Cape Mental Health brings hope and resilience through colourful skies for people battling mental health challenges

The Cape Town International Kite Festival returns for its 32nd year this weekend, using colourful skies to encourage conversations about mental health, break down stigma and remind people that they are not alone.

By Mapaballo Borotho

As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, Capetonians will paint the sky in bright colours at the Cape Town International Kite Festival for a weekend of hope, resilience and connection.

Mental illness remains stigmatised and misunderstood in many of our communities as a result this event aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, educate the public about different mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and promote local community care.

What is the Cape Town International Kite Festival?

More than just a festival, #ColourTheSky is a call for members of the public to gather in support of mental health awareness and help create a brighter future for people living with mental health challenges.

Kaya 959 spoke to one of the event’s organisers, Cape Mental Health CEO Professor Ingrid Daniels, who believes October is a time to shine a brighter light on something that affects every family, every community and every one of us: our mental health.

“For Cape Mental Health, awareness is not a once-a-year conversation. It is at the heart of everything the organisation does. And for more than three decades, the Cape Town International Kite Festival has taken that message into the sky, turning colour, movement and the simple joy of flying a kite into a powerful reminder that mental health matters.

Now in its 32nd year, the festival returns to Youngsfield Military Base in Ottery on 24 and 25 October 2026, inviting South Africans to #ColourTheSky while standing together in support of mental health awareness.”

Why are we flying kites for mental health awareness?

There are many ways to observe Mental Health Awareness Month and understand people living with mental health challenges. But why has kite flying become such an important part of this festival?

Daniels says there is always something more behind the spectacle, as it is about more than just flying a kite.

“We fly because mental health deserves to be seen. We fly because conversations about mental health should not be hidden behind closed doors. We fly because asking for help should never be something to be ashamed of. And we fly because even when life brings difficult winds, there is always hope that we can rise, particularly when we have the support of the people around us.”

She says the festival is also an important reminder that mental health is part of everyone’s life, citing that we all know someone who is living with mental health challenges, or someone who knows a person who is struggling.

Daniels says these are not conversations that should only happen when someone reaches a crisis point.

“The Kite Festival allows us to have these conversations in a joyful, supportive and inclusive environment. When people come together, when they talk, when they connect and when they understand that they are not alone, we begin to break down the stigma that prevents so many people from reaching out for help.

The need for that conversation remains significant.”

She says the stigma surrounding mental health challenges, along with other barriers such as a lack of resources, continues to make it difficult for many people to access the support they need.

The meaning behind #ColourTheSky

“This year’s theme, #ColourTheSky, could not be more fitting,” Professor Daniels says.

She explains that colour is one of the few things that can bring people together, crossing language, age and cultural barriers.

“It can create joy in difficult moments and transform an ordinary sky into something extraordinary. Just as every kite brings its own colour to the sky, every person has a role to play in creating communities where people feel seen, heard and supported.

We want people to look up and see more than beautiful kites.

We want them to see hope. We want them to remember that every person has a story, that struggles are not always visible, and that reaching out can make an enormous difference. Most importantly, we want people to know that they do not have to face mental health challenges alone.”

32 years of hope and counting

For more than three decades, the Cape Town International Kite Festival has shown that a simple kite can carry a powerful message.

This October, that message is louder than ever. Daniels hopes that when people look up at the colourful skies, they will also be inspired to start meaningful conversations, check in on others, listen and reach out to those who may need support.

“And when the skies above Cape Town burst into colour, remember why we fly. Because mental health matters. Because connection matters. Because hope matters.”

More than just a kite event

The Cape Town International Kite Festival is about more than flying colourful kites across the Cape’s skies. It brings together families, communities, kite enthusiasts and mental health advocates.

Since its launch in 1994, the festival has grown into Africa’s oldest kite festival and one of South Africa’s recognised mental health awareness events.

Beyond the colourful displays and family-friendly atmosphere lies a powerful purpose: breaking down stigma, encouraging people to seek help and reminding them that no one has to face mental health challenges alone.

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