This series aims to help you make the most of your time in Durban.

Should you attend an event, you can combine it with an enjoyable adventure, or if you plan to visit Durban for an adventure, you can also find an event that might be of interest to you and plan your visit around that.

This week, it's time for Part 4 of our Calendar of Events for Travelers, focusing on October to December. Unique to Durban, you can join in the action and excitement of a cycling road race, a spectacular air show, and you can combine this with fun on the beach, visit impressive landmarks such as the Moses Mabhida Stadium, or have adventures along the South Coast.

If you have missed the first three posts in this series, you can find them here:

• Durban Events & Adventures: A Year-Round Calendar for Travelers (Part 1)

• Durban Events & Adventures: A Year-Round Calendar for Travelers (Part 2)

• Durban Events & Adventures: A Year-Round Calendar for Travelers (Part 3)

As spring gives way to summer, Durban shifts into holiday mode — but not before rounding off the year with major sporting and cultural highlights. This season is full of energy, colour, and celebration.

Let's look at some of these activities that might be of interest to you.

These will include events such as:

• Amashova Durban Classic (Cycling Race in October)

• Virginia Air Show (October/November)

• International Rugby

• ICF Canoe Racing Champs

• Festive Season & Summer Beachfront (December)

And Adventures such as:

• Amanzimtoti Beaches & Rocky Shores

• A Trip to the South Coast

• Moses Mabhida Stadium

Events - October to December

Amashova Durban Classic (October)

The Amashova is the oldest classic Cycle race in South Africa.

This event normally appeared on the calendar in October every year, until this year...

In all honesty, they caught me off guard this year. The Amashova always took place in October...until 2025.

I was still waiting for October, and the next moment I saw the posters going up for the Amashova taking place in July. At first, I thought it might be for some reason this year, but be back to normal by next year.

However, as I conducted my research for this post, I discovered that it will also take place on July 19, 2026.

After facing many battles and obstacles, the race took place for the first time in 1986. You can read the full history on shova.co.za.

According to their website, in 2025, "The Amashova was moved to July due to the bad weather experienced in October in the past. The event was held on 20 July and the weather was beautifully sunny. KZN has the best weather in winter. The events also started later due to the later sunrise."

I attended the event in 2024.

Here are some photos to give you an idea of what you can expect when you attend the Amashova.

The Virginia Air Show

The Virginia Air Show also took place in September/October until this year, when it took place on August 10.

I did my research in an attempt to find a date for next year, but was unsuccessful.

I will publish a follow-up series early in 2026 and will hopefully have accurate dates for these events for the coming year.

I attended the show this year, though. Here are some photos from this year's event.

International Rugby

Hollywood Bets Kings Park is the home of the SHARKS, the well-known rugby franchise of KwaZulu-Natal.

Kings Park

The next photo is inside Kings Park. It was taken before a match with some players still warming up. You can see the stands are also still empty.

Many international rugby games are hosted here. The test match between the Springboks and Argentina was also hosted here on September 27, 2025.

More International matches are lined up here from October to December:

• Vodacom United Rugby Championship

• Hollywoodbets Sharks vs Ulster Rugby - October 18, 2025

• Hollywoodbets Sharks vs Scarlets - October 25, 2025

• Connacht Rugby vs Hollywoodbets Sharks - November 29, 2025

• Hollywoodbets Sharks vs Vodacom Bulls - December 20, 2025

• Investec Champions Cup

• Stade Toulousain vs Hollywoodbets Sharks - December 7

• Hollywoodbets Sharks vs Saracens - December 13, 2025

ICF Canoe Racing Champs

Also on the calendar for this year is the ICF CANOE RACING CHAMPS.

This is not an event that will be on Durban's Calendar of Events every year, though. It will be hosted this year from 17 to 19 October. Next year, it will be hosted in Spain from 9 to 11 October 2026

Festive Season & Summer Beachfront (December)

Durban’s Golden Mile transforms during this time with holiday lights, food stalls, and beach events. People flock to the surf, w

hile live music, markets, and New Year’s celebrations carry the city into peak summer vibes.

As mentioned in previous posts, I avoid crowds as far as possible, but if this makes you tick, this is the time to visit Durban to be part of the "vibe".

Adventures to Pair with Your Events

Amanzimtoti Beaches & Rocky Shores

There are various beaches in Amanzimtoti to choose from.

St. Winifred's Beach

In the south, we have St. Winifred's Beach.

It also presents beautiful, colourful, and peaceful scenes of nature.

It also has an impressive rocky area that is popular among the fishermen.

Amanzimtoti Main Beach

If you would like to spend the day at the beach and play in the surf, the main beach in Amanzimtoti is a good and safe choice with well-equipped lifeguards on duty.

And if you love the rocks, there are plenty of those too.

A Trip to the South Coast

The South Coast offers many opportunities for exciting adventures.

Rocky Bay

Rocky Bay, 65 km south of Durban, offers great adventures. If you love touring with a caravan or a campervan, there is a lovely caravan park right on the beach.

A beautiful beach

And awesome scenes when the waves hit the rocks

There are also charters to take you out on the ocean..

And if you feel even more adventurous... How about Shark Cage Diving?

You can also include the following places in your trip to the South Coast:

Crocworld:

This venue is on our own list to visit during December. Visit their website to see all the activities they offer. From crocodile feeds to bird species, restaurants, etc...

Oribi Gorge:

A must-visit destination.

According to Wikipedia:

"Oribi Gorge is a canyon in southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 35 kilometres north-west of Port Shepstone, which itself is 120 km south of Durban. Oribi Gorge, cut by the Mzimkulwana River, is the eastern gorge of two gorges that cut through the Oribi Flats (flat sugarcane farmlands) of KwaZulu-Natal. The western gorge was formed by the Mzimkulu River. The gorge is approximately 400 metres (1,300 ft) deep, and almost 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) wide at its widest.

Erosion by these rivers have carved out nearly 30 kilometres (19 mi) of spectacular kloofs and crags, covered with subtropical vegetation. In the gorge, the dense forest on the sandstone slopes is home to various small mammals, while the large leguaans excavate their burrows along the riverbanks."

If you want to extend your visit to the Oribi Gorge, why not consider Oribi Gorge Guest Farm, and The Gorge - Private Game Lodge & Spa.

Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban.

If you like visiting prominent landmarks and sightseeing, you would want to pay a visit to the Moses Mabhida Stadium. It is one of the new stadiums built in 2010 when South Africa hosted the Soccer World Cup.

Since then, it has been used to host many soccer tournaments and various events. It has become a popular tourist attraction. You can also try the sky-car or adventure walk on the arch for panoramic city views. Or, if you really want to be adventurous, you can Bungee jump from the arch.

Here are some photos of the stadium.

Reflection

October to December offers a variety of sports events and adventures — from the thrill of rugby and water sports to the joy of summer holidays — paired with beach escapes and dramatic coastal adventures.

Thank you for reading my post!

I do appreciate it!

Note: The @worldmappin link in this post will be for the Amanzimtoti Main Beach.

[//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin -30.04951 lat 30.89078 long Amanzimtoti Main Beach d3scr))