City Hall and Grand Parade

Cape Town’s City Hall. Photo courtesy Ramon Arellano

Cape Town’s City Hall was built in 1905 in Italian Renaissance style, and is one of the last Victorian-style sandstone structures in the Mother City. Despite showing its age, Cape Town’s iconic City Hall continues to be sought out by urban explorers.

Upon entering, beautiful mosaic floors lead to a marble staircase, which guides visitors upwards to vintage stained glass and a 3 165-pipe organ. Its classical, Darling Street facade, and an impressive half-size replica of London’s Big Ben, are also a source of fascination to visitors, particularly those who have been to London.

The City Hall is home to the world-renowned Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, which regularly performs concerts here.

Cape Town’s Grand Parade, in front of the City Hall, was the setting for the Cape Town FIFA Fan Fest during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa. As many as 25 000 people were comfortably able to watch live matches on a big screen here during this time. 

Twenty years earlier, it was also on the Grand Parade that more than 250 000 South Africans gathered in 1990 to welcome Nelson Mandela, following his historic release from prison.

The Castle of Good Hope, South Africa’s oldest building, is right across the road from the Grand Parade.