19 - 21 June 2026: Wine, Whales and Music

19 - 21 June 2026: Wine, Whales and Music

Join us for the highlight of the De Hoop Calendar.

Wine, Whales and Music is an annual winter celebration held at De Hoop Collection to welcome the start of whale season - when sightings of majestic Southern Right whales can be expected to begin in the marine protected bay hugging the De Hoop coastline. 

Guests to De Hoop can look forward to a curated weekend blending regional wines, live music, and the natural abundance of De Hoop Nature Reserve. 

In addition to the 'Whale Time Serenade' for strings and flute with dinner featuring Irina Tsoniff, Ivo Ivanov on violin and Vladimir Ivanov on Viola, Peta Ann Holdcroft on cello and Malané Hofmeyr-Burger on Flute, this year also welcomes 'Diamonds & Divas' to the lineup for Friday Evening. The live music show stars Johan Liebenberg and Lucy Tops and celebrates legendary voices and timeless hits from some of the world’s greatest artists. Audiences are treated to unforgettable songs made famous by Michael Bublé, Neil Diamond, Shirley Bassey, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Adele, Pink, and Bruce Springsteen, among many more.

This year's special invited speaker is Jenny Cullinan (founder and executive director of Ujubee NPC), who will present “The Wonderful World of Wild Living Bees.” The talk will focus on the broader world of wild bees and their ecological importance. The presentation explores wild bee diversity, their role within ecosystems, and the importance of understanding conservation from an ecological and ethical perspective.

Of course, the wine and cheese tasting portion of the programme is a not-to-be-missed experience, and the weekend rounds off with a Sunday visit to Koppie Alleen with the De Hoop Guides to see if we can welcome any whales for the season.

We look forward to having you join us for this special weekend in nature. 

Accommodation can be booked on a DBB basis and includes both live music performances, the special guest talk, and the wine and cheese tasting afternoon.