Tian Jiang | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

It was less an Easter weekend breakaway, and more the Two Oceans Marathon, that filled up Cape Town in particular this weekend, an astounding 28000 runners from Cape Town, other parts of the country, and other countries participating in the Half and Full Marathon yesterday. It is probably one of the last busy tourism weekends for a few months, as the end of the Easter weekend signals the end of the tourist summer season.

A media statement received from Western Cape Tourism Minister Alan Winde estimates the contribution of The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon at R80 million. It is a shame that the Easter weekend appears to co-incide with extreme weather conditions, the gale force South Easter blowing in excess of 100 km/hour yesterday, being a challenge for many runners, as was the torrential rain a year ago.

This weekend saw the start of another large event, taking place in Oudtshoorn, being the ABSA Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK), running for a week. The Minister’s estimate of the economic contribution of the KKNK is R95 million.

Other events this weekend were a soccer match between Ajax Cape Town and AmaZulu at the Cape Town Stadium (but poorly advertised), and the Raka unplugged music festival in Swellendam from tomorrow until 3 April. World-renowned Shanghai-born and New York-based Tian Jiang pianist performed at a well-attended charity performance in Franschhoek, organised by La Residence for the Lelieblom House for Children and the Stuart Andrew McFarlane Foundation for Motor Neuron Disease, and attracting visitors from Johannesburg and London.

Events certainly attract tourists to Cape Town. It is a shame when they co-incide, and one hopes that the province and Wesgro, with the City of Cape Town, have many plans for events during the Seasonality problem-child period of May until September!

We wish all our guests, staff, suppliers and blog readers a Happy Easter.

Photograph: Orphanage Cocktail Emporium’s Hot Cross Bunny Cocktail, created in celebration of its first anniversary yesterday!

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @Whale Cottage

An exciting line up of shows is planned for Cape Town in the next few days and months, according to the Weekend Argus, and could be good for the City’s tourism coffers, as we experienced with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers last week, visitors having flown in from Johannesburg and other parts of the country to attend the concert.

On the programme for this year to date are the following shows:

* Rodriguez performs at another two concerts this week, at Grand West (‘Search fro Sugar Man’ awarded a BAFTA for Best Documentary last night)

* Cirque du Soleil‘s new show ‘Dralion’ will run over five days at Grand West from 5 March.

* Internationally acclaimed Chinese pianist Tian Jiang is doing a charity performance at the Franschhoek Dutch Reformed Church on 29 March for La Residence Hotel and Villas, in aid of Lelieblom House for Children and the Stuart Andrew McFarlane Foundation for Motor Neuron Disease. Tickets cost R325, and include canapés and bubbly. Tel (021) 876-4100 (Chantell)

* Metallica performs at the Cape Town Stadium on 24 April

* Bon Jovi plays at Cape Town Stadium on 7 May

* The Justin Bieber show at Cape Town Stadium on 8 May is already sold out.

* John Cleese will do stand-up comedy in June, at a venue to be advised.

Big Concerts has not confirmed speculation that Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Mumford & Sons will be performing in Cape Town later this year. Big Concerts pushes Cape Town as a concert destination, said its CEO John Langford: ‘Cape Town is a great destination for live entertainment of all forms, and we are certain that it will continue to play a major role in all future international tours‘.

Given the huge tourist attraction concerts generate for Cape Town, Big Concerts in conjunction with Cape Town Tourism should consider ticket/accommodation/restaurant packages for big acts performing in our city.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage