First Thursdays returns to Cape Town on Thursday, October 1, bringing another evening of art, culture, fashion and creative expression to the city centre.
From a decade-long celebration of analogue photography to contemporary paintings, ceramics and an exhibition exploring mental health, there is plenty to see as galleries and creative spaces open their doors after hours.
Here are seven exhibitions and creative showcases worth adding to your First Thursdays itinerary.
A Decade of Analog Revival
Cape Film Supply / Merwe Mode, 101 Harrington Street
Cape Film Supply is marking 10 years of championing analogue photography in Africa with a showcase of film photography from people who have worked with the company and helped grow support for the medium across the continent.
The space is also home to Merwe Mode, an analogue fashion practice that makes its garments in Cape Town. This First Thursdays, Merwe will introduce two brands produced in the space: HEYSOUS streetwear and YVES menswear swimwear.
Visitors can expect vinyl DJs, an analogue photo booth, local fashion, film photography and product specials.
The Siege and the Sanctuary
Our Cape Town Heritage at Desmond Tutu House, 11 Buitenkant Street
The Siege and the Sanctuary explores mental health through two contrasting ideas: the siege as an internal attack on the mind, and the sanctuary as the quiet discipline of recovery.
Alfred Kitsi's haunting horror and surrealist imagery represents the siege, while Jaden Wells uses repetitive, labour-intensive processes and everyday materials to explore mindfulness and healing.
The exhibition is accompanied by research from Our Cape Town Heritage examining histories of horror and surveillance experienced by marginalised communities in South Africa, alongside stories of resilience and recovery.
Borderless Grounds
Khomotso Phetla at Klok, 10 Greenmarket Square
Cape Town artist Khomotso Phetla explores land, memory and the healing power of art in Borderless Grounds.
The exhibition opens at Klok Restaurant at Onomo Inn on the Square in collaboration with Bookings & Brushes, offering visitors the chance to combine an evening of art with a meal or drinks in Greenmarket Square.
Ways of Being in the World
Peter Gray at The Cape Gallery, 60 Church Street
Wildlife takes centre stage in Peter Gray's paintings, where predators hunt and spar while potential prey remain alert to the constant pressures of survival.
Drawing on encounters with wildlife in places including Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, Gray's work captures the character and movement of animals while paying close attention to the light and weather of their environments.
AVA 100 | 2026 Members Exhibition
Association for Visual Arts Gallery, 35 Church Street
The Association for Visual Arts brings its community of artists together for the AVA 100 | 2026 Members Exhibition.
The return of the members exhibition is part of the organisation's efforts to build a tangible community around its membership, with the AVA Gallery continuing its long history as a space for artists. The gallery at 35 Church Street has been part of Cape Town's art scene for more than 55 years.
Catching
Chuma Adam and Siyabonga Fani at 99 Loop Gallery, 99 Loop Street
Catching brings together abstract paintings by Chuma Adam and fired clay vessels by Siyabonga Fani.
The new duo exhibition explores ideas of embodied practice, nature and selfhood, bringing together painting and ceramics to examine these themes through different forms and materials.
The exhibition will be on display until October 24.
A World of Wonder
Tara Deacon at Ground Art Caffé, 160 Strand Street
Step into a world of fantasy, play and humour with Tara Deacon's A World of Wonder.
The collection features original paintings centred around editorial and print works created for the Philharmonie Luxembourg's 2024/25 children's programme. Drawing inspiration from stories including The Snow Queen, Robin Hood and Pinocchio, Deacon's illustrations were created to accompany music, storytelling and musical theatre.
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