Stellenbosch’s historic Town Hall will host its first-ever classical music spectacular as part of the renowned Garden Town Stellenbosch celebrations, featuring the full Stellenbosch City Orchestra and leading South African vocal talents on 2 November 2024.

The Garden Town Classics concert is set to be a highlight of the annual Stellenbosch Garden Town event, running from 25 October to 2 November 2024. This celebrated garden and lifestyle event is a vibrant showcase of the region’s horticultural heritage through open gardens, botanical displays, workshops, talks and garden tours.

“A magical evening of classical music under the stars, set against our historic Town Hall – this is Stellenbosch at its finest,” says Elmarie Rabe, Marketing Manager of Visit Stellenbosch. “By bringing together our town’s architectural heritage, musical excellence and horticultural beauty, we’re creating a signature event that we hope will become a cherished annual tradition for Garden Town – just as beautiful as the other much loved Garden Town activities.”

Under the baton of Dr Paul Loeb van Zuilenburg, the Stellenbosch City Orchestra will accompany an exceptional lineup of classical stars: sopranos Janel Speelman and Lynelle Kenned, tenor Louis Loock, and baritone Niël Rademan. The majestic façade of Stellenbosch Town Hall will provide a fitting backdrop for this exclusively produced programme.

The evening promises a captivating blend of beloved melodies from classical, musical theatre and opera repertoires, including selections from La Bohème, Die Fledermaus, Les Misérables, The Sound of Music and Phantom of the Opera.

Drawing inspiration from the festival’s garden theme, the programme will feature nature-inspired compositions including the “Flower Duet” from Lakmé, “Barcarolle” from The Tales of Hoffmann, and the “Vilja Song” from The Merry Widow. Audiences will also enjoy orchestral favourites such as Strauss’s Blue Danube waltz and excerpts from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Come early, stay inspired. Before the concert begins, take the opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of the gardening exhibition and explore the botanical-inspired market, located in the Town Hall. From unique plants and blooms to artisanal garden products, there’s something for every green thumb to discover. With so much to see, it’s the perfect way to round off your evening in Stellenbosch before settling in for a spectacular night of classical music under the stars.

Tickets are limited, so book yours today and be part of this unforgettable event!

Purchase tickets at Plankton here.

The vessel, the first of the six ships within NCL’s all-new Prima Class, which debuted with record-breaking sales and applause when it was announced in May earlier this year, reveals Tony Award^®-nominated musical “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” as its interactive headlining act. Norwegian Prima will also showcase numerous cruise industry first and new-to-brand elevated onboard experiences when the ship sets sail in August 2022, including boasting the world’s first venue that transforms from a three-story theatre into a Vegas-style nightclub, freefall drop dry slides and the largest racetrack at sea.

“We’re not just elevating the guest experience, we’re giving it an adrenaline rush and multisensory overload,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “When we launched Norwegian Prima, we aimed at going beyond expectations, providing our guests with more wide-open spaces, elevated service, thoughtful design and a variety of unforgettable experiences, and this latest unveiling of our entertainment and onboard activities lineup is going to have the wow-factor they’ve yearned for in a much-anticipated cruise vacation.”

Immersive Star Power Entertainment

From the powerhouse production team that brought “Jersey Boys” with current residence on Norwegian Bliss, comes “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.” This is the story of Donna Summer’s meteoric rise from young starlet to the Queen of the Disco featuring a score of more than 20 of Summer’s mega disco hits including “Bad Girls” “Last Dance,” and “Hot Stuff.” The 75-minute immersive production will be a first at sea where the theatre itself transforms into a full disco and guests can become a part of the show and dance to Summer’s all-time disco medleys.

Taking guests from the disco glam of “Summer” to the neon lights of “Light Balance Universe” featuring Light Balance the golden buzzer winner from “America’s Got Talent,” the one-of-a-kind dance crew brings their jaw-dropping visual effects and style to Norwegian Prima.  Guests will experience high-energy choreography and acrobatics while partaking in a multisensory light spectacular.

Prima Theatre and Nightclub: A Multi-Purpose Masterpiece

All of Norwegian Prima’s headlining acts including some of the new onboard experiences will take centre stage in this groundbreaking transformational theatre. The three-story venue, designed to seamlessly convert the space from a state-of-the art performance stage to expansive dance floor, will feature a customizable seating layout and awe-inspiring moving LED screen that lowers from the ceiling and is nearly half the size of the venue. The extravagant high-energy nightclub’s SENSORIA theme provides clubgoers an out-of-body experience where they can dance late into the night and enjoy a kaleidoscope of high-energy music and innovative special effects.

Interactive Real-life Gameshow Extravaganza  

Norwegian Prima will push the boundaries of guest entertainment as it rolls out its interactive LIVE on NCL game show experiences that allows the audience to be part of the show and have an opportunity to win incredible grand prizes. These immersive productions powered by Fremantle Media, a world leader in creating, producing and distributing content, takes the Prima Theatre and Nightclub and transforms it into a larger-than-life production set where guests can be participants in some of the world’s most legendary game shows including:

• “The Price is Right LIVE on NCL” where guests will “Come on Down,” and bid their way to participate in pricing games and have the opportunity to spin the wheel for a chance to win big in the showcase showdown.
• “Supermarket Sweep LIVE on NCL” the Prima Theatre and Nightclub will transform into a full-scale grocery store, where teams of contestants will race the aisles in a fast-paced game show of trivia questions, product knowledge and speed.
• “Press Your Luck LIVE on NCL” brings a suspense at sea to an American family favourite game classic, as guests are up against the big board to answer trivia questions in hopes to win big.
• “Beat the Clock LIVE on NCL” is the ultimate team competition game where guests will need luck, speed and strategy to complete hilarious challenges; all against the clock.

Elevated Activities for Every Kind of Guest

As the only Cruise Line to offer go-karts at sea, NCL will up the ante on Norwegian Prima, offering the largest and first ever three-level racetrack with the Prima Speedway. Featuring a longer straightaway with a racetrack of more than a quarter mile in length (1,378 feet/ 420 meters) and 22 percent larger than the current racetrack on Norwegian Encore, the speedway will now go around and through the funnel of the ship and boasts 14 nail-biting turns where 15 drivers can simultaneously race on the open ocean, reaching speeds of more than 30 mph (50 kph). After racers have completed their ultimate thrill ride, they can unwind at the new Prima Speedway Bar located beneath the racetrack.

For guests looking for the most extreme adrenaline rush at sea, Norwegian Prima will flaunt The Drop, the world’s first freefall dry slide where users will experience a 10-story plunge reaching the highest G-forces of any cruise line; more Gs than an accelerating F1 racecar, leaving racer’s hearts with the thrill of a lifetime. The edge-of-your-seat experience takes a competitive turn with The Rush, featuring dueling dry slides where guests can race each other for the ultimate in bragging rights.

The Brand’s popular indoor virtual gaming complex, The Galaxy Pavilion, also levels up to offer guests 14 attractions to choose from, including four new hyper-immersive simulator experiences only available on Norwegian Prima, two different escape rooms, and a Topgolf Swing Suite, showcasing the only Topgolf Swing Suite available at sea. The Topgolf Swing Suite delivers an immersive gaming and social experience, featuring a variety of Topgolf games, world renowned virtual golf courses, and multi-player games.  The Topgolf Swing Suite is powered by Full Swing golf simulator technology, the same simulator used by PGA Tour pros such as Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm.

Norwegian Prima will also debut new additional activities for guests of all ages with The Bull’s Eye, an elevated twist on the classic game of darts featuring a sophisticated video tracking system that automatically calculates each guest’s score and even offers instant game replays to ensure fun, competitive play. NCL will introduce Tee Time, a supercharged version of minigolf, where guests can enjoy nine interactive holes set among a Vegas-style backdrop and even have a chance to win worth-your-while prizes.

Making its splashing first appearance on Norwegian Prima as part of the ship’s Aqua Park and Main Pool area, will be the Brand’s first Tidal Wave waterslide featuring gushing surfs where guests can ride an innertube to catch the perfect wave. Guests looking to relax can do so in either one of two infinity hot tubs or under the area’s cascading water feature.

Vibe Beach Club, NCL’s adult-only area returns on Norwegian Prima providing enhanced experiences including a dedicated bar and two infinity hot tubs where guests can enjoy the ocean’s horizon at leisure.

Syd Norman’s Pour House, the onboard guest-favorite classic rock club makes its Rockstar comeback on Norwegian Prima after the concept initially debuted on Norwegian Breakaway in 2018. The venue features a stellar house band playing the greatest rock songs of all time from Aerosmith to Led Zeppelin.

There will be laughs on the high seas with The Improv at Sea comedy club showcasing standup performances against an intellectual tongue-and-cheek “Science of Comedy” theme.

Norwegian Prima Homeports in Galveston, Texas

After Norwegian Prima concludes her inaugural year sailing bucket-list itineraries as the industry’s newest ship, she will be the only vessel during the winter 2023 and 2024 season offering seven-day voyages to the Western Caribbean out of Galveston, Texas, providing the most extensive port experiences in the region with every itinerary visiting four ports. Norwegian Prima will call to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Harvest Caye, the Caribbean’s premier island destination in Belize and exclusive to guests of NCL; and Roatan Island, Honduras, with all visits featuring between eight and nine in-port hours.

With voyages beginning in summer 2022, Norwegian Prima will be 965 feet long, more than142,000 gross tons and able to accommodate 3,215 guests at double occupancy.

‘La Passerelle,’ as the garden is known, is an initiative of  Mayor David Andre to liven up the capital of the 115-island archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. It was officially opened on Saturday. 

Overlooking the sea, the garden offers gazebos, benches and picnic tables, a cafeteria, music and artisanal kiosks, providing a welcoming venue for both locals and visitors. 

“This small but beautiful waterfront project fulfils a lot of the sustainable development objectives and will make a substantive contribution to improving the environment of Victoria often described as a charming creole capital,” Andre said at the opening ceremony. 

He added that ‘La Passerelle’ will add a lively and vibrant feel to Victoria. 

“Musicians, visual artists, poets and dances can have an open air space to showcase their talents and provide us with healthy entertainment,” said Andre.

The name ‘La Passerelle’ is a French word which means gangplank or platform used to board or leave a large ship. Andre said he was inspired to come up with the concept by his childhood in Victoria, his instinct as an artist and his participation in international mayors’ forum on the development of sustainable green cities. 

Apart from being a place where all segments of the population including visitors can mix and integrate, Andre said such places are also catalysts for economic activities and also a source of employment. 

Already four of the five artisanal kiosks are being occupied by artisans who are selling various craftworks with a strong focus on local products. 

‘La Passerelle’ waterfront garden also provides a cultural space with its music kiosk called ‘Akoustik’ Kafe, sponsored by businessman Vijay Patel at a cost of $26,000 (SCR 350,000). 

The waterfront garden also has an educational mission to raise awareness on the need to protect the environment.

Andre said schoolchildren have used slippers/flip flops collected in the Clean Up campaign on Aldabra to create marine species which have been used to decorate the area.

Another facility is a cafeteria — ‘Waterfront Café’ — which will focus on serving local dishes.

Construction of the café was undertaken by private investors — Jeremy and Jennifer Couch — who are also leasing the place from the Mayor’s office. The project cost $109,000 (SCR 1.5 million).

Original article published by Seychelles News Agency