Moment · South Africa
Cape Town’s Queer Costume Party
Dress to the theme for MCQP, the Cape Town costume party born in 1994 to celebrate a new South Africa and its constitution.
Dressing Up for MCQP
The Mother City Queer Project, known simply as MCQP, is a themed costume party held in Cape Town in December, when it runs. Each year has its own theme, and the crowd takes the costumes very seriously.
It was created in 1994 by the architect Andre Vorster and the artist Andrew Putter. The end of apartheid and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ rights in South Africa’s new constitution gave the city a reason to celebrate, and MCQP became one of the defining queer events on the continent.
The party is only one night, but it makes a perfect centrepiece for a few days in Cape Town at the start of summer.
A Party with a Purpose
The first MCQP was a small art party for friends and peers. It quickly grew into a citywide event, drawing people from across South Africa and around the world.
Its founders always used the word “queer” to include everyone who wanted to celebrate, gay or straight. That spirit remains, and the dance floor is famously mixed, theatrical, and joyful.
The Themes and the Costumes
Every edition has a theme, and recent ones have ranged from Back to the Future to Mother of Pearl, marking the party’s 30th anniversary in 2024. Guests plan their outfits for weeks, and the effort is part of the fun.
Your specialist can connect you with local designers and costume makers in Cape Town, so you arrive with something memorable rather than something packed in a hurry.
Tell us how you like to travel. We will shape the trip around it.
Request a quote →A Constitution That Led the World
In 1996, South Africa became the first country in the world to protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation in its constitution. In 2006, it became the first country in Africa and the fifth in the world to recognise same-sex marriage.
MCQP grew up alongside those changes, and its history is tied closely to the country’s own journey since 1994.
Planning Your MCQP Experience
MCQP dates and themes are announced each year, and in some years the party does not take place, so it is best to check before planning your trip around it. Tickets and hotels in December sell quickly, and Cape Town has direct flights from the United States.
Out Of Office can confirm the dates, secure your tickets, arrange a stay in or near De Waterkant, and connect you with local costume makers. Your LGBTQ+ travel specialist can also design the rest of your journey through South Africa, from the Winelands to one of our safari holidays.
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