All thrills, all spectacle at Cape Town’s biggest motorsport festival

Door-to-door battles, contact racing, blazingly fast Superbikes, and a kids carnival

Last updated: Monday, 9 February 2026

South Africa’s fastest and most exciting racers descend on Killarney in March, turning the track into a full-throttle showcase of door-to-door battles, contact racing and pure spectacle. The high-octane entertainment goes beyond the start line too, where fans can access the pits and meet drivers, while kids’ carnival rides, entertainment and bumper cars and family braais run right alongside the action.

It’s part race day, part fairground, and all-out sensory overload. Killarney’s Extreme Festival, powered by the City of Cape Town in association with Smile 90.4FM and Webtickets, takes over Killarney International Raceway on Saturday, 14 March 2026.

You don’t want to miss the biggest motorsport (and family) event of the year. Image: Killarney

EXTREME FESTIVAL: THE BIGGEST MOTORSPORT EVENT

The backbone of Extreme Festival is national circuit racing. It’s South Africa’s top-level championships, where drivers compete in different categories over multiple races in a single day.

These circuit racing classes are the ones fans will see the most of on the day. Touring Cars like Toyota Corollas, BMW 328tis and Volkswagen Golfs deliver close door-to-door battles with wings and slick tyres. Next up are the SupaCup Polos, wildly modified and tightly packed. This is a contact race where crashing is almost guaranteed.

One of the most popular classes, the Astron Energy Polo Cup, is pure chaos. With identical cars and large racing grids filled with young drivers, it gets aggressively physical.

Killarney is known as the home of motorsport action throughout the Western Cape. Image: Killarney

STOCK CARS, SUPERCARS & SUPERBIKES

Apart from the national circuit championships, there are additional races and showcase categories that add pure spectacle and sensory overload.

Extreme SuperCars Driven by Dunlop is where the crowd favourites, like Lamborghinis, Porsches, Audi R8s, Nissan GTRs, and brutally fast BMWs come onto the circuit. They’re loud, intimidating and extremely colourful; kids instinctively gravitate towards them.

Single-seater racing adds another dimension. MSA4 cars, built in South Africa and identical across the grid, look like miniature Formula 1 machines and demand precision from the drivers, while Formula Ford Kent cars bring older, more raw machines back into the mix. They’re almost as quick and even more unpredictable.

And just when you think you’ve seen it all, superbikes arrive. The SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup sees former national champions, all over 35, elbow-to-elbow on identical Kawasaki ZX-10Rs at speeds of up to 270km/h, making it impossible to look away.

Extreme Festival is a celebration of motion, sound and spectacle. Image: Killarney

JOIN THE FAN WALK & RACE IN A DRIFT CAR

Killarney is one of the very few tracks in the country where spectators can access the pits and paddock at no extra cost. During the lunch break, fan walks bring supercars onto the track in front of the main stands, where you can meet drivers, take photos and get closer than most race weekends ever allow.

The excitement continues all day with Tracktion’s drift passenger rides that send brave volunteers sideways around a 1km circuit in a mock race. For those who want to drive, public karting puts you in a real race kart for 10 laps (kids over 1.5 metres tall can join too).

Access to the pits and paddock is a really rare opportunity. Image: Killarney

CARNIVAL RIDES IN CAPE TOWN

What sets Extreme Festival apart from a standard race day is that from the moment you walk through the gates, you’re greeted with more than just engines and exhaust fumes. The fest will also have an extravagant kiddies carnival with far more than the average rides.

Tiny aviators up to six years old can climb on the Rocket Chaser Carousel, where pint-sized planes swoop and spin, while those who want a bigger leap can launch into the sky on the bungee trampolines.

Meanwhile, the Rocket Parachute Simulator gives kids a taste of skydiving (without the actual freefall), and the kiddies’ bumper rides promise safe but high-energy scrambles across a mini track. Tickets are between R20 and R30 per ride.

There’ll also be a 45-minute magic show and a 45-minute snake show. Add in face painting, balloon shaping, glitter tattoos, jungle gyms and a kiddie’s race track near the clubhouse, and it’s easy to see why this has become Killarney’s biggest family event of the year.

The carnival fun is as fast-paced as the cars nearby. Image: Killarney

BRAAI (OR BUY FOOD) AT KILLARNEY RACE TRACK

Between the racing, carnival rides and magic shows, Extreme Festival quickly becomes a place where families settle in for the day.

You can bring your own food and braai using the free built-in brick braais or skottelbraais. Families usually set up camp early on the spectator banks to claim a spot.

If you don’t feel like cooking, there’s plenty to buy. You can grab some of the best wagyu burgers at Wataburger, sit down for a meal at the Tuckshop and Beer Garden, or try boerewors rolls, cheesy tikka chicken naan, masala steak pizza, and more from the Karting Café. Live music keeps the beer garden buzzing throughout the day.

There’ll also be multiple vendors dotted across the venue, including Chip n Dip, Steers and coffee shops, with halaal options too, like Hoosain’s Fast Food, known for their koeksisters, samoosas and rotis.

There’ll be every kind of food you can think of. Image: Killarney

PREMIUM ELEVATED EXPERIENCE

If you’d rather trade the picnic setup for a more comfortable vantage point, the Premium Motorsport Hospitality offers an elevated way to watch the racing unfold.

Guests will receive entry to Killarney, designated parking, complimentary breakfast, lunch and of course, dessert, plus beverages all day. It costs R850 per adult and R100 per child under 12 years old.

Spectators can also grab a ride on the free shuttles to watch from different viewpoints. Image: Killarney

HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS AT KILLARNEY?

From R40 for under-16s and R120 for adults online, or R50 for under-16s and R150 at the gate. Children under 12 enter for free.

Gates open at 7am, and the parking area behind the clubhouse fills up quickly. Attendees are welcome to camp overnight from Friday morning to secure a prime braai and viewing spot.

Alternatively, if the parking runs out, Bayside Mall has all-day parking for R35, with a MyCiti bus route connecting you to the track at an additional cost.

Whether you’re there for the racing, the rides or the braais, Extreme Festival is a full-throttle festival, not just a race day.

Be sure to get your tickets as soon as possible. Image: Killarney

GET YOUR TICKETS TO EXTREME FESTIVAL

Killarney Extreme Festival is open: 8am to 6pm (gates open at 7am)
Find it: Killarney International Raceway | 6 Potsdam Road | Table View
Cost: R40 for under-16s & R120 for adults online; R50 for under-16s & R150 at the gate
Book: Via Webtickets
Contact on: info@wpmc.co.za, 021 557 1639

By Khadeeja Adams

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There are always things to do this week(end) in Cape Town. 

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