guide goes out on social media if you want to plan around who’s playing.
Lourensford closes over the winter months, so check the season before heading to Somerset West.
Planning a Friday night market
Check the season. Lourensford and Boschendal both close over the winter months, and several outdoor evening markets do the same. In spring and autumn they’re open but more prone to cancelling at short notice if the weather turns, so it’s worth checking before you drive out.
Check whether you need to book. Boschendal has bookable entry. Others don’t, but it’s worth checking the listing before driving out.
Go for dinner, not for the shop. Friday evening markets are food-led. If you’re after produce or a proper browse, Saturday morning is the better plan.
Think about getting home. Evening markets often involve wine, and the good ones are frequently out of town. Sort a lift or a driver before you go.
Dress for the evening. Cape Town cools down quickly once the sun goes, particularly at Boschendal and anywhere near the mountains.
COMMON QUESTIONS
What time do Friday night markets in Cape Town start?
Most Friday evening markets open in the late afternoon, generally between 4pm and 5pm, and run until around 9pm or 10pm. Lourensford runs 5pm to 10pm, and Elgin Railway Market 4pm to 8.30pm. Bay Harbour is the outlier, open from 9:30am right through to 9pm, with live music from 7pm. Check individual listings, as times vary by market and by season.
Are Cape Town night markets open in winter?
Some are, some aren’t, and a few only run in winter. The estate markets, including Lourensford and Boschendal, close over the winter months and run the rest of the year. Indoor markets like Blue Bird Garage carry on regardless. Going the other way, the Century City Winter Night Market is a winter-only event, so the colder months bring their own options rather than simply taking them away. Spring and autumn are worth watching too, since the outdoor evening markets are open but more likely to cancel at short notice if the weather turns.
Do I need to book for Friday night markets?
Most don’t require booking, but Boschendal Night Market has bookable entry. Check the individual listing before you go, especially for markets on wine estates or anywhere with limited parking.
Are Friday markets good for children?
Lourensford Market is one of the most family-friendly of the Friday evening options, with activities for children alongside the food and music. Chilled Market at the Range in Tokai is the other good one, relaxed and with space to run about. Boschendal is family-friendly too, though it makes for a later evening.
What’s the difference between a Friday market and a night market?
Some overlap, but not entirely. Friday markets include both evening events and daytime markets that happen to trade on Fridays. Night markets run in the evening but not always on a Friday – several are held on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays. Our night markets guide covers all of them.