Durban Ports Festival

About the Durban Ports Festival

The annual Durban Ports Festival is a fun maritime event that appeals to the whole family. On 29 and 30 September, the harbour precinct off Margaret Mncadi Avenue will come alive as locals and international visitors celebrate South Africa’s busiest commercial port.

This maritime festival is hosted by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and will be focussed on the diverse cultures, history, and heritage of Durban and its port. The focus is, of course, on both tourism and the community. But, there will also be massive career opportunities, and plenty of fun for the family.

South African Navy ships will be stationed at the N Shed passenger terminal, and invite visitors to climb aboard and explore them. This is a massive thrill for children, but also exciting and informative for adults. Guided tours of the Port Natal Maritime Museum are a must at the festival, but there is so much more to enjoy there too.

Some of the highlights include

• The arts and crafts market, where there will be stalls showcasing beautiful African pieces
• An exciting display of Harley Davidson bikes, as well as other superbikes and supercars
• Jet ski demonstrations
• Water rides
• A sail-past and a regatta
• Sea rescue demonstrations
• A tugboat dance

Visitors should definitely come to the Durban Ports Festival hungry, as there will be an awesome variety of food trucks and stalls, well-known outlets, pop-up bars for gin and wine, a sushi bar, shisanyama (traditional barbecued meat), and a beer garden.

To avoid disappointment it is advisable to book your accommodation well in advance for this event. Visit the Durban Accommodation pages to find guest houses, Durban hotels and self catering places and for additional info about Durban which includes attractions and Things to Do, see Durban Attractions.

Visitors to Durban will love spending a day immersed in all things maritime against the backdrop of fun and excitement for the whole family. The event is hosted in collaboration with a number of important entities. These include Durban Tourism; EThekwini Municipality; Bidfreight Port Operations; EThekwini Maritime Cluster; East Coast Radio; and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs; amongst others.

To avoid disappointment it is advisable to book your accommodation well in advance for this event. Visit the Durban Beachfront Accommodation pages to find guest houses, hotels and self catering places to stay and for additional info about Durban Beachfront which includes attractions, restaurants and things to do, see Durban Beachfront Info.