Multiple steelbands representing schools and community centres from across the Western Cape perform together at the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre in this free outdoor concert. The event is presented by the Steelband Project, a non-profit organisation founded in 1997 by Liz Brouckaert and David Wickham with a focus on music education for youth from under-resourced communities across rural, suburban and township areas of the province.
The Steelband Project currently runs 12 active bands, each with approximately 15 members, drawing from schools and centres including Dryden Street Primary in Salt River, Heideveld Secondary, Woodlands Primary, Riverlands Primary, Elkana Childcare in Malmesbury, and AfroTropica Steelband in Riebeek Kasteel, among others. The steelpan is an instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago, traditionally fashioned from recycled 44-gallon oil drums.
The showcase features a shared repertoire of popular and classical tunes arranged with an Afro-Caribbean flavour. The Amphitheatre is an open-air venue on the V&A Waterfront. MyCiTi bus routes service the Waterfront directly; cab service drop-off is available at the main entrance on Dock Road. Multiple paid parking garages are on the property.