Last Updated on September 12, 2023 by Hannah Stephenson
Who doesn’t love belting their heart out at karaoke – especially after a few drinks?
If you’re looking for a place to sing your heart out in the Mother City, then I must pre-warn you: there are only a few karaoke bars in Cape Town. It’s one of its very few downsides.
Some blogs will have longer lists of karaoke bars in Cape Town than this one, but that’s because they include places that are out in the sticks. If you’re staying centrally, you want a karaoke bar that’s only a short Uber ride away from your accommodation and close to the best bars in town, am I right?
So yes, this list may only include 3 karaoke bars in Cape Town, but quality over quantity is the aim of the game.
1. Bokeh
I had an awesome night singing karaoke at Bokeh Creative Studio for my best friend’s birthday. By day, it’s a hair salon but at night, it transforms into a karaoke bar.
Now, I will say that I prefer singing karaoke in a private booth with my friends, but if you’re with a big group of people (and are really drunk) then you’ll have a great night in Bokeh.
You write down five songs on a slip and then it’s a raffle to see which ones come up, so you won’t necessarily get to perform the song you want (but that’s probably a blessing if you’re shy).
The crowd is really supportive, and by the end of the night everyone is up and dancing to all of the performances. I had to sing ‘Without Me’ by Eminem before I had a chance to get a true fill of liquid courage, and although you could have cooked an egg on my burning red cheeks, I had so much fun. It really was a crazy rush!
Just don’t get too drunk here in an attempt to forget your singing shame, because the bartender refused to serve my friend because she was too drunk. That’s the only time I’ve ever seen that happen in Cape Town!
Karaoke is on from 8 til late every night. You don’t need to pay to sing, but you’ll presumably be buying drinks from their bar all night. My friends and I were there for about 4 hours, and over the course of that time I spent about R300 on drinks. I had at least one cocktail, one tequila shot, and I split a bottle of wine with a friend as well, so I didn’t think it was too pricey.
If you want to eat, Bokeh also serves food from Una Mas and Three Wise Monkeys restaurants. They’re Mexican and ramen restaurants respectively, and both of them are across the road from Bokeh.
Address: 84 Regent Road, Sea Point
Open times: 8 – late daily
2. The Duke ‘n’ the Hood
It seems like Sea Point is karaoke central in Cape Town! The Duke ‘n’ the Hood – or just The Duke – is right next to the infamous Duchess pub, which is known for its late night shenanigans.
The Duke feels like a (slightly dodgy) sports bar and they have plenty of entertainment nights, including pub quizzes, sports screenings, and, of course, karaoke. You can message them on Facebook to find out when the next one is taking place!
Address: 100 Main Road, Sea Point
Open times: 4 pm – 12 am on weekdays, 2 pm – 12 am on weekends
3. Dizzy’s
Dizzy’s is a Cape Town institution. It closed down for a bit but now it’s back, baby! It’s also one of the most down-to-earth bars you can find in posh Camps Bay.
They host karaoke every Tuesday and Thursday night, starting at 9 pm. Karaoke used to only be on Tuesdays, but it was so popular that they decided to up the ante. If you need some liquid courage, get there early and take full advantage of their happy hour, which runs from 4-7 pm.
They also serve good old fashioned pub grub, so you can get dinner here too. They’re known for their yummy burgers.
Dizzy’s also has live music on Fridays and sometimes hosts beer pong tournaments, which sounds like fun!
Address: 41 The Drive, Camps Bay
Open times: 12 pm – late
For more on how to have a fun night out in Cape Town, check out: