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
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
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
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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