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October has arrived, which means spring is officially in full swing and KZN is wasting no time filling the calendar.
From a brand-new Royal Show chapter and a major wine and food festival to theatre, stand-up comedy, live music, creative workshops, fun runs and an outdoor movie night, there’s plenty to get you out of the house this weekend.
Whether your perfect Saturday involves a glass of wine, a comedy show, a colour explosion or cheering on a race, we’ve rounded up what’s happening around Durban and KZN.
READ: What's on in Durban this October!
Weekend weather
Friday
- Min: 17°C
- Max: 21°C
- Clear Skies
Saturday
- Min: 18°C
- Max: 23°C
- Slight Rain
Sunday
- Min: 19°C
- Max: 22°C
- Showers and Thundershowers
Durban
Oktoberfest comes to Hollywoodbets Greyville
- Date: Friday, 2 October 2026
- Venue: Hollywoodbets Greyville, Durban
- Gates open: 3pm
- Entry: Free
- Durban View Restaurant: R325 per person |031 314 1736 or [email protected]
This week’s Lucky Fish Friday Night Racing is getting an Oktoberfest makeover, with a beer garden featuring seven breweries, live entertainment, food vendors, drink specials and a free supervised KidZone for younger visitors.
Best of all? Entry is free, so gather the crew and head to Greyville for an evening that combines horse racing with a little Bavarian-inspired fun.
Expect beers from:
- Ballito Brewing Company
- Nottingham Road Brewery
- Lions River Craft Brewery
- Nguni Brewing Company
- Durban Brewing Company
- Standeaven Brewery
- Hollywood Brew
There’ll also be drink specials throughout the evening, including selected beers and ciders at three for R90, whisky specials at R15 per tot, selected wines on special and Jägerbomb specials.
Mnqobi gets things started from 4.30pm, followed by Carmen Rodrigues from 6pm. The Phillip Taylor Band will take over after the racing, while DJ Yash keeps things moving between the artists.
There’ll also be roaming characters and a special appearance by Kubo, the Race Coast mascot, who will be around from 5pm to 7pm.
Lucky Fish Friday Night Racing has a free, supervised KidZone, giving younger visitors a safe space to play while the grown-ups enjoy the racing, entertainment, food and atmosphere.
Sharks Rugby vs Leinster
- Date: Saturday, 3 October 2026
- Time: 6.30pm
- Location: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
- Teams: Sharks vs Leinster
- Tickets: Check Sharks Rugby for tickets.
Get ready for an evening of top-class rugby and plenty of gees when the Sharks take on Leinster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park this October.
Durban rugby fans can head to the stadium on Saturday, 3 October for what promises to be an action-packed clash between the home side and Irish powerhouse Leinster. Expect a lively match-day atmosphere as the Sharks take to their home turf under the Durban lights.
André the Hilarious Hypnotist
- Dates: Thursday, 1 October to Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Times: 7.30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday | 3pm Sunday
- Venue: Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, UKZN Howard College Campus
- Tickets: R200 via Webtickets
- Wheelchair-accessible seats: N1, N2, N26 and N27
André is back in Durban, returning to the theatre that hosted his very first Durban appearance in 1994.
This year's show promises his trademark blend of strange, weird and wonderful entertainment, with a fresh focus on routines that are culturally rich as well as funny. Expect plenty of distinctly South African material, from rugby scores and taxi rides to the perfectly timed power cut.
Stuck in Dubai – Dalin Oliver
- Dates: Saturday, 3 October | Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Time: 7.30pm Saturday| 2pm Sunday
- Venue: The Rhumbelow Theatre, Cunningham Road, Durban
- Tickets: R180 via Webtickets
- More information: 082 499 8636
South African comedian Dalin Oliver brings his new stand-up show Stuck in Dubai to Durban.
Inspired by what should have been a four-day layover that instead involved cancelled flights, live missiles and an unexpected race across the world to reach Australia for performances, the show turns an extraordinary travel nightmare into an evening of comedy.
The Rhumbelow opens 90 minutes before the show, with a bar available and limited secure parking. Seats are allocated by the theatre, with tables seating eight.
Gaterite Challenge 2026
- Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Venue: Kings Park Athletics Stadium, 41 Isaiah Ntshangase Road, Durban Central
- Times: 10km Run/Walk: 5.45am | 21.1km Run/Walk: 5.30am | 42.2km Run: 5.30am
- Tickets: From R80–R400, depending on race category via Webtickets
- More information: A Naicker on 083 783 6363
Another race for the Durbanites!
The first 2,500 online entries across all distances, including entrants over 70, receive a free T-shirt, medal and string bag.
Race-pack collection takes place at Kings Park Athletics Stadium on Friday, 2 October from 10am–4.30pm and Saturday, 3 October from 9.30am–5pm.
READ: Top nature escapes close to Durban
KZN North Coast and Zululand
Sip, Paint & Karaoke at Newtown Bru
- Date: Friday, 2 October 2026
- Time: 6pm
- Venue: Newtown Bru, 68 Umhlanga Ridge Boulevard, Umhlanga
- Tickets: R350 per person via Webtickets
Why merely sip and paint when you can add karaoke to the mix?
Newtown Bru is hosting its very first Sip, Paint & Karaoke Night, combining creativity, dinner, drinks and a chance to unleash your inner pop star.
Your ticket includes dinner, a drink, all paint supplies and karaoke. Choose from mutton curry and rice or roti, kebab chutney and roti, chicken fillet and a side, or fish and chips.
No painting experience is required. Musical confidence is apparently optional too.
Movie Night for a Great Cause: Creed
- Date: Saturday, 3 October 2026
- Time: 6.30pm
- Venue: Riverside Sports Club, Durban North
- Film: Creed (2015)
- Age restriction: 10V
- Tickets: R100 via Quicket
The outdoor screening of Creed is being held to support SA champions Chad and Sansha on their journey to the IFBB World Championships in Spain.
Bring your own picnic basket, blankets, pillows and camp chairs, settle in and watch Adonis Creed chase his own legacy under the guidance of Rocky Balboa.
There will be a cash bar, and even if you can't make it, you can still buy a ticket to support the pair.
Pick n Pay Wine & Food Festival Durban 2026
- Date: Saturday, 3 October 2026
- Time: General access from 1pm | Event runs 12pm–5.30pm
- Venue: Sugar Rush Park, Esenembe Road, Ballito
- Tickets: R350 via Webtickets
- Age Restriction: No under 18s
The Pick n Pay Wine & Food Festival is moving to Sugar Rush Park for a one-day celebration of South African wine and food, bringing together wine producers, tastings and plenty to eat.
Each ticket holder receives 20 wine-tasting tokens and a tasting glass. The number of tokens required for each wine depends on its price, ranging from one token for wines under R100 to four for wines over R400.
Pick n Pay Wine Club members get early access from noon, while general access begins at 1pm. Tastings run until 4.30pm and wine and food sales continue until 5.30pm, with the event closing at 6pm.
Designated-driver/no-alcohol tickets are also available, but these do not include alcohol tastings or purchasing.
Dolfynkus Colour Run and Family Fun Walk
- Date: Saturday, 3 October 2026
- Time: 7am–12pm
- Location: Kudu Road, behind Willard Beach, Ballito
- Distance: 5km fun run or 2.5km family walk
- Tickets: From R80 via Quicket
The Dolfynkus Colour Run and Family Fun Walk promises a morning of music, colour throws, food stalls, prizes and community spirit.
Choose between the 5km fun run or 2.5km walk, with everyone from grandparents and kids to four-legged friends invited to join the fun.
The event is also raising funds to build a new church, making this one where you can get covered in colour and support a community project at the same time.
KZN Upper Highway
Social Padel & Self Defence
- Date: Saturday, 3 October 2026
- Location: Chiltern Park Padel Ace, Westville
- Cost: R250 per lady via WhatsApp 082 976 7997 (pre-booking essential)
- Includes: Self-defence, padel, snacks and socialising
Fancy swapping brunch for something a little more active? Get Social on the Padel Court combines a Jiu-Jitsu-based self-defence session with padel, snacks and socialising at Chiltern Park Padel Ace in Westville.
Dr Mandy Laing from Lions Den Ladies will kick things off with self-defence, followed by padel with Coach Jackie Moody offering tips and tactics on court.
Inanda Picnic Shutdown
- Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Time: 12pm
- Venue: Inanda Adventure Park
- Tickets: R100 via Webtickets
Pack the cooler box and camp chairs and head to Inanda Dam for a day of music, picnicking and community spirit.
The Inanda Picnic Shutdown brings people together to enjoy the outdoors while showcasing local tourism and recreational activities around the dam.
It’s a chance to turn Sunday into a proper picnic day, with music, lifestyle and the beautiful surroundings of Inanda as the backdrop.
Music Up the Hill ft. Jeremy Loops
- Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Time: 1pm–7pm
- Venue: Fig Tree Farm, Inanda Road, Hillcrest
- Tickets: R150–R295 via Webtickets
- Children: U6 free | discounted tickets for children aged 6–12
Set against the scenic backdrop of the farm, the afternoon combines live music, food and the chance to spend some quality time outside with friends and family.
Bring your picnic blanket and settle in for the afternoon. Camp chairs are allowed in designated areas, but leave your own food and drinks, umbrellas and dogs at home.
The Wolf Is at the Door – Three Classic Tales, One Epic Adventure
- Date: From Saturday, 3 October 2026
- Time: 2.30pm
- Venue: Westville Theatre Club
- Tickets: R70–R90 via Webtickets
- Age: Five to infinity
Sir Alexander Sidebottom's children's theatre presents a new adventure featuring Wilfred Ogden Lee the Fourth – or WOLF – who needs Alexandra Sidebottom's help with his New Year's resolution.
Expect appearances from piggies, Red Riding Hood and the boy who cried Wolf, along with music, dance and a little audience participation.
The show runs for one hour, with unreserved cinema-style seating and floor space for picnic blankets close to the action. Bring your own snacks and drinks and settle in for some family theatre.
KZN Midlands and Drakensberg
Park Festival ft. Zakes Bantwini & LIQUIDEEP
- Date: Saturday, 3 October 2026
- Time: From 12pm
- Venue: Golden Horse Casino, Pietermaritzburg
- Tickets: R180–R400 via Webtickets
- Age: No under 18s
Zakes Bantwini and LIQUIDEEP headline Park Festival at Golden Horse Casino, bringing live music, DJs, food vendors and an open-air setting to Pietermaritzburg.
The event kicks off at midday, with supporting acts and DJs setting the tone before the headline performances
Expect Afro-chic fashion, sunset selfies and an afternoon built around live music and good company.
There is limited parking, so organisers recommend using Uber.
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