The 2026 World Naked Bike Race in Cape Town, traditionally held the day before the Cape Town Cycle Tour, was cancelled amid growing pressure from local authorities, reports Cape {town} Etc.
The event, held annually for the past 18 years, was reportedly cancelled after the City of Cape Town imposed new conditions requiring participants to be fully clothed.
Event coordinator and representative Marthinus Pretorius said this year’s event faced growing pressure, uncertainty, and even hostility toward the naturist community in Cape Town. The problems reportedly began with last year’s Naked Bike Ride, with the City citing sections 9 and 22 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2007. Although the 2025 event proceeded, this year’s was cancelled.
The event is usually held in coordination with the City of Cape Town’s guidelines, with Pretorius stating in an interview with CapeTalk, ‘we [usually] just give notice to the City that we are going to do a protest, and then there is a meeting in line with the Public Gatherings Act. In that meeting, they give us the go-ahead.’
The growing tension led to unresolved questions, making it difficult to proceed with the event: ‘We have been struggling to get answers out of the City of Cape Town…they try to avoid answering me or speaking to us.’
Pretorius went on to emphasise the importance of highlighting the issues faced by the naturist community and promoting body positivity, claiming that police have recently begun telling people to cover up at Sandy Bay, which was declared an unofficial secluded nudist beach in 1996.
The event coordinators have reported the issues and filed a complaint with the Commission for Language, Religious and Cultural Rights.
The World Naked Bike Ride event is an international movement that takes place in 74 cities, promoting renewable energy over the overuse of fossil fuels, body positivity, and the rights of vulnerable road users. The event has been held in Cape Town since 2008. 2025’s event saw more restrictions, according to the DailyMaverick, with organisers informing participants that ‘nipple caps, willy warmers, and body paint’ were encouraged.
However, many participants chose to go fully nude, likely leading to the further tension that led to this year’s cancellation.
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