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Exploring First Thursdays in Cape Town

First Thursdays has been a free public event in Cape Town since 2012. On the first Thursday of each month, the city is abuzz with art lovers. Inner city art galleries stay open till 9PM or later, with special events hosted specifically for the monthly fiesta. Other cultural events and live music shows are hosted at partnering venues.

It’s a great way to explore the inner city by foot. Soak up the awesome vibe, the Cape Town CBD truly comes alive on First Thursday! Together with the inspiring art showcase at the various galleries, the streets are filled with buskers and other artistic acts.

What is First Thursdays in Cape Town All About

First Thursdays in Cape Town

It’s all about embracing the creativity that the Mother City has to offer you. Below we’ve created little walking maps for you to plan your next First Thursdays expedition. In between saturating your eyes with beautiful art, we’ve also added a few restaurants that you can use as pit-stops.

The restaurants in the CBD also host special events for First Thursdays. Make sure you also pop in at The Station on Bree market. There’s no specific way to explore the galleries. The best way to plan your night, is to visit the website and browse through the upcoming exhibitions. Or you can sign up for the monthly newsletter to stay in the loop about the latest events hosted every month.

If you want to park at a central point to start your exploration adventure, the best First Thursday Parking is located at 58 Strand Street. But we would recommend that you Uber into the city, to enjoy a free glass of wine at the galleries, and not worry about the new Zero Tolerance Policy by the South African traffic department.

For more information visit first-thursdays.co.za or follow their Facebook Page for upcoming events.

Church Street Galleries

99 Loop Gallery | Corner of Church and Loop Streets

Chandler House | 53 Church Street

Philippa Green & Ida Elsje | 76 Church Street

Addis in Cape Restaurant | 41 Church Street

The Cape Gallery | 60 Church Street

WorldArt | 54 Church Street

SMITH | 56 Church Street

The Association for Visual Arts Gallery | 35 Church Street

Mozart on Church | 37 Church Street

Hokey Poke | 1 Church Street

Loop Street Galleries

The Village Idiot | 32 Loop Street

Durst Gallery of Art + Shark and Safari Café | 58 Loop Street

Ebony Curated | 67 Loop Street

The Botanical Bar | 160 Longmarket Street

Yours Truly on Loop | 63 Loop Street

91 Loop | Corner of Loop and Longmarket Streets

Tjing Tjing Torii | 165 Longmarket Street

Melting Pot (Pop-up Restaurant) | 83 Loop Street

Alliance Française du Cap | 155 Loop Street

yours truly loop First Thursdays in Cape Town

Long Street Galleries

Emerging Artist Programme at the SA Sendinggestig Museum | 40 Long Street

The Grand Daddy Boutique Hotel | 38 Long Street

Mungo & Jemima | 108 Long Street

Ministry of Economic Opportunities | 142 Long Street

Beerhouse | 223 Long Street

Lower Bree Street Galleries

Ground Art Caffé | 160 Strand Street

THK Gallery | 52 Waterkant Street

Bastille | 30 Waterkant Street

Youngblood Gallery | 70-74 Bree Street

Mungo | 78 Hout Street

The Architect Gallery | 71 Hout Street

Aces ‘n Spades | 62 Hout Street

Avital Lang Studio & Gallery | 40 Dorp Street

The Gin Bar | 64A Wale Street

Eclectica Print Gallery and Eclectica Contemporary | 69 Burg Street

First Thursdays in Cape Town_03

Upper Bree Street Galleries

Gallery MOMO | 16 Buiten Street

Crust Café | 243 Bree Street

Friends of Design Academy of Digital Arts | 186 Bree Street

Oribi Village | 19 Park Road

Unfiltered | 18 Kloof Street

Edge Glass Gallery & Cape Glass Studio | 29 Vredenburg Lane

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