Join Addis in Cape this First Thursdays and enjoy a celebration of Ethiopian Flavours for only R225 per person.

A Grand Platter of 6 traditional Ethiopian dishes accompanied by 3 delicious sides, served on a traditional platter with injera.

Available in Mixed and Vegan

Cape Film Supply is celebrating 10 years of reviving analogue photography in Africa.

They’ll be showcasing film photography from the people who have worked with them over the years and helped grow support for analogue photography across the continent.

The space now permanently hosts MERWE MODE, an analogue fashion practice making all its garments in-house in Cape Town. This First Thursdays, Merwe will introduce two brands they produce for in the space: HEYSOUS streetwear and YVES menswear swimwear.

What to expect:

• Vinyl DJs
• Film photography
• A variety of local fashion
• Analogue photo booth
• Product specials

A new section of the gallery dedicated to really good Africa themed art. A collection of paintings, graphite drawing and photography by artists from South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria, Botswana, Luxembourg and Russia.

AVA 100 | Building Common Space for Artists

As a membership-based organisation, building a community has been an important part of AVA’s mission through the years.

Bringing back the AVA Members Exhibition is an important step in bringing the AVA community together, not just through virtual membership, but in a very tangible way: on the walls of the AVA Gallery at 35 Church Street, which has been the locus of so many artists’ lives for over 55 years, even before the current Association for Visual Arts was officially formed as an independent entity. It is also an opportunity to build bridges between different generations of artists, creating a space for connection, dialogue and a sense of belonging around something continuous and important: the common space that is AVA.

As part of the 2026 Members Exhibition, we have selected 100 artworks from our current members that showcase both AVA’s recent history of helping launch and support artists’ careers and its present, with works by exciting emerging and independent artists who are building their creative journeys today.

Featured Artists

100 Exhibiting Artists:

Aimee Elizabeth Hare · Ala Alhourani · Alexis Schofield · Alison Hector · Alyson Smith · Andrew Mokgatla · Angela Briggs · Anneke Potgieter · Anthony Morrison Cain · Ashley Walters · Benjamin Mitchley · Bonita Alice · Bonolo Kavula · Botlhale Zwakala · Bruce Bowale · Catriona Towriss · Chantal Coetzee · Chantal Masinga · Chas Unwin · Cheryl Traub Adler · Chulumanco Dywili · Clare Menck · Daniel Bradfield · Danielle Vorster · Debbie Field · Elske Henderson · Emily Rice · Emma Wootton · Ethel Ettie Flax · Fadiel Hermans · Frauke Louw · Gabrielle Guy · Gaelen Pinnock · Gill Allderman · Grady T Zeeman · Holly Birkby · Igshaan Adams · Ilja de la Guerre · Ishmael Chitambire · Jan Ludik · Jill Mary Trappler · Joanne Milne · Josephine Grindrod · Kamyar Bineshtarigh · Karen Stander · Karin Hopkinson · Kathy Robins · Keely Shinners · Kerry Lee Chambers · Khanya Zibaya · Khaya Bobotyana · Kimshay Philander · Kirsty Tinkler · Kristen McClarty · Lamont Khoza · Lara Frances · Laurel Holmes · Leah Dominique Johnson · Leandri Erlank · Lelani Nicolaisen · Lionel Tazvitya Mbayiwa · Lisakhanya Ngqoba · Lisl Barry · Liza Grobler · Madeleine Kooyman van Manen · Madelize van der Merwe · Mandy Shindler · Many Libuta · Mary-Jane Morris · Mathabela Madiela · Max Wolpe · Maxine Fitz-Patrick · Michele Fiona Jane Sandilands · Natasha Norman · Nicola von Bratt · Nirveda Alleck · Norman O’Flynn · Nozuko Madokwe · Olivier Baudry · Oscar Henning · Owethu Mtshali · Paul Birchall · Phillippa Duncan · Pia Truscott · Sera Holland · Siyakholwa Kala · Sonia Martins Mateus · Sophie Peters · Stefanie Eins · Suzanne Leighton · Swain Hoogervorst · Tanja Truscott · Tsediso Joans Mnkhenga · Tusevo Landu · Ulric Roberts · Wonder Marthinus · Yasmine Yacoubi · Yazeed Kamaldien · Zaitoon Ebrahim · Zandri Oosthuysen

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This collection of original paintings is centred around editorial and print works created as part of the 2024/25 Philharmonie Luxembourg children’s programme. Drawing inspiration from classics such as The Snow Queen, Robin Hood and Pinocchio, as well as fantasy, play and humour, the illustrations were created as visual components to music, storytelling and musical theatre.

Working creatively from the individual worlds of each production, from its characters and costumes to its instruments, music and age group, each artwork grew through a process of drawing, painting and exploration on paper. The final pieces, painted in solid planes of gouache with final details achieved in pencil crayon, take a contemporary approach to familiar stories and themes, using bold and vibrant colours, simple forms and shapes.

For A World of Wonder, the original works come together outside their original context, bringing together all the characters, creatures and worlds.

Tara Deacon is a South African illustrator, painter and artist whose work explores the simplicity of everyday observations, combining memory and place, both real and imagined. Her compositions are populated with characters influenced by her travels, personal relationships, books and popular culture, bringing a narrative storytelling quality to her work.

Discover the work of Cape Town artist Khomotso Phetla, whose collection explores land, memory and the healing power of art. Join Klok Restaurant at Onomo Inn on the Square in collaboration with Bookings & Brushes this First Thursdays for Borderless Grounds exhibition opening.

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May the odds be ever in your favour.

Same three ingredients.
Two very different creations.
One winner.

NAARTJIE. JALAPEÑO. MINT.

Chef vs. Bartender.
Neither knows what the other is making.
Neither gets to taste it.

You decide who wins.

R100 pp | 4-6pm

99 Loop Gallery is pleased to open a brand-new duo exhibition this First Thursdays. Catching presents abstract paintings by Chuma Adam alongside the fired clay vessels of Siyabonga Fani.

Across dimensionality and form, their work explores embodied practice, nature and selfhood.

Catching is on display at until 24 October.

The City of Cape Town's Emerging Artists Programme (EAP) continues to support early-career visual artists by providing opportunities to develop their professional practice, increase public visibility, and gain practical exhibition experience.

During the 2026 Spring/Summer season, the programme will present a series of curated First Thursdays Pop-Up Exhibitions, each preceded by a comprehensive Exhibition Readiness Workshop that equips participants with the knowledge and skills required to professionally prepare, curate, market and present their work. Following each First Thursdays event, the exhibition will be relocated to the Cape Town Central Public Library, where it will remain on public display for up to two weeks, providing participating artists with extended exposure and additional opportunities to engage with audiences and generate artwork sales.

Through this combined approach, the programme enables emerging artists to exhibit and sell their work, build professional networks, strengthen their business skills, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of their creative practice.

First Thursdays at Bo-Vine offer an evening of bold flavours, deep grooves from the resident DJ, and a relaxed atmosphere that encourages guests to stay present rather than shout over the music. Visitors are invited to book a table, bring friends, and linger as the night unfolds.

What’s Your Type?

The Western Cape Blood Service is offering free blood group testing from 4pm to 6pm at the Blood Donation Centre, 9 Long Street this First Thursdays.

Pop in to find out your blood type and find out more.

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The Grand Daddy Boutique Hotel is stepping onto the First Thursdays programme and hosting its own Mad Hatter’s Curious Table.

Expect an eclectic evening of art exhibitions, live acts and electronic sets, spoken word, a Parlour of Aces & Spades, à la carte dining and a rooftop where things get stranger by the hour.

Explore a curious marketplace filled with wondrous and unexpected activities, then linger longer, stay late and make your way to the Rabbit Hole for an after-party of note, hosted by the hotel’s fine selectors and serving up a wide variety of musical treats.

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1895 Gallery invites you to explore the latest group selection of ceramic and art works by artists from across Africa.

The exhibition features work by Rodney Ghee, Emmanuel Ngunga, Solomon Omogboye, Richard Mackintosh, Dante Ruben, Sibley, Thandazani Ndlovu and Lawrence Nyembo.

Discover a hidden gemmological and jewellery world of wonder at the Museum of Gems & Jewellery, housed in the 18th-century Huguenot House at 66 Loop Street.On First Thursdays, explore South Africa’s rich mineral, cultural, and artistic heritage through an intimate, beautifully curated journey spanning 3 billion years.Wander through our atmospheric underground cellar and experience:

• The formation of diamonds deep within the earth

• The story of the legendary Cullinan Diamond

• Rare gemstones found only in Southern Africa

• “Jewellery Through The Ages” spanning centuries

• The world’s earliest signs of human creativity from the Blombos Cave

• The origins of the gold, platinum, and diamonds that shaped South Africa’s mineral history

Engage with authentic artefacts, geological wonders, and striking replicas — all displayed with exceptional craftsmanship. Whether you’re a history lover, gemstone enthusiast, jewellery collector or simply curious, the museum offers a unique, immersive cultural experience in the heart of the city.  Also view and engage with master goldsmiths who create exceptional jewellery masterpieces on-site, transforming raw materials into wearable works of art.Admission is free and ideal for locals and visitors looking to discover something extraordinary on First Thursdays.

“What is it?”
“Don’t you see?”
“I don’t see anything.”
“You don’t see the snake. There, that is the tail. The head is on the ground.”

Iteration 1: Khesaseedi…, or was it Mothorolle? invokes Santu Mofokeng’s seminal essay ‘Ancestors/Fearing the Shadows’, where he recounts a conversation with his sister, who calls him outside to observe a “transit” on a windy day in Diepkloof, Soweto. Where she perceives a snake, he sees only a whirlwind. Iteration 1 assumes this divergence as a proposition, charting parallel pathways through which plural ways of seeing might emerge.

The artworks included in Iteration 1 extend these meditations: whether reflecting on the chemical composition of the Johannesburg skyline causing Mofokeng’s whirlwind, investigating scientific (a)symmetry, or foregrounding the amateur astronomer’s role in imaging the night sky, each transforms observation into a site of cultural and scientific plurality.

Take a journey with Joinery Journals this First Thursdays at The Corner Store and receive complimentary personalisation!

Le Pickle is coming to Bree Street! Join for smashburgers, drinks and more as we celebrate our opening.

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Join Rowdy for Meet the Soft Tote activation this First Thursdays at the Longkloof Precinct.

This First Thursdays, join Noah for a pizza special featuring Margherita pizza and garlic mozzarella focaccia for R100, or try the Butter Chicken Pizza for R190.

Pair it with wines by the bottle from R200, Charles Hope Lager and Shackleton beers for R50, plus cocktail specials throughout the evening.

Join Culture Wine Bar for a relaxed walk-around tasting celebrating the grapes of the Rhône Valley and the South African wines they inspire.

Taste your way through wines from Minimalist, Rueda Wine Co., Painted Wolf, Inevitable Wines, The Foundry, Bruce Jack, Iona, Radford Dale, Arendsig and Beau Constantia. Chat to the people behind the bottles and discover a few new favourites along the way.

There’s no set route and no formal tasting order. Just grab a glass, move at your own pace and get crawling.

First Thursdays, 1 October
6pm–8pm
R295 per person

Shaped by Place marks SAOTA’s 40th anniversary with a public exhibition exploring four decades of architectural thinking, design evolution, and global influence. In partnership with Poliform and hosted at Brundyn Arts & Culture, the exhibition traces SAOTA’s journey from a small Cape Town studio to an internationally recognised practice through architectural models, large-scale imagery, and curated narratives. Rather than a traditional retrospective, Shaped by Place offers insight into the ideas, processes, and collaborations that have shaped the practice over forty years.

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Following its successful exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, in 2022, SHE returns to Cape Town. This group exhibition brings together the work of nine exceptional female artists from South Africa. The exhibition will take place at 33BREE, in collaboration with The Artists Gallery, from 2 to 31 October 2026.

Something a little different is coming to Black Betty this First Thursdays.

Join Sofar Sounds and Black Betty for an intimate evening of live music, jewellery, piercings and good energy in the heart of Cape Town. Three artists will perform throughout the night, bringing the Sofar experience into the Black Betty space for a First Thursday takeover.

Alongside the live performances, guests can explore Black Betty jewellery, book a piercing and enjoy exclusive piercing and jewellery offerings available on the night.

Come for the music. Stay for the jewellery, piercings and lekker vibes.

Spice up your Thursday with Rosey & Vittori at their flagship store for another evening of late-night shopping, new arrivals and drinks served.

5pm - 5.30pm | Bell Ringing

Learn the centuries-old British art of full-circle tower bell ringing in South Africa’s oldest active ringing tower, led by Mark JF Ogilvie.
mogilvie@iafrica.com

5.30pm - 8pm | Drawing Workshop with Laurence Blogg & Michael Tietz-Geldenhuys

Join Laurence and Michael of Cornerstone Art Atelier for a relaxed, social drawing workshop for creatives, beginners and anyone curious about making art.

Working in graphite pencil, explore the fundamentals of drawing through guided exercises in line, shape, value, texture and mark-making, while developing observation and visual perception. Whether you’re completely new to drawing or looking to deepen your practice, this workshop is an opportunity to build confidence, creativity and a more attentive way of seeing.

What to bring: H, HB, 2B and/or 4B pencils, an eraser and a pencil sharpener. Paper supplied.

R300 per person • Limited to 20 participants • Book: https://pay.yoco.com/r/DdDzLj
[QR CODE ATTACHED]

18:00–19:00 | Ashton Gardner

Cape Town-based pianist, guitarist, vocalist and composer Ashton J Gardner brings a distinctive and eclectic sound shaped by echoes of Sting, Crowded House, Radiohead and Johnny Cash. Known for his intriguing melodies, unexpected progressions and deeply personal compositions, come and discover an original voice with songs that stay with you.

Instagram: @ashtonjamesgardner
Facebook: @ashtongardner

7pm - 8pm | Tree63 Unplugged

After more than a decade since their last album, Tree63 is back. The iconic South African rock band returns with Voyage, their new album, a collection of songs exploring faith, resilience and the journey through life’s highs and lows.

Come and share the journey with songs that speak to faith, resilience and the beauty of the road ahead.

Instagram: @TREE_63
Facebook: @TREE63ZA

5pm - 8pm | Your Local Brew

@yourlocalbrew_ct will be serving your favourite cup throughout the evening.

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"This collection stems from two central themes: personality and humanity.Personality involves embracing individuality while also finding common groundwith others; it is the unique gift of being yourself, undeterred by life’s challengesor hardships. With this collection, I use ties, shapes and forms, emotions, andbehaviours to transport you from one world to another, inviting you to explorethe stories of culture, resilience, and expression woven into each piece." - Ory Katalayi Bwens

Featured Artists

SUITS AND TIES part Il by Ory Katalayi Bwens

ROOTS by

Gerda Möhr

Linda Rademan

Kathryn Harmer Fox

Margriet van Dam

Monique Day-Wilde

Justin Dingwall

Annemie Koenen

Charity van der Meer

Esther Meijer-Berghuis

Bernine van der Mescht

Dineke Ugen

Eke Krug

Singa-Ba-Ntu by Eric ZuluHuman Emotion & Spirit of a Queen by Melissa Cloete

Softness of Spring by Ange Akomezoa

The Ocean in my Ear by Mulberry Pulse

Pop-up performance

by

Cape Town City Ballet

Also featuring: Allen Leroux, Peter Webber, Sibusiso Ngwazi, Gavin Kendo, Courtney, Michael Oliver Love, Sepid

The Afterlife of Empire brings together artists from South Africa and Nigeria whose work considers how colonial histories continue to shape the present.

The exhibition looks at the ways power, race, extraction, migration, nationalism and inequality remain part of contemporary life. Although colonial rule formally ended, many of the structures it produced continue in different forms. They can be seen in our institutions, economies, identities and in the ways we understand ourselves and one another.

But the exhibition is not simply about what remains.

It is also about what can change.

The artists work with inherited images, histories and symbols, but they do not simply repeat them. They alter, question and reimagine them. Painting, photography, sculpture, installation, performance and mixed media become ways of looking again at histories that have often been told from a single point of view. Materiality is important here. Oil paint, with its long association with European art and systems of representation, appears alongside spray paint, acrylic, textiles, photography, costume and other contemporary materials. These combinations create tensions between the old and the new, permanence and change, memory and invention. The body is another important site within the exhibition. It appears as a place where histories of race, gender, religion and power are carried, performed and challenged. Questions of identity are not presented as fixed. Instead, they remain open, unstable and capable of transformation. Queer and gender-diverse practices are particularly important in this regard, suggesting that the freedom to imagine and inhabit oneself differently is also connected to wider ideas of citizenship and democracy.

There is also a quieter dimension to the exhibition: the psychological and spiritual afterlife of history. What remains after political systems change?

What is carried in memory, in the body, in belief and in everyday life?

In this sense, the exhibition resonates with the writing of Bessie Head, particularly her attention to the inner lives of people living through histories of displacement, violence and uncertainty. History is not only something that happens around us. It becomes part of how we think, feel and imagine the world.

‍The Afterlife of Empire therefore does not attempt to resolve the past. Instead, it asks us to look at the ways the past continues to live within the present and to consider what might become possible when inherited histories are questioned, reworked and imagined differently.

Emma Willemse's work spans a diverse field of media, in this exhibition, the focus is on the parchments. Using pulp from recycled paper as well as bark and other natural elements, she creates parchments that speak of their source and future possibilities.

The Print Table is a new recurring photography platform built around the physical photographic print. Bringing established and emerging photographers together, each Volume presents a changing selection of work informally across the table - creating space to browse prints, meet photographers, hear the stories behind the work and purchase photographs.

New work. New stories. New perspectives. Every Volume. Come to the table.

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This October, in recognition of Mental Health Month, Our Cape Town Heritage (OCTH) presents The Siege and the Sanctuary, an exhibition exploring mental health through two lenses: the siege, an internal attack on the mind, and the sanctuary, the quiet discipline of recovery.

Alfred Kitsi gives form to the siege through haunting horror and surrealist imagery, while Jaden Wells embodies the sanctuary through repetitive, labour-intensive processes using everyday materials, reflecting the mindfulness at the heart of healing.

The exhibition is accompanied by research from OCTH, tracing historical cycles of horror and surveillance faced by marginalised communities in South Africa in relation to mental health. This research connects contemporary experiences of personal healing with histories of community resilience and recovery. Learn more at https://ourcapetownheritage.org/mental-health-

Presented by OCTH, a Cape Town-based NPO dedicated to preserving Cape heritage and culture through visual arts and education, The Siege and the Sanctuary is hosted at the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation in Cape Town. The exhibition honours stories of community and connection, using creative expression to reclaim and celebrate heritage.

Join OCTH this October as they hold space for both the struggle and the strength it takes to heal.

A walkabout will take place on Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 12pm, marking World Mental Health Day. Tickets can be booked via the Quicket link provided.

South Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs is already building.

Thrive Under 25 will introduce three exceptional young founders who are creating ambitious businesses, challenging established industries and turning bold ideas into real opportunities.

Each entrepreneur will share what they are building, the lessons they have learned so far, and what it takes to start and grow a company before the age of 25! The evening will bring together young talent, experienced founders, investors and members of the wider innovation ecosystem for an honest look at the people and ideas shaping what comes next.

Join Innovation City Cape Town to meet three young South Africans worth watching.

Moderated by Kieno Kammies.

Voice For Women is a photographic documentation project capturing South Africa’s national mobilisation against femicide. The project aims to document not only the protest itself, but the people, emotions, solidarity and collective action surrounding a defining moment in South Africa’s ongoing conversation about violence against women.

The wildlife populating  Peter Gray’s canvasses are seldom still. Predators hunt, spar or dose while the possible prey graze with a watchful eye. The character of each individual creature, fish, fowl or mammal is apparent as it reacts to the constant pressure of survival. Peter often refers to the specific place where he sighted the game; a swamp in Botswana, the desert in Namibian or wetlands at Chobe, Zimbabwe. His keen observation of the light and weather make his work memorable.

Born 1950 in Bulawayo Zimbabwe, Peterhad ready access to the birds and animals of the Bushveld and the opportunity to meet the people who studied, hunted or preserved them. He became aware of ongoing debates as government and community leaders sought a balance between human interest and the preservation of endangered species.  Game, in Southern Africa, has always had a political and cultural dimension.

Where the Water Runs Deep, an exhibition by South African multidisciplinary artist Milli McGregor. 

Working across painting and ceramics, Milli draws inspiration from water and the natural world. Her richly layered compositions bring together vivid colour, organic forms and a strong sense of movement, inviting viewers to pause, look closer and consider what lies beneath the surface.

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Where We Become is a series of oil paintings on repurposed shade cloth that explore home as the foundation of identity. For Landu, home is not simply a physical structure but the first landscape of the self, the place where our earliest relationships, memories and contradictions quietly accumulate.

“I believe home is where identity first takes root,” says Landu. “Its worn floors, cracked walls and faded corners become witnesses to time, love, loss and transformation, reminding us that identity is shaped through accumulated experience rather than a single moment.”

The shade cloth on which Landu paints is itself charged with meaning. A woven material used across Kinshasa and Johannesburg as makeshift shelter for street vendors, its rough, gridded surface resists fluid brushwork, forcing an improvisation that echoes the artist’s broader interest in resilience and transient survival within public space. Layered over time, the paint becomes a metaphor for memory itself, with each mark settling over the last, much as identity is formed gradually through repeated experience rather than any single defining moment.