First Thursdays in Johannesburg bring the city to life with a monthly roundup of art, culture, food and creativity. From vibrant gallery openings and immersive workshops to unique dining experiences and live music, the evening invites you to explore Johannesburg’s neighbourhoods in a whole new way.

Whether you’re looking for a stroll, a creative spark, or a night out with friends, First Thursdays offer something for everyone. Grab a map, hop on a TukTuk, and let the city surprise and inspire you. Here’s what’s in store.

What’s On at the Wits Art Museum and Origins Centre

NOW IS NOT FOREVER by Theresa-Anne Mackintosh at the Wits Art Museum

Theresa-Anne Mackintosh displays a collection of original works at the Wits Art Museum in an exhibition show titled NOW IS NOT FOREVER, bringing together sculpture, painting, and selected archival and studio materials spanning works created over three decades.

The exhibition traces various materials Mackintosh has used throughout her expansive career and foregrounds her long-standing engagement with the human figure and how she translates psychological, emotional, and relational states through form.

While she has made use of various mediums in her artistic practice, Mackintosh remains committed to painting as the core of her practice, and this exhibition situates Mackintosh’s painterly practice alongside her sculptural works.

Cost: Free entry

When: Opens on Thursday, 9 April at 6pm for 6.30pm. Thereafter, the exhibition runs during the Art Museum’s opening hours, which are: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm
Where: Wits Art Museum, University of the Witwatersrand, Cnr Jorissen and Bertha St, Johannesburg

Atlas of Uncertainty at the Wits Origins Centre

Featuring 30 artists from Accra, Johannesburg, and Nairobi, this travelling exhibition changes how we see African cities. Atlas of Uncertainty is an interdisciplinary collaboration remapping migration and urban spaces across the continent and showing what that means for the world’s future cities.

Atlas of Uncertainty is a project of the Oxford/Wits Mobility Governance Lab and the African Centre for Migration and Society. Featured artists include Adlan Yousif, Alice Raymond, Amy-Leigh Braaf, Anastasia Pather, Angelina Kusi Hori, ASK, Austine Adika, Billie McTernan, Boitumelo Motau, Bongiwe Phakathi, Candice Kramer, Caroline Wanjiku Kihato, Clare Loveday, Clifford Assiama Bright-Abu, Daniel Muchina, Dela Anyah, DEVOLUTIONERY, Dorcas Omwenga, Jamey Ponte, Kibera Arts District, Lebo Thoka, Manjahi Njoroge, Mareli Stolp and Nana Danso Awuah-Asante.

More artists include Neo Muyanga, Onyis Martin, Peterson Kamwathi, Savior Omondi, Sean Kweifio-Okai, Sebawali Mwakai Sio, Sedinam Awo Tsegah, The Herd, Tracy Akinyi, Wallace Juma, Wezile Harmans Atlas Scholars + Writers Adeline Chum, Afra Foli, Barbara Bompani, Brett Pyper, Brian Murahwa, Carina Kanbi, Caroline Wanjiku Kihato, Danchen Xu, Dare Brawley, Elizabeth Iams Wellman, Heather Mason, Helidah Ogude-Chambert, Huda Tayob, Jeffrey Paller, Kabiri Bule, Kuukuwa Manful, Laura Kurgan, Loren B Landau, Margarida Waco, Mwangi Mwaura, Isaac Mburu, Neo Muyanga, Nicole Stremlau, Olasumbo Olaniyi, Ragi Bashonga, Shongile Myeza, Stacy Hardy, Tau Tavengwa, Thorsten Deckler, Tracy Haggai and Wangui Kimari.

Cost: R70 per adult, R40 per student. Book via Webtickets

When: Running from 18 April to 3 July 2026.
Where: Origins Centre, Wits University Braamfontein Campus East, Yale Road & 1 Enoch Sontonga Ave, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

Experiences and events this First Thursday

International Fly Fishing Film Festival

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival is the world’s leading fly-fishing film event.

It is the gathering place of the fly-fishing community and a celebration of friendship, fly-fishing stories, and stoke, with chances to win amazing prizes. Submissions for the festival include titles such as ‘Let’s Make a Fishing Movie’, ‘Full Circle’, ‘Dhala What You Must’, ‘The Lucky Place’, ‘Generations’, ‘The Only Boat on the Lake’, and ‘Price of Admission’.

Cost: R330pp, book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 7pm to 10pm, doors open at 6.30pm.
Where: The Tryst, Woodlands Office Park, Woodlands Dr, Woodmead, Sandton

We Wear Pink

Pilates Guru Studio hosts a special barre experience filled with movement, music and a community of incredible women.

Guests are invited to wear their favourite pink activewear, enjoy an energising 60-minute barre class and celebrate with pink treats after class, perfect for newbies and regulars.

Cost: R200pp, book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 6pm.
Where: Pilates Guru Studio, 110 Linksfield Rd, Linksfield

The Melville Art Mile

The Melville Art Mile is back for its monthly celebration of Johannesburg’s bohemian heartland. This Thursday, the suburb wraps up with an ode to women – izimbokodo.

The Art Mile have curated the best offerings across the precinct, from galleries and studios to heritage sites and night markets, creating a vibrant circuit of art and dining.

How to navigate the art

Follow the Lew Geffen Sotheby’s wayfinding arrows to discover hidden studios and live performances.

• White arrows: lead north to bamboo.
• Green arrows: lead west to mudroom.
• Pink arrows: lead south to die pienk kerk.

The entire route is secured by the Melville Security Initiative (MSI). Prefer a ride? Jump on one of the official tuk-tuks to zip between venues:

• Ticket holders (vip/explorer): unlimited free rides.
• General public: pay-as-you-go (R25 per trip).

Cost: R450pp for a premium guided tour including drinks, activities and a souvenir. R150pp for a self-guided tour with unlimited tuk-tuks. Free to explore on your own and pay-as-you-go. Book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 4pm to 9pm
Where: 27 Boxes, 76a 4th Ave, Melville, Johannesburg

Unlimited Wine Festival at Le Vin Wine Bar

First Thursdays takes on a global twist as Le Vin Wine Bar transforms into an immersive wine experience like no other. Explore new varietals from bold reds to smooth whites and refreshing rosés, and enjoy a beautifully relaxed evening surrounded by great company.

Whether you’re a seasoned wine lover or simply looking for a vibrant night out in Rosebank, this is your invitation to sip, explore, and celebrate. Enjoy an unlimited festival tasting experience, giving you the freedom to journey through each wine at your own pace.

Live music sets the perfect atmosphere for sipping, mingling, and unwinding. From 9pm, the energy rises into an unforgettable after-party filled with music, dancing, and the signature First Thursdays vibe.

Cost: R350pp, book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 6pm to midnight
Where: Le Vin Rosebank, Rosebank Quarter, 9 Walters St, Rosebank, Johannesburg

Ziza Muftic at Hugh’s Jazz Club

Hugh’s Jazz Bar is a new space created in deep tribute to the life and legacy of Hugh Masekela, where his spirit lives on in every note played, every conversation shared, and every memory made within its walls.

The bar opens on Thursday nights only, offering an intimate setting for exceptional live jazz. This evening features Ziza Muftic, a Johannesburg-based musician with roots in Zagreb, Croatia, whose musical upbringing began as a Western classical violin player and singer.

Ziza’s vocal range stretches from jazz to Western classical repertoire. Her sound is a unique blend of Balkan and Eastern European folk songs with the American and South African jazz styles. Ziza sings in many different languages: English, Croatian, Hungarian, Portuguese, isiXhosa and isiZulu. Today her main form of expression lies in jazz vocals, composition and music education.

Cost: R300pp, book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 6pm to 11pm
Where: 13th Floor, 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

Keyes Art Night at Keyes Art Mile

This Keyes Art Night begins with a city still being imagined.

In the Atrium, the Makers Table, in collaboration with Johannesburg In Your Pocket and Open Window, invites you to work directly with archival photographs from Marc Latilla’s Johannesburg Then and Now. Hand-colour, collage, draw, and reimagine the city through your own lens, from impossible futures to deeply personal interventions.

In Gallery 1, Groundwork enters its final weeks. Spend time with an exhibition shaped by stone, dust, carbon, and clay, and the questions they leave behind about construction, memory, and time.

And just around the corner at CIRCA Gallery, Bag Factory Art marks 35 years with When We Gather…the ordinary becomes extraordinary – a fundraising group exhibition bringing together alumni and current artists from three and a half decades of studio practice.

At Lizamore & Associates, A Small Kind of Magic brings together Rosemary Marriott, Moloko Mabotja and Jenny Nijenhuis in a quiet exploration of identity, memory and the things we absorb before we have language for them.

At BKhz, Stephen Tebogo Langa opens Until Love Makes Sense – paintings that hold love in uncertain, shifting moments, somewhere between thought and feeling.

Cost: Free entry, food and drink for your own account

When: Thursday, 6 August from 6pm
Where: Keyes Art Mile, 21 Keyes Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg

Travelling Date Night at Indaba Hotel

Warm evenings call for romance, adventure, and a little indulgence. Join Indaba Hotel on the First Thursday of every month for an unforgettable 4-stop dining journey across the Hotel property:

• Sundowner cocktail and canapés at the Gin School
• Do dinner and a glass of wine at Epsom Restaurant
• Dessert and bubbly at the Indaba Tasting Room
• End with fire-side s’mores and a nightcap in the Courtyard

Cost: R785 per couple, book via email at [email protected]

When: First Thursday of every month
Where: Indaba Hotel, cnr. Winnie Mandela Drive & Pieter Wenning Rd, Fourways, Johannesburg

The Pursuit of a Glimmer

The Pursuit of a Glimmer is a powerful group exhibition exploring reflection, resilience and the moments of light that inspire transformation.

Austrian artist and sex counsellor Jessica Adams exhibits alongside South African artists Yolanda Mazwana, Nwabisa Ntlokwana, Mummy Khumalo, Thato Tlatsi, Rina Noto and Lebogang Mabusela.

Thursday evening features a pre-opening and intimate conversational exchange with Austrian Ambassador to South Africa HE Romana Königsbrun, UN Women Representative in South Africa, Aleta Miller, alongside Community Leader Rosemary Pali, moderated by Project Manager and Generational Thinker Thoriso Moseneke.

Surrounded by the works of the exhibition, the group of distinguished guests reflect on their personal journeys and share experiences that have shaped their paths, both professionally and personally.

Cost: Free entry

When: Thursday, 6 August from 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Where: 223 Jan Smuts Ave, Rosebank

Pleasure Palace Sound Exhibition

The Pleasure Palace Sound Exhibition is a curated live music and multi-stage cultural event featuring local and international up-and-coming artists across neighbourhood venues.

The event at Good Omens features performances from Archi.com, 12 dogs, and Eli while My Girl Loves Kat and Twenty One Children take the stage at the Smoking Kills Bar.

Cost: R90pp, book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Where: Good Omens, 4 7th St, and Smoking Kills Bar, 78a Avenue, 4th Ave Melville

Venturo Game Night at Shooters in Fourways

Venturo Game Night is back, and this time they’ve found a new playground: Shooters in Fourways. Swing by after work with friends or colleagues, or go solo and make new ones. Entry is free, the vibe is easy, and Shooters has a solid food menu ready for when the hunger hits. Expect a mix of classic favourites, fast-paced party games and plenty of laughs across the tables.

Cost: Free entry

When: First Thursday of every month, from 6pm to 11pm
Where: Shop F13, Fourways Mall, 11 Ruby Cl, Fourways, Sandton

Stained Glass Paint Night

The Pisces Glass Studio hosts a creative and relaxing glass painting evening where guests transform an ordinary glass bottle into a beautiful, hand-painted keepsake.

The event provides all materials and creates a vibrant atmosphere where beginners and seasoned creatives can order delicious food and drinks, have fun, socialise, and stay inspired. Fun, social, and inspiring.

Cost: R480pp, book via Quicket

When: First Thursday of every month, from 6pm to 9pm
Where: The Noble Experiment, Prison Break Market, 10 MacMillan Rd, Glenferness AH, Johannesburg

KWASUKASUKELA Unplugged Listening Session

An exclusive, immersive live listening session and screening for the new collaborative album, KWASUKASUKELA, by the powerhouse trio Sakhile, TJ Zulu, and Inkinga Yomhlaba

The venue pulls back the curtain, inviting guests to step into a curated sonic and visual space celebrated in its rawest form.

Cost: R90pp. Book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 5pm to 10pm
Where: Mamakashaka & Friends, 5 De Beer St, Braamfontein

Messy Masterpieces Paint & Sip

A relaxing evening where visitors paint a beautiful seaside artwork featuring tranquil blue waters, a sailboat, and vibrant cherry blossoms.

With step-by-step guidance, a pre-drawn canvas, and all materials provided, this workshop is perfect for beginners and experienced painters alike.

Cost: R320pp, book via Quicket

When: Thursday, 6 August from 6pm to 8pm
Where: Del Forno, 57 Van Buuren Rd, Bedfordview