The festive-season outdoor spectacle, A Summer Dream, returns for a weekend of music, magic and imagination at the Spier amphitheatre this December.
From 11 to 13 December 2026 audiences are invited to follow a band of curious, fantastical characters into a dreamlike world where the boundaries blur between human, animal and the imaginary. Created for audiences from one to one hundred, the family-friendly production promises an evening of visual wonder beneath the summer stars at Spier Wine Farm.
Now in its fifth year, and once again directed by theatre-maker Brett Bailey, the creator of the acclaimed FAUSTX at Woordfees, A Summer Dream brings together masked performers, dancers, actors and musicians in a surreal procession of moths, sheep, alligators, unicorns and the occasional human being. The production features an original score by Capetonian composer Jak Tomas, with choreography by Natalie Fisher, and movement and mask work by Jayne Batzofin. Costumes are designed by Brett Bailey and Enrique de Villiers, with lighting by Nicolaas De Jongh.
“A Summer Dream is a chance to step out of the everyday and into another world for an hour,” says Bailey. “It’s a portal into a weird and wonderful place where anything can happen.” The one-hour outdoor production is complemented by the sights, tastes and sounds of summer at Spier. Guests can make an evening of it, arriving earlier to enjoy seasonal farm-to-table food and acclaimed Spier wines on the Werf or at Vadas or Veld restaurants, before making their way to the amphitheatre for the performance. Families can also turn it into a weekend away by staying at Spier Hotel, with time to explore the farm before and after the show.
With its combination of theatre under the stars, summer food and wine, and an otherworldly cast of characters, A Summer Dream has become an end-of-year tradition at Spier, offering audiences a chance to slow down, gather together and see the familiar Cape summer through a more fantastical lens.
A Summer Dream runs from 11 to 13 December 2026 at Spier Wine Farm. Tickets cost R200 for the show only; R270 for the show and a Farmer Angus burger from Bubbles & Braai; R350 for the show and a Vadas Pizza, and R500 for the show and a Spier Sunset picnic. Children under 12 pay R80, while children under 2 enter free. For those who have booked a pre-show experience, the evening begins at 6pm. The performance begins at 7.45pm sharp in Spier’s amphitheatre, located next to the river on the Wine Farm. Please bring a warm jacket along and Tickets are available through Webtickets.