Events to look forward to in Joburg in 2025

With 2025 officially in full swing, it’s time to look forward to everything this new year has in store – and there’s lots on the social calendar to diarise. For a full guide to what’s on in Joburg, explore our events calendar here and subscribe to our newsletter published each Thursday morning to stay posted as more events get added to the calendar. We also add events to our Instagram Stories daily, follow us @johannesburginyourpocket. 

Here’s our pick of what to look out for in 2025 in Joburg.

January/February

CHINESE NEW YEAR
The Chinese New Year kicks off on Wed, Jan 29 , with traditional festivities taking place across the city and beyond. This year marks the Year of the Wood Snake and Joburg’s Chinese community – the city boasts three Chinatowns:  Cyrildene , Commissioner Street , and Rivonia – celebrates with cultural performances, fireworks, and plenty of delicious food. Pop in to the Alberton Rugby Club on Sat, Feb 1  for food and craft stalls, and loads of fun activities for the kids. About an hour outside Joburg, the Nan Hua Buddhist Temple in Bronkhorstspruit is well worth a visit as it hosts its annual celebration on  Sun, Feb 2 . Keep an eye out for our guide on where to join the festivities.
 
SOWETO DERBY
The famous showdown between Soweto’s two top football teams, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates , takes place on Sat, Feb 1 , and Sat, May 3 . This rivalry, steeped in a long and colourful history, always draws a packed crowd to the iconic FNB Stadium in Soweto . Exuberant fans, dressed to the nines in their team colours, create an electrifying atmosphere. You can get your tickets here .

March

MAXHOSA AFRICA MXS KULTURE FESTIVAL
The  MaXhosa Africa MXS Kulture Festival is back for the third time on Sat, Mar 15 . The festival will include multiple activations, live music, food and drink, and a showcase of MaXhosa's winter collection. Buy your tickets here .

JOBURG BALLET
The Joburg Ballet 2025 season opens in March with DreamScapes , a trio of productions that explores the delicate balance between tradition, identity, and innovative expression through a rich combination of classical and contemporary works. Performances will run from Fri, Mar 28  – Sun, April 6  at the Roodepoort Theatre . You can get your tickets here . The ballet company has several performances throughout the year. 
 
CONSTITUTION HILL HUMAN RIGHTS FESTIVAL
The seventh edition of the Constitution Hill Human Rights Festival at Constitution Hill  has returned, offering a free and dynamic space to unite the public, social justice organisations, NGOs, think tanks, and the media around critical human rights issues. Join them from Thu, Mar 20 – Sun, Mar 23 as they fight for a just and inclusive South Africa.

JAZZ IN THE LIGHTS MUSIC FESTIVAL
Jazz in the Lights Music Festival  takes place on Sat, Mar 29  at the Johannesburg Zoo . This reimagined celebration of jazz brings together local and international talents, including acclaimed outfit The Brother Moves On. While music lovers soak up smooth classics and discover fresh new acts, younger guests can visit the zoo’s animals and explore. Tickets are on sale here .

April

JOZI KOTA FESTIVAL
The annual  Jozi Kota Festival  is back on  Sat, Apr 5  at The Station in Newtown , a disused Edwardian-era train station. This unique food festival, which has a vintage theme this year, aims to showcase kasi kota flavours from around the city in one central location. Tickets are on sale here .

COTTON FEST
Founded by the late rapper Riky Rick , Cotton Fest is back for a sixth edition on Sat, Apr 26  at The Station  in Newtown  to celebrate South African talent by bringing together a high-octane line-up of local artists, musicians, rappers, and DJs. Tickets are on sale here .
 
SA FASHION WEEK
The fashion red carpet will be rolled out at South African Fashion Week (SAFW) , where the country's leading designers showcase their latest creations on the catwalk. Always a glamorous affair, it’s both a fun, social occasion for Joburg’s fashion-forward crowd and a vital business-to-business platform for designers, buyers, fashion editors, and industry insiders from across Africa. Keep an eye out for announcements of dates and more on SAFW's Instagram page .

May

ULTRA SOUTH AFRICA
Ultra is one of the world’s biggest annual all-night dance music events accommodating thousands of festival goers and featuring a blockbuster line-up of international and local DJs. The action starts in Cape Town on Fri, May 9 and moves to Joburg for a gigantic night party at the Expo Centre, Nasrec, on Sat, May 10. The festival attracts a big-hitting international line-up of top DJs and is always something to look forward to. You can get your tickets here.
 
SOWETO FASHION WEEK
Soweto Fashion Week has been showcasing South African fashion and beauty since its inception in 2011. Held in the country’s most iconic township, the event celebrates young designers from townships, cities, and beyond with captivating catwalk shows, beauty workshops, and live entertainment. The autumn/winter collections traditionally grace the runway in May. Keep an eye out for announcements of dates and more on Soweto Fashion Week's   Instagram page .

RMB LATITUDES
The third edition of RMB Latitudes will once again take place at Shepstone Gardens from Fri, May 23  – Sun, May 25 . The three-day event features art fair booths from Africa's leading galleries, and includes unique exhibition spaces designed by curators and artists, a delicious curation of food stalls, and bespoke treats, local wines, and fashion. Save the date, and we'll keep you posted on when tickets become available.
 

June

BASHA UHURU FREEDOM FESTIVAL
Constitution Hill 's annual Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival is held in honour of Youth Month, celebrating South African youth culture and creativity through a packed programme of art, music, fashion, and film events. The three-day festival includes a dedicated film festival, poetry festival, creative summit, and the Freedom music festival, which is always a major highlight for music lovers. Entrance to all events is free except for the music festival. We'll keep you posted on when the 2025 dates are announced.
 

MZANSI FOOD & DRINK SHOW
The second edition of the Mzansi Food & Drink Show is set to take place at the Kyalami International Convention Centre. With five events in one, there will be plenty to explore over the three days, including the Fire & Feast Festival, Chocolate & Coffee Expo, Fine Food & Wine Show, Bar & Good Spirits Showcase, and Food Market. Save the date, and we'll keep you posted on when tickets become available.

July

TURBINE ART FAIR
The Turbine Art Fair (TAF) is traditionally held in July, offering a weekend packed with commissioned installations and exhibitions, an engaging art talks programme, exciting showcases of young and emerging artists, delicious food and drinks, a glittering opening night party, and, of course, an incredible array of artworks for sale. After moving around Joburg over the years, TAF found a new home at The Forum at Hyde Park Corner in 2023. This year, it’s set to take place from Thu, Jul 24 – Sun, Jul 27; watch this space.