FNB Art Joburg is almost here, and this year, it has added new features

The fair is from Friday 4 September to Sunday 6 September 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre, and, you discuss finances with your bank manager, do not forget the budget for fashion accessories.

Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

It is an event that every year is understandably in the imagination of art collectors, visitors and art enthusiasts. On the opening day of the FNB Art Joburg, the Sandton convention Centre is suddenly transformed into a buzzing place that breathes art, instead of its normal business like atmosphere.

What with artist turning up in big numbers, curators on tow, just as gallerists, art academic, media sniffing around for that art piece that is likely to stimulate conversations during the fair.

The point is, FNB Art Joburg, yes, is essentially a market to scout for art to collect, have an insight into current major art conversations dominating current global discourse on art. However, in the South African context, it is more than just a market to buy art.

It is also a place for art education, networking, connecting with like-minded people in the art ecosystem, and even to showcase fashion. Yes, visitors dress to impress, including artists as they shade off their work aprons and put aside their paint brushes and lock away their paint tins during the art fair to be seen and to see. They transform into fashionistas at the art fair.

People during FNB Art Joburg, really make an attempt to look good and feel good as they scout for art. In fact, at first glance, you would be exposed to imagine that you are at a fashion intense event in Johannesburg. Think Metro FM Awards, South African Film and Television Awards, the South African Music Awards or even the Durban July.

And so, the art fair is an oasis of fine art created by big art minds on the African continent. But so, is it an oasis of fashion display and more. For those that have not yet been to the FNB Art Joburg, they should seriously consider attending this year.

The good news is, the team that puts together this art fair, have now officially confirmed the date of the art fair. 

“As the art world, once again, prepares to turn its gaze towards Johannesburg for a moment that defines contemporary African art, FNB Art Joburg is proud to announce that the fair is returning for its 19th edition. This year’s fair will take place from Friday 4 September to Sunday 6 September 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre, coinciding with Johannesburg’s 140th birthday,” the organisers said in a statement sent to CITYLIFE/ARTS.

“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.”

“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. 

Indeed, 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. 

Architecture of the art fair

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.

“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.”

Brief history of FNB Art Joburg Fair

FNB Art Joburg is Africa’s leading contemporary African art fair and the longest-running fair of its kind on the continent. Founded in 2008, the fair serves as a platform for galleries, artists, collectors, curators and cultural practitioners, fostering meaningful engagement with contemporary African art while strengthening the continent’s primary art market. Through its curated fair sections, public programme and city-wide initiatives such as Open City, FNB Art Joburg creates opportunities for dialogue, discovery and cultural exchange, positioning Johannesburg as a global destination for contemporary African culture.

For more information, visit www.fnbartjoburg.co.za or follow @FNBArtJoburg on social