Thirty-two bubbly brands, a waterfront awash in blue, green and orange, and an afternoon guests are already calling one for the national calendar.
The second St Francis Bubbles Festival, Bubbly in the Bay, sold out every ticket, bringing a celebration of South African Cap Classique and sparkling wines to The Quays Waterfront on Saturday, 24 October.
From 12:30 to 17:00, guests explored wines from 32 producers, with heritage houses and boutique newcomers sharing the spotlight.
Among those pouring were Anura, Avondale, Steenberg, Black Elephant Vintners, GM & Ahrens, Stettyn Wines, Precious Hidden Valley, Quoin Rock, Dainty Bess, Bloupunt, Wildekrans, Weltevrede, Paul René, MAN, Lievland, Le Lude, Ken Forrester and Durbanville Hills. Cap Classique pioneer Pieter Ferreira, widely known as Mr Bubbles, also poured his first own-label MCC.
Returning for their second year were Montpellier, De Grendel, Bramon, Kanu, Lost Boy, Black Oystercatcher and Van Hunks. Alongside Andiamo, Van Hunks also offered a premium non-alcoholic sparkling option.
Inspired by the Malachite Kingfisher, the dress code transformed the waterfront into a colourful display of blue, green and orange. Floral crowns, feathered fascinators and bold prints filled the venue, while the Harper’s Harvest flower station gave guests the chance to create crowns of their own.
The Quays restaurant served food throughout the afternoon, with live music from Simon on vocals and guitar, Tiaan on wind instruments and Andrew on bass keeping guests entertained from first pour to last. Artisan vendors added to the occasion with nougat, olives and olive oil, goat’s cheese, resin serving boards and festival keepsakes.
For an exclusive group of 24 guests, the celebrations began at 10:30 with the GM & Ahrens VIP Experience. Hosted in a private section of The Quays Restaurant, the experience included a bespoke tasting, light bites and unplugged live music before the main festival opened.
Guests were quick to share their enthusiasm on social media. One attendee described it as “an event to definitely put on the national calendar”, praising both the organisers and The Quays as hosts.
For organiser Elizabeth Anderson of Nirmatri Events, the festival’s impact extended beyond the waterfront.
“We are absolutely blown away by the reach that this event has had. Our vision of this event was to spread the love throughout our Coastal Village, and we achieved that through home rentals, restaurant bookings, and local taxi companies being supported throughout the weekend. Every guest made an effort in looking the part and adding to the fabulousness of the day with their bold, colourful outfits,” said Anderson.
Producers were equally enthusiastic.
“We loved being part of the Bubbly in the Bay Festival this year! What an incredibly well-run event at such a beautiful venue. The weather played along perfectly, setting the scene for a glamorous coastal celebration. Our MCC was warmly received, and we loved the opportunity to share a little piece of who we are with the St Francis Bay community. A heartfelt thank you to the organisers for putting together such a special event — we had a wonderful day and feel privileged to have been part of it!” said Kara Bouma of Anura Vineyards.
Following the success of the inaugural festival in 2025 and this year’s sell-out, Nirmatri Events has confirmed that Bubbly in the Bay will return on 23 October 2027. Tickets go on sale in June 2027.
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