December: the office is [hopefully] closed and the party’s just begun! Enjoy the city’s pristine beaches, rooftop restaurants, sunset hikes up the mountain, and if none of that tickles your fancy, we’ve got all the biggest annual events happening in Cape Town and surrounds.

From summer concerts to flying contraption competitions, December has it all. When you’re not having fun in the sun, indulging in Christmas festivities or preparing your liver for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations in the Mother City, take a gander at what else is happening during the month of December.

Also, don’t forget the South African public holidays in December: Day of Reconciliation on Sunday, 16 December (that means Monday, 17 December is a public holiday), Christmas Day on Tuesday, 25 and Day of Goodwill on Wednesday, 26 December.

DECEMBER EVENTS IN CAPE TOWN AND BEYOND

Wavescape Surf Film Festival (29 November – 17 December)

Barrel rolling onto the Mother City’s summer social scene from the end of November to mid-December, the annual Wavescape Surf Film Festival features more than just movies devoted to big wave hunters and epic surfing legends and luminaries. The three-week celebration also includes an art surfboard exhibition and auction, an innovative ocean-inspired presentation-based slide night, a pop-up movie on the Sea Point promenade and a beach clean-up. Though, as always, the highlight of the wave rider fest is the FREE open-air movie screening on Clifton Fourth Beach.  In other words, get stoked and start reading more about scheduling. 

Tickets: While many of the Wavescape Surf Film Festival events are free, including the screening on Clifton Fourth Beach, individual films will cost R35p/p and entrance to the slide night will run you R50p/p. Tickets are available at the door of each venue. 

The Franschhoek ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Cap Classique and Champagne Festival (30 November – 2 December) 

Set in the Cape’s breathtaking French wine corner, the 2012 Franschhoek ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Festival, which takes place from Friday, 30 November to Sunday, 2 December 2012, is set to be a delicious delight for bubbly lovers and effervescent enthusiasts. The merry annual calendar highlight invites fair-goers to sample top Cap Classiques produced by some of the Cape’s finest wineries alongside first-class champagnes from France. Not to mention, those attending can also look forward to indulging in fresh gourmet fare dished up by local fine dining restaurants. With good food, world-class sparkling wines and heaps of festive fun on the bill, it’s bound to be a memorable celebratory summer occasion.

Tickets: Tickets for the fair cost R200 per person, are available via Webtickets.co.za, and include entrance to the festival, a tasting glass and 10 sampling vouchers. Under 18s can enter for free, and those who buy tickets with a MasterCard card are entitled to 10% off the standard price. 

Things to do on World AIDS Day in Cape Town (1 December)

Observed each year on 1 December, World AIDS Day serves to raise awareness about the plight of those living with and affected by this global pandemic. South Africa is said to have more people living with HIV/AIDS than any other country in the world and the devastation of this disease is glaringly visible in communities. This year, organisations dedicated to supporting relevant charities and alleviating the burdens of those suffering from and affected by HIV/AIDS are hosting a range of events, including gala concerts, dance performances and circus shows, in Cape Town and surrounds. So, show your support by attending one of these activities and celebrate life on Saturday, 1 December 2012.

Tickets: Prices vary according to the event.

Twilight Team Run (4 December) 

Strut your stuff through the streets of Cape Town this December in support of the Community Chest of the Western Cape, the province’s oldest charitable organisation. This highly-anticipated annual fun run calls on locals to band together in teams of 4 to 6, and to walk, skip, jog, gallop or monster mash their way through the Mother City CBD. The catch? Participants are encouraged to dress-up in wild, wacky and positively kooky costumes. Prior to the fun run a ‘Best Dressed’ competition will be held, and after the fun run participants are invited to enjoy live entertainment into the evening.

Tickets: The entrance fee for the Twilight Team Run is R50p/p and R200 per team (4-6). Registration opened on Monday, 5 November 2012, and can be carried out via the TwilightRun.co.za web site.

The Red Bull Flugtag at the V&A Waterfront (9 December) 

Red Bull gives you wings! The 2012 Red Bull Flugtag takes off at Jetty 1 at the V&A Waterfront on Sunday, 9 December 2012. Gear up for the ultimate contest in ingenuity, creativity and balls-to-the-wall daredevil antics as self-accredited pilots and their ground crew launch themselves and their homemade flying machines off a 6-m high platform to see who can glide, fly or flap the farthest in this crazy flying challenge. Watch as the average Joe tests their mettle as aviators and tries their best to emulate the innovation of inventors like Leonardo Da Vinci and the Wright brothers.

Entries for the 2012 Red Bull Flugtag are closed.

Tickets: Entrance for spectators is free.

Cape Town Summer Market (14 – 24 December)

Go marketing in the heart of one of the world’s most beautiful cities this summer holiday at the Cape Town Summer Market 2012, the re-launched Adderley Street Night Market, that will runfrom Friday, 14 December to Monday, 24 December 2012. It will be open every day from 11am to 8pm so those withpacked schedules can shop when it suits them. Entrance to more than 200 stalls is absolutely free and there will be secure parking as well as strong security for the duration of the market.

Entrance: Entrance to the market is FREE. For those wanting to take visit the nearby galleries and museums, normal entry fees will apply.

MCQP in Cape Town (15 December) 

It’s the (queen) mother of all annual gay and lesbian parties! The Mother City Queer Project, better known as MCQP, gears for its 19th jol, and this year it’s set to take place at the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point.  

Scheduled for Saturday, 15 December 2012, the proudly Capetonian party – this year’s theme is ‘Fantasy Fairy Tale’ - is as massive as it is memorable, and is billed as the biggest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) event in Africa.

Tickets: Tickets are available through MCQP.co.za and cost R290p/p for general access and R450p/p for VIP access. Exclusive Privé suite tickets cost R12, 500 for a maximum of 20 people.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Cape Town (24 – 25 December)

Eat, drink and be merry, and celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Cape Town and surrounds with a scrumptious dinner or lunch at one of the Mother City’s countless top restaurants, eateries and wine estates. Forego slaving over a hot stove in a busy kitchen and rather enjoy gourmet fare and the company of family and friends at a swanky establishment of your choice (we’ve put together an overview of options). Book your spot early to avoid disappointment. 

Tickets: Prices vary according to the venue.

Rock the River SA 2012/2013 (28 December – 2 January)

Skip the queues, ditch the overpriced New Year’s Eve parties that smother the Cape Town city centre and pull in to this chilled-out five-day, three-stage outdoor live music festival. Just a 20-minute drive from Durbanville, Rock the River SA invites revelers to set up camp at Savannah Farm in the warm heart of the Boland region and ring in 2013 with over 200 local artists and countless extreme activities. The Heartbreak hotel is providing a ‘glamping’ option for those who never leave home without their hair dryers, and, as the name indicates, a gorgeous water feature will provide much-needed respite from the summer sun. 

Tickets: Tickets are available from Computicket.com for R400p/p and will be available at the gate for R450p/p.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in Cape Town (31 December – 1 January)

Spending New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the Mother City and still not sure how to celebrate? Rest assured, we’ve compiled an overview of the hottest NYE parties, events, dinners, concerts and festivals happening in Cape Town and surrounds. From wining, dining and dancing to three-day music festivals and more, we’ve got it all.

Tickets: Prices vary according to the event.

PLEASE NOTE: All dates are subject to change. 

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Don’t miss out on the big international concerts happening this month in the Mother City:

• Lady Gaga at the Cape Town Stadium on Monday, 3 December 2012

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These are only a few of the happenings in Cape Town and surrounds for the month of December, so be sure to check out our Cape Town Events Calendar and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle and check out our Pinterest boards for updates on the latest and greatest events happening in the Mother City in December.