Kenton on Sea Wine Festival
If you need a reason to spend a long weekend in Kenton on Sea, the Great Kenton Wine Festival makes it easy. It’s three days focused on wine, with the coast and village life in between.
Kenton is often referred to as the Barefoot Capital. It’s a small coastal town set between two rivers, with wide beaches and a calm, local feel.
For one weekend each March, it also becomes a meeting point for winemakers, visitors, and locals, with a programme that runs from morning into the evening and daily tastings anchoring the afternoons.
Wine Tasting in The Barefoot Capital
Kenton-on-Sea lies between the Bushmans and Kariega Rivers on South Africa’s Sunshine Coast. It’s a small coastal town renowned for its expansive beaches, tidal estuaries, and laid-back lifestyle.
Locals call Kenton the Barefoot Capital, and with good reason, life here centres on the rivers, beaches, and surrounding wilderness.
You might kayak along winding rivers, explore nearby game reserves, or walk for hours along beaches with barely another person in sight. Mornings often begin with a swim, afternoons are spent by the river, and evenings bring striking sunsets over the ocean.
Add a welcoming local community, good food, beautifully appointed accommodation, and events like the Great Kenton Wine Festival, and it’s easy to see why so many visitors return year after year.
The Great Kenton Wine Festival Weekend
The Great Kenton Wine Festival runs Thursday to Saturday, 19–21 March 2026. Your festival ticket gets you into the daily tastings (14:00–17:00) with 35 South African wineries pouring across Diaz Deep Sea Club, The Backyard, and Kenton Tennis Club. The Backyard is new for 2026, replacing the Bowls Club.
The rest of the programme happens around those tasting hours, with fringe events running from morning into the evening. These change each year and are booked separately, but they usually include hosted food-and-wine events and smaller, book-ahead experiences that fit neatly around the afternoon sessions.
A Taste of What Awaits
With so much happening at The Great Kenton Wine Festival, it’s hard to choose just a few highlights—but here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store. And remember, this is just a taste—there’s plenty more waiting for you in Kenton-on-Sea!
Lawn Games in Support of Animal Welfare
If you want a light, social start to the day, book Paws for a Good Cause. It’s local, low-key, and it supports work that actually matters. Paws for a Good Cause runs on Thursday and Friday morning (09:00–12:00) at Rivers Rest, 8 Rochester Road, with proceeds going to Domestic Animal Care Kenton.
The morning starts with a L’Ormarins Cap Classique and nougat pairing, then shifts into two rounds of lawn games, croquet and kubb. If you’ve never played, that’s the point. You’ll be shown the basics, and it stays friendly and social. Come as you are, but if you feel like leaning in, this is the one for sun hats and fedoras.
The cause is worth showing up for. Domestic Animal Care is a local group that funds practical animal welfare support, including sterilisation, tick and flea treatments, and vet care for injuries and illness, plus hands-on help like fencing and dog houses to keep pets safer at home.
Time: 09:00–12:00 (Thu and Fri)
Venue: Rivers Rest, 8 Rochester Road, Kenton-on-Sea
Cost: R250 per person
Book: https://qkt.io/Q3WyEV
River Cruises
The Bushmans River cruises are one of the easiest fringe events to plan around. You’re on the water for a set time, the tasting is included, and you still have plenty of runway before the 14:00–17:00 main session.
Bubbles on the Barge (Rotary hosted)
To meet demand, Bubbles on the Barge runs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (09:30–11:30) with three boats to choose from. It’s hosted by the Rotary Club of Kenton-on-Sea in support of local community initiatives, and seats are limited.
You’ll have a guided Cap Classique tasting featuring Simonsig and Domaine des Dieux, with curated canapés served during the cruise.
- Savvy B (departs from Sandbar, Kenton-on-Sea) | R500 | Book: https://qkt.io/DEs8Jt
- The Jolly Roger (departs from Kenton Marina, Merryhill) | R500 | Book: https://qkt.io/X4llKB
- Jai Yen (departs from Kenton Marina, Merryhill) | R500 | Book: https://qkt.io/su36RT
Wine Sip & Ship (Sandbar Floating Restaurant)
Wine Sip & Ship is the late-morning river option, which makes it easy to stack your day. You can do a morning event first, like the lawn games fundraiser or the padel tournament, then head to the Sandbar Floating Restaurant for a Bushmans River cruise with a guided wine tasting on board.
It’s also the still-wine tasting on the water, rather than Cap Classique, which sets it apart from the earlier “Bubbles on the Barge” cruises.
Wine Sip & Ship runs on two mornings during the festival, with Highlands Road Estate hosting the Thursday cruise and La Motte hosting the Friday cruise.
- Thursday, 19 March 2026 (11:00–12:30): Highlands Road Estate | R250 Book: https://qkt.io/tmrirD
- Friday, 20 March 2026 (11:00–12:30): La Motte | R250 Book: https://qkt.io/7mOOhO
Evening events
The wine festival continues after the afternoon tastings, with evening events that pair wine with music and a more social pace.
Centrestage: The Songs That Rocked Our World
If you’re arriving on Thursday and want something with energy, this is the opener. Centrestage brings a rock-focused set to The Backyard, with the kind of singalong tracks most people already know. It’s hosted by the Kenton Boesmans Chamber of Business and Tourism and it’s designed as the curtain-raiser for the weekend.
There’s a bar on site featuring selected wine producers, food vendors for something casual, and it’s outdoors, so bring a camping chair or picnic blanket. It’s also cashless, so card payments only.
Date: Thursday, 19 March 2026
Time: 19:30 (gates open 17:30)
Venue: The Backyard, Kenton-on-Sea
Tickets: R295 per person Book: https://qkt.io/3nfKqY
Jerry’s Beach Party: Ballies Style
Jerry’s Beach Party runs from 17:30 till late, right on the beachfront at Jerry’s. It’s an easy option if you want a fun evening without committing to a formal dinner booking.
Your ticket includes a welcome glass of Allesverloren, then The Simon Shaw Band takes over with live music for the rest of the night. There’s an à la carte menu available, so you can order dinner when you’re ready and stay as long as you like.
Date: Friday, 20 March 2026
Time: 17:30 till late
Venue: Jerry’s, Kenton-on-Sea
Cost: R100 per person Book: https://qkt.io/qfNdah
Around the Campfire with Brian Mullins (Boet ’n Swaer)
If you enjoy storytelling, book this fireside evening with Brian Mullins, the Eastern Cape raconteur behind Boet ’n Swaer. It’s set up as a relaxed, small-group night at Pizzarella, with stories, laughter, Zevenwacht wines, and a light supper. Campfire tunes round out the evening.
Date: Saturday, 21 March 2026
Time: 18:30
Venue: Pizzarella, Kenton-on-Sea
Cost: R350 per person Book: https://qkt.io/2T2fia
Where to Stay in Kenton on Sea
The Oyster Collection offers a selection of beautifully appointed self-catering homes in Kenton-on-Sea, ideal for a festival long weekend. They are well suited to groups travelling together, with generous communal areas and separate bedrooms for quiet and privacy.
Daily housekeeping is included, along with coffee and tea, and a supply of firewood for the fireplace. If you’re cooking at home, the kitchens are properly equipped, with a gas hob and oven, a dishwasher, and laundry facilities.
Bedrooms are set up for real rest, with percale cotton linen and bathrobes. You’ll also have Wi-Fi, off-street parking, and an alarm system. If you’re travelling with kids, a cot and high chair are available, and a pool net can be arranged at select homes.
Here’s a glimpse of what the Oyster Collection offers.
The Oyster Box Beach House – Bold, Beautiful, and Unforgettable
The Oyster Box Beach House is a luxury holiday villa on Elliot Road with some of the strongest ocean and river views in town. The house looks over the Bushmans River, the tidal river mouth, and the Indian Ocean coastline towards Kwaaihoek.
This four-bedroom, three-bathroom house sleeps up to eight guests. There are generous living areas for group downtime, plus a heated plunge pool and a boma for evenings in. Renting the full villa gives you the space and privacy you want when the festival programme is busy.
The Oyster Shack – A Seaside Escape for the Wine Festival
A short walk from the beach and the Bushmans River, The Oyster Shack is a practical base for the festival weekend. It’s set in a quiet, tree-filled spot, with vintage touches paired with modern finishes, so the house feels relaxed and lived-in rather than formal.
Sleeping up to eight guests, it has a patio for daytime downtime, plus a fireplace and outdoor entertainment area for evenings between festival plans
Inverell Station – Unwind Between Tastings
Inverell Station is close to the festival venues, the beaches, and the Bushmans River, which keeps driving to a minimum across the weekend.
It sleeps up to eight guests across four bedrooms. The open-plan living area includes a wood-burning fireplace and a bar, which makes it a good option if you like ending the day at home. Outside, there’s a sheltered courtyard with a braai, plus a front patio, swimming pool, and fire pit.
The Boat Shed – Stroll to the Beach
A short walk from Main Beach, the Kariega River, and Kenton’s shops, The Boat Shed is well placed if you want to move around on foot between festival plans and beach time.
It sleeps up to eight guests across four bedrooms. The lounge is centred around a fireplace, and there’s a dedicated office space with Wi-Fi if you need it. Outdoors, you’ve got a solar-heated pool, fire pit, and built-in braai, which makes evenings at home an easy option.
Book your Great Wine Weekend Getaway Now
Whether you’re a seasoned wine aficionado or simply here for a fun weekend of tastings and events, the Great Kenton Wine Festival is a solid excuse for a getaway. It helps to have a base that’s close to town and easy to come back to after a full day out.
Pack your flip-flops, bring an appetite for good wine, and make a long weekend of it in Kenton-on-Sea. Here’s to good wine, good company, and a few days in the Barefoot Capital.