Johannesburg has become a hub of creativity, bursting at the seams with incredible talent. It is no wonder that the city has also become home to some of the biggest and best art fairs in the country. Keep up with all the art fair favourites happening near you with this guide.
FNB Art Joburg
Africa’s leading and longest-running contemporary art fair, FNB Art Joburg, returns. Stop by to see the best in contemporary African art from across the world, engage with master print and publishing houses and art-based organisations, and attend talks, screenings, public lectures and audio essays from industry leaders.
The art fair is a platform where curatorial and commercial interventions meet. It is divided into seven specialised sections: gallery HUB, gallery LAB, MAX, ETC, AUX, ORG, and the GIF section.
The gallery HUB is the art fair’s central section and presents the best in contemporary African art from across the world. The gallery LAB is an incubation space to develop emerging galleries and hybrid art spaces, presenting and testing new ideas and business models aimed at transforming the contemporary African art landscape.
The MAX section houses installations or works that would present a challenge if presented in the conventionally sized gallery booth. The ETC section offers the opportunity to engage with master print and publishing houses, featuring an abundance of books, prints, catalogues and zines.
The ORG section looks to redefine how the public engages with organisations. Whether museums, universities or private institutions, the section is a hands-on approach to examine bodies that were established for the good of the public.
The AUX section brings industry leaders to the public to explore a range of topics affecting the contemporary art world through talks, screenings, public lectures, and audio essays. Finally, the GIF section allows galleries to spotlight photographers in their programme.
There is also a special VIP event hosted the night before the art fair’s weekend opening that art lovers can RSVP for.
Cost: R200pp (day pass) | R400pp (weekend pass) | R1500pp (VIP RSVP: 3 Sep) | Book via TixSA
When: Thursday, 3 September to Sunday, 6 September | Thursday, 6pm – 9pm (VIP RSVP) | Friday, 12pm to 8pm | Saturday, 12pm to 7pm | Sunday, 12m to 5pm
Where: Sandton Convention Centre,161 Maude St, Sandown, Sandton
Design Week South Africa
Design Week South Africa is a curated calendar of events and immersive experiences that will showcase the future of South African design through knowledge-sharing, inclusivity and support.
Over four days, Design Week hosts exhibitions, studio and urban tours, product launches, installations, panel discussions and workshops.
Cost: TBC
When: 8 to 11 October 2026
Where: Various venues in Johannesburg
Contra.Joburg
Contra.Joburg seeks to redefine how contemporary art is seen, experienced, and shared. Right from the start, this concept art festival in Johannesburg has always been about breaking down barriers, bringing artists and audiences into direct dialogue, and fostering a sense of pride and ownership of the city.
Contra offers an immersive journey into Johannesburg’s dynamic art scene, highlighting culture’s vital role in shaping our lives. Here, art is not static or incredibly polished; it is alive, unbridled, and in constant conversation. Visitors are invited to witness the process as much as the product, engaging with the raw energy of creation.
Cost: R150pp | R280pp (weekend pass). Book via Quicket.
When: 29 and 30 August 2026
Where: Various art galleries and venues in Johannesburg
The BMW Art Generation
The BMW Art Generation is one of South Africa’s leading platforms for intergenerational learning, cultural exchange and public engagement with contemporary African art.
Rooted in the educational vision of the BMW Collectors Co., the initiative reflects BMW Group South Africa’s longstanding commitment to investing in culture through knowledge, relationships and shared responsibility. Returning over nine days, this year’s edition unfolds through exhibitions, talks, performances, guided walkabouts and educational encounters that invite audiences to engage with contemporary African art over time rather than through a single visit.
The exhibition unfolds across two distinct sites: The BMW Art Haus in Parktown North and the MAX section at FNB Art Joburg, presented at the Sandton Convention Centre from 4 to 6 September 2026.
Together, these spaces form a single exhibition that extends across the city, inviting audiences to experience the project in dialogue with both its dedicated home and the continent’s leading contemporary African art fair.
Cost: R500pp, book online. Registration for The BMW Art Generation grants access to the exhibition at The BMW Art Haus only and does not include entry to FNB Art Joburg.
When: Saturday, 29 August to 6 September from 10am to 9pm
Where: The BMW Art Haus, 46 7th Avenue, Parktown North | Sandton Convention Centre,161 Maude St, Sandown, Sandton
2027
RMB Latitudes Art Fair
RMB Latitudes Art Fair returns to Johannesburg for another showcase of artists and exhibitors from across Africa and the diaspora.
Brought together by the team behind Latitudes Online, and in partnership with Rand Merchant Bank, the art fair offers visitors a unique art experience that brings together the art community from across the continent and diaspora.
Over the course of the art fair, galleries and artists from across Africa showcase their art throughout Shepstone Gardens, a magnificent three-acre property, and visitors are invited to discover and explore all corners of the indoor-outdoor venue, as they wander through marble halls, secret gardens and rooftop pavilions, enjoying a diverse programme of exhibitions, talks and more.
Each year, RMB Latitudes Art Fair spotlights a different African country through their International Focus programme, an initiative designed to foster cross-border artistic exchange, spotlight emerging and established talent, and strengthen collector networks across the continent.
The 2026 focus is Nigeria. In celebration of this, together with Yenwa Gallery, RMB Latitudes are producing a curated exhibition in Lagos, which will bring together some of Nigeria’s most exciting contemporary art and cultural practice, before travelling to South Africa to take pride of place at RMB Latitudes Art Fair.
Cost: TBC
When: TBC
Where: TBC
Absa L’Atelier Art & Lifestyle Fair
In partnership with SANAVA, the Absa L’Atelier is an annual art competition that has been helping young visual artists from across 12 countries in Africa to take their art to a wider audience, grow their art careers, and ultimately gain the recognition they deserve.
Together with the French Institute of South Africa and the French Embassy in South Africa, the fair also honours over 20 years of L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award, specifically for South African artists.
Guests get to wander the expansive lawns and lakes of the NIROX Sculpture Park while exploring a specially curated exhibition by the Top finalists of the Absa L’Atelier. Art, music, food, and kids’ and teens activities are also available.
Cost: TBC
When: TBC.
Where: TBC
The Centre for the Less Good Idea’s Public Arts Festival
Every year, The Centre for the Less Good Idea sets the stage for The Fox Street Activation, a public arts festival showing staged theatre, experimental visual art and dance, public conversations and activations in and around Arts on Main. The work on show spans media and brings together independent creatives from diverse practices.
Cost: TBC
When: TBC.
Where: TBC
