1. First Thursdays
For a while, Keyes Art Night at Keyes Art Mile was the lone event keeping the First Thursdays tradition in Johannesburg going. Slowly, more galleries and neighbourhoods have joined the fray and now the first Thursday of every month is an increasingly packed affair with a range of options to help you get inspired for the new month. Keyes Art Night continues with a mix of pop-up exhibitions which feature emerging and contemporary artists, as well as longer running exhibitions in Gallery 1 and 2 which often feature some of South Africa's foremost modernist artists. Combined with the restaurants and bars on the precinct, it's an excellent stop for those looking to get their fill of art while also revelling in live music and great food.
Then, just down the road, 223 Creative Hub have a more intimate affair of workshops and exhibitions with their First Thursdays for those who want to get inspired before dabbling in making some art themselves.
Melville Art Mile is the newest of the lot, with the neighbourhood coming alive with a mixture of activations and exhibitions. A good shout if you're looking to get on your feet and explore the many eclectic surprises the suburb has to offer.
When: Every First Thursday of the month. Entry is free for all three, although there may be ticketed workshops and events.
2. August House open studios and artists' market
August House, the largest live-in artists’ studio complex in Johannesburg, is one of the city’s essential creative spaces that gives room and support for artists to create and grow. A welcome development is the relaunch of the August House Artists’ Market, now a regular feature at First Sunday at Victoria Yards, where visitors can buy work directly from the artists. Then, with around 40 artists working from August House, the annual Open Studios day is a rare chance to step inside and see where the magic happens.
Artists' Market: Every first Sunday of the month at Victoria Yards, admission is free.
Open Studios: Sat, Mar 28, 2026. Book tickets here.
3. Strauss & Co's Art Club and Flagship sale
South Africa's premier art auction house, Strauss & Co do more than sell art. They also are a vital advocate for creating a culture of arts education through their highly informative pre-auction exhibitions where the works can span from the 18th century to contemporary art. Their first Johannesburg flagship auction is set to kick off in May, and whether you're looking to find a rare artwork, or just want to join one of their guided walkabouts, we are always astounded by the effort and research that goes into their auctions. Art Club furthers their goal of enriching the South African art landscape by hosting talks and discussions that allow deeper engagement and conversations around art. Each month they alternate between their Cape Town and Johannesburg offices, with the next event in Joburg scheduled for Tue, Apr 14 at 18:00.Art Club: Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at Strauss & Co's Houghton showroom, RSVP here.
May Flagship Auction: Follow @strauss_and_co for auction dates.
4. RMB Latitudes
RMB Latitudes quickly cemented itself as a staple in the Joburg art calendar. Now in its fourth year, this art fair takes place at the resplendent Shepstone Gardens and brings the top galleries from sub-Saharan Africa to Joburg. A destination event, you can expect great food and wine to keep you going as you meander through the gardens and exhibits, with talks and other pop-up events accompanying the fair. The mix of RMB Latitudes' focused art programming with the easy sociability of Shepstone Gardens makes this fair an easy one to spend a whole weekend exploring.
In the lead-up to the event, keep an eye on Department at Latitudes Centre for the Arts, where invited galleries stage their own exhibitions. Galley MOMO, Stevenson Gallery, and kumalo | turpin launch the series in 2026.
When: Fri, May 22 – Sun, May 24, 2026 at Shepstone Gardens. Follow @latitudes.online for the ticket announcement.
5. The final exhibition of Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation's Worldmaking series
Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation (JCAF) prepare for the final exhibition in their Worldmaking series. Bringing a singular approach, JCAF's exhibitions span the Global South bringing varied artists together in dialogue around the exhibition's theme. You can read what we had to say about the first two exhibitions Ecospheres and Structures and then get ready to book your guided tour of the final exhibition which will explore the futures we are making together.
When: May – Nov 2026 (exact dates to be announced). Follow @foundation_jcaf on Instagram and our weekly exhibitions blog for booking announcements.
6. Art Under the Bed
A smaller event which has come to be a firm favourite in both Cape Town and Johannesburg, Art Under the Bed exchanges the white cube for a more domestic setting as they transform a house into a temporary exhibition. Run by artists, Art Under the Bed caters to a range of budgets from first-time collectors to the more serious and avid art buyer. The best part is that 90% of the proceeds go straight to the artists.
When: Wed, Jul 29 – Sat, Aug 1, 2026. Location and tickets still to be released, follow @artunderthebed for updates.
7. Contra.Joburg
Contra.Joburg is a whirlwind weekend of open studios with artist studios across the city providing engaging experiences to the public. It offers a different view to the other commercial art fairs, allowing visitors to meet the artists, purchase works from them at affordable prices, and see what goes on behind the scenes. The shuttle service and programming make for an easy way to plan your itinerary and hit all the stops. Just make sure you're well rested before and prepare to be engulfed in the creative energy that keeps the city ticking.
When: Sat, Aug 29 – Sun, Aug 30, 2026. Tickets and programme to be released here, the event takes place in studios across Johannesburg's CBD.
8. FNB Art Joburg
The longest running art fair in South Africa, FNB Art Joburg brings a mix of galleries from across the continent for a cross-section of contemporary African art. With talks and other events, including the BMW Art Generation, the fair activates different spaces across the city for a wider art experience around the fair. After the critiques and debates around FNB Art Joburg 2025, we're excited to see how the fair will evolve and grow this year, and we're hoping for some innovative new approaches that allow the fair to reach more audiences.
When: Fri, Sep 4 – Sun, Sep 6, 2026 at Sandton Convention Centre. Follow @fnbartjoburg for ticket updates.
9. Season 12 at The Centre for the Less Good Idea
An incubator for creative collaborations, and for the exploration of ideas around performance, The Centre for the Less Good Idea was founded in 2016 by South African artist William Kentridge in Maboneng. Centred around collaborating across disciplines, each Season is spread over several days and offers some of the most dynamic and inventive performances you can see in Johannesburg.
When: Oct/Nov 2026 (exact dates to be announced). Follow @lessgoodidea to stay up to date with this event.
10. Art awards
With increasing support for artists from institutions, there are a number of awards that not only celebrate the immense artistic talent we have as a country, but also foster it. These awards, and the artists they bring to the fore, show how varied our art landscape is.
Some of our favourites are the Sasol New Signatures Award, which has acted as a launch pad for emerging South African artists for the past 35 years. The award culminates with an exhibition of the shortlisted artists at Pretoria Art Museum as well as a solo of the previous year's winner (we can't wait to see the ceramic creations 2025 winner Juandré van Eck brings to the museum). Entries generally close mid-June, with the exhibition taking place from September to November. Follow @sasolnewsignatures for details.
The Absa L'Atelier competition focuses on artists from sub-Saharan Africa and selects four artists to show their work at the Absa Gallery. Entries close on Sun, May 31, 2026 with exhibition dates decided in conjunction with the artist. Find out what you need to submit here.
Then, the ANNA Award presented by Latitudes Online profiles and supports woman identifying artists from the African continent and diaspora. Submissions open in April/May with the previous year's winner presenting a solo at RMB Latitudes.
Finally, there's the Cassirer Welz Award from Bag Factory Artist Studios which highlights emerging artists from sub-Saharan Africa and sponsored by Strauss & Co, with the winning artist receiving a residency and exhibition at Bag Factory. The call for submissions usually occurs in June/July. Follow @bagfactoryart for dates.
Comments