2012 Cape Town Carnival will be a huge event

People taking luxury holidays in South Africa this year should do their best to attend the highly anticipated Cape Town Carnival.

The event - which is a celebration of art and design - is scheduled to get underway on 17th March and many of the city's roads will be closed off to allow guests to enjoy the large number of street parties that are set to take place.

Some of the most highly-acclaimed clothes designers will be on hand during the first day, when a fashion show is held, while a number of themed balls will also be staged.

On the second day, five teams consisting of between 1,500 and 2,000 artists will challenge each other to see who can put on the most colourful, vibrant and entertaining parade.

More than 60,000 people visited the carnival last year and organisers have insisted that the 2012 event will be bigger and better than ever.

The main parade will travel down the city's famous Long Street, which has been extended by 600m for this year's show to allow more floats and dancers to take part.