For a magical transition from day into night, gather your family and bring your picnic basket and blanket to usher in the festive season under the stars. This year the Rotary Club of Hermanus’s annual Christmas Carols will be on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, at the Attie Bishop Field next to the Hermanus Sports Club opposite Hermanus High School. The event promises to be more spectacular than previous years.

GET DIRECTIONS

SCHEDULE

18:00 – Gates open
18:30 – Father Christmas & Kids’ Fun Activities
18:30 – Saxophonist Debi Best
19:30 – Nativity play & carols

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Join us at the Father Christmas Kids’ Fun Fair where children can meet “Santa” and join in festive games. Parents are welcome to bring a gift for their child (marked with their name), hand it to an organiser and Father Christmas will present the gift to the child..

We would also ask that you please bring along your unwanted, pre-loved toys which will be distributed to underprivileged children in our community.  Or you can drop off presents at your convenience at the Rotary Bargain Box shop (Cor Aberdeen and Dirkie Uys Streets) or at the REMAX office in Hermanus, 7A Optimum Centre, 10 Main Road, Onrus.  

PERFORMERS this year include:

Multi-talented saxophonist, Debi Best, who was trained at the Royal College of Music in London, has performed internationally, and played with the world-reknowned Three Tenors – Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, amongst others. She also has performed for Nelson Mandela, Sir Richard Branson and Prime Minister Tony Blair. This year she will preform for you!

Classical mezzo-soprano Karen De Goede, who holds a B.Mus from the University of Potchefstroom under Prof Werner Nel, has performed with Roodepoort City Opera, PACT Opera Chorus, and the Black Tie Ensemble. Her collaborations include Neels Hansen, Mimi Coertse, Sjoerd Alkema, and Leonard Heydenrych. She’s also known for performing original works by Deon Opperman and André Strijdom.

Classical bass-baritone Corniël Calitz, who trained with Prof Werner Nel and Stéfan Louw, has performed in opera, oratorio, art music, folk, jazz, and musical theatre. His collaborations include Sempre Opera, Big Wig Opera and Brooklyn Theatre. He has sung works by local composers and under renowned international conductors.

This will be followed by a Nativity Play, produced and directed by René Dewar. A narrator will tell the story of the birth of Christ, with performers enacting the scenes and carols sung by a choir and spectators.  The music is produced and directed by Rita Louw. 

GOING GREEN

In our ongoing effort to “go green,” the programme and song sheet will be digitally sent to your phone. This means no paper song sheets and no candles or glow sticks. Lyrics also will be displayed on large screens.

The evening closes with the “Hermanus Wave”, a magical moment when all lights are switched off and the audience sings Silent Night with cell phone torches swaying.

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Bring your picnic basket with drinks and snacks and blankets or chairs. Enjoy delicious coffee, cool drinks, pancakes, and burgers will be available from vendors.  

A tent will cover the stage to accommodate inclement weather conditions and ensure that the show goes on.

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The Rotary Club of Hermanus is grateful for our main sponsor, Remax Wine & Whales.

Proceeds from the event, made possible by the community for the community, will benefit our Early Childhood Development projects and the Bursary Fund for the Overstrand Learning Hub.

Please join us for an unforgettable evening of light, laughter, and local pride.

#OnetownOnesongOneSpirit