Five years on: the Jagger Library

The University of Cape Town (UCT) will mark five years since the devastating fire on 18 April 2021, which gutted the Jagger Library and several other buildings on campus.

The university will mark the occasion with a commemorative event, titled “Opportunity in Loss”. The invitation-only event will be held on the evening of 17 April and will be centred around a curated exhibition in and around the Jagger Reading Room. The exhibition will be open to the public from 20 April to 15 May 2026, enabling broader access for students, schools and local communities.

The exhibition will comprise three key components:

• An outdoor installation on the plaza will feature a temporary tent displaying artefacts and narratives that evoke the triage space established in the immediate aftermath of the fire. This installation will remain in place until 24 April.
   
• The main exhibition will extend through the vestibule, staircase, foyer and into the Jagger Reading Room, presenting a cohesive narrative of loss, recovery and renewal.
   
• A wraparound exhibition mounted on weather-proof panels on the exterior of the building will showcase material previously displayed as part of earlier commemorative efforts. This exhibition, titled “A Tribute to the Human Spirit”, will highlight the immediate recovery efforts of UCT Libraries staff.

You can find more information on the Jagger Fire & Recovery Collection page. Online bookings are now open for the Jagger Fire exhibition tours.