Cape Town’s annual Pride season officially begins this week, running from 5 February to 1 March 2026. The three-week festival will feature numerous events across the city.
One of the highlights on the calendar is the LEGACY Love Pride Ball, scheduled for Saturday, 7 February. The event celebrates Ballroom culture, an LGBTQIA+ subculture that originated in New York City during the late 1960s.
Ballroom culture emerged when transgender and queer people of colour, particularly from African American and Latino communities, began organising their own events in response to predominantly white drag pageants. These gatherings evolved into competitive balls featuring categories such as voguing, a dance style combining model-like poses with stylised movements.
“Black and Latino voguers would compete for trophies and the reputation of their ‘Houses’ – groups that were part competitive affiliation, part surrogate family,” according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The culture has since spread globally, including to South Africa. Organisers say the Love Pride Ball provides a safe space for queer and transgender individuals to express themselves freely and celebrate their identities.
The event will take place at Hearty in the Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock. Doors open at 20:30, with festivities running from 21:00 until 02:00 on Sunday, 8 February.
Competition categories for the night include Best Dressed Drag (King & Drag Queen of Hearts), Realness for Couples (Holy Matrimony), Vogue Femme (Cupid), Sex Siren (Lace & Brace), Runway (All Shade is Red), and Face (What That Red Lip Do). Most categories are open to all participants, with prizes on offer.
The event serves as part of the broader Cape Town Pride Festival, which continues through early March.
