A city that has always refused to sit still is about to celebrate 140 years of exactly that and it is doing so through the lens of the art fair that has spent 19 editions proving that contemporary African creativity belongs at the centre of the global conversation. FNB Art Joburg returns for its 19th edition from 4 to 6 September 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre, and this year’s timing carries a weight that goes beyond the calendar.

“We are incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with FNB Art Joburg,” says FNB. “Watching the fair grow into one of Africa’s most important contemporary art platforms has been inspiring. For us, this partnership reflects a fundamental belief that we hold, that when creativity is nurtured and given room to thrive, it can unlock opportunity, foster connection and drive meaningful societal change.”

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FNB Art Joburg has become the summit of the continent’s art pilgrimage; a gathering where artists, galleries, collectors and cultural producers converge to engage with work that shapes how Africa sees itself and how the world sees Africa. At its core, the fair is built as a layered ecosystem that mirrors the breadth, complexity and vitality of the continent’s cultural production.

“Johannesburg has always been a place where ambition meets possibility; where artists, entrepreneurs, thinkers and communities arrive carrying different histories and leave having built something entirely new. It is a city propelled by movement, sustained by inquiry and shaped by people willing to imagine beyond what already exists. That restless energy has made Johannesburg one of the continent’s great cultural engines, and it remains the reason FNB Art Joburg continues to call this city home,” says fair director, Mandla Sibeko. 

Across its established platforms — gallery HUB, gallery LAB, ORG, AUX, INK, GIF and MAX FNB Art Joburg has long cultivated multiple points of entry into contemporary African art. This year, that ecosystem expands with the introduction of a new section: ARC.

• gallery HUB – showcases Africa’s leading galleries, representing institutionally recognised artists shaping global narratives.
• gallery LAB – supports emerging and hybrid spaces that experiment with new modes of presentation and representation.
• ARC – expands how contemporary artistic practice is encountered at the fair. Dedicated to artists and works that challenge convention, it creates a space for discovery, dialogue and critical inquiry, foregrounding practices that reflect the immediacy, complexity and evolving concerns of contemporary African art.
• ORG – gives visibility to non-profit and artist-run initiatives driving cultural infrastructure and community building.
• AUX – offers talks, screenings and performances that invite audiences into meaningful conversations about art and its contexts.
• INK (formerly ETC) – celebrates print culture, spanning critical writing and art publications to artist books and limited-edition prints that acknowledge language and documentation as central to cultural legacy.
• GIF – focuses on photography as one of South Africa’s most significant artistic mediums, tracing both its histories and its futures.
• MAX – presents large-scale installations that reimagine scale, space and audience engagement.

Each section exists to provide multiple points of entry into art and its ideas. Together, they reflect FNB Art Joburg’s role as a living space that educates, connects and nurtures audiences while sustaining the commercial ecosystem that allows artists to thrive.

Open City — When the Fair Becomes the Whole City

Running in parallel with the fair, Open City returns from 20 August to 14 September 2026, in partnership with Brand South Africa. The initiative transforms Johannesburg into an extended exhibition, connecting art, music, fashion, design, food and performances across the city. An access bridge into the fair, Open City demonstrates that what FNB Art Joburg does extends beyond the convention floor because it prioritises the entire city and its cultural workers, keeping Johannesburg’s cultural heart beating. 

Founded in 1886 and turning 140 this year, Johannesburg remains the fair’s compass and muse: restless, abundant and unlimited.  

       “We are excited to welcome audiences back this September when our 19th edition will realise Johannesburg’s enduring role as a meeting place for cultural breakthroughs”, says Sibeko. “Through inclusivity, inquiry and the incubation of new ideas, FNB Art Joburg continues to champion the innovation that is shaping the continent’s role in the future of the global ecosystem.”