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NATIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE AWARDS (NACA) 2026 - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS New
Closing Date
17 July 2026
Current Event
the Kippies Fringe 2026
10 July - 6 Dec 2026
The Market Theatre is proud to announce the return of the Kippies Fringe, curated for the second year running by The Art Cave (Philangezwi Nxumalo and Tebogo Malapane). The 2026 programme – which unfolds from July to December 2026 at Kippies – promises a bold and dynamic fringe offering that engages multiple generations, themes and communities.
This year’s iteration, in the 50th year of The Market Theatre, marks a significant milestone for The Art Cave, while reaffirming The Market Theatre’s commitment to bridging access, empowering up-and-coming storytellers and developing new audiences.
Current Event
Prejudice and Privilege Collide in Amy Jephta’s A GOOD HOUSE
6 - 30 Aug 2026
The Market Theatre presents A Good House, a thrilling and comedic hit play written and directed by award-winning contemporary playwright, writer and director, Amy Jephta.
The play first premiered at the Royal Court Theatre and Bristol Old Vic (United Kingdom) in 2025 in association with The Market Theatre, where it earned rave reviews for being a “superb social satire” (The Guardian) that is “excruciatingly funny” (Financial Times) in its “worthy exploration of prejudice and privilege” (LondonTheatre).
This internationally acclaimed South African play of biting satire now arrives in Jo’burg as a fully home-grown production, running from 6 – 30 August 2026 at The Market Theatre.
Upcoming Event
Kaza Kamba Returns for 3rd Iteration at The Market Theatre
20-23 Aug 2026
The Kaza Kamba Pan African Theatre Festival returns to The Market from 20 – 23 August 2026. This partnership between mehlo-maya (eye-to-the-sun) and The Market Theatre is in its third year and is quickly growing into being “one of the most defining and deserving festivals of our time with a slant on Pan Africanism”, according to Daves Guzha, well-known Zimbabwean theatre producer.
The theme for this third iteration is Memory Against Forgetting, and is based on the Milan Kundera quotation – “struggle of memory against forgetting" – from his novel, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. This inspiration from the book balances the lightness of living without the weight of the past, with the weight and responsibility of remembering. In South Africa this rings very sharply as we navigate a particularly difficult time in our relationship to our continent.
Upcoming Event
CROWNED: THE COMEDY SHUTDOWN – LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!
29 August 2026
The Market Theatre Sets the Stage for Comedy’s Finest to Battle It Out for the R20 000 Prize and
the Crown
The Market Theatre in partnership with EyeUnderM Productions, powered by the City of Joburg's Arts Alive, present CROWNED: The Comedy Shutdown - Reloaded, the knockout comedy battle even bigger and better than before.
The event originally scheduled for 7 August 2026, the battle will now resume on Saturday, 29 August 2026. Tickets already purchased remain valid for the new date, and organisers thank patrons and partners for their understanding.
On Saturday, 29 August 2026, doors open at 18h30 at the John Kani Theatre at the Market Theatre, as South Africa's most established comedic voices go head-to-head with the country's sharpest rising talent in a battle for R20,000 and crowned overall winner.
Upcoming Event
Cradle of Creativity Festival 2026: Where Imagination Takes Centre Stage
31 Aug - 06 Sep 2026
ASSITEJ South Africa proudly presents the return season of the Cradle of Creativity Festival, running from 31 August to 6 September 2026 at The Market Theatre. This second iteration of the festival aims to bring world-class theatrical experiences for children and young audiences, creating an art-conscious society while developing the next generation of theatre-goers.
Cradle of Creativity is the country's only international festival dedicated to theatre and the performing arts for children and young people. Since its origins in hosting the ASSITEJ World Congress in 2017, the festival has become a major platform for artistic excellence, international collaboration, audience development and professional exchange, showcasing the very best work from South Africa across Africa and around the world.
Upcoming Event
The Fourth JOMBA! @ The Market Theatre Celebrates World-class Contemporary Dance
09 - 12 Sep 2026
Following the 28th edition of the Centre for Creative Arts’s JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience in Durban, the acclaimed festival expands access to groundbreaking contemporary dance by bringing a selection of the JOMBA! festival's most celebrated productions to Johannesburg audiences. The carefully curated four-night season celebrates exceptional contemporary dance. Running from 9–12 September 2026, the programme features African and European internationally acclaimed artists and companies alongside two of South Africa's most influential choreographic voices.
Opening this 4th iteration of JOMBA! @ The Market Theatre is the extraordinary HEROES, presented by the acclaimed Dutch company Introdans in collaboration with Uganda's Joseph Tebandeke and Durban's FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY. This remarkable programme spans celebrated choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich, including new South African choreography by Zinhle Nzama.
Upcoming Event
Suzie Miller’s PRIMA FACIE premiers in South Africa
17 Sep - 04 Oct 2026
How Now Brown Cow in association with The Market Theatre presents the South African premiere of Suzie Miller’s award-winning Prima Facie, directed by celebrated theatre maker Neil Coppen (Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater; Animal Farm; Tin Bucket Drum).
It will run from 16 Sept – 4 Oct 2026 at The Market Theatre.
Danica De La Rey Jones (Hunting Jessica Brok; Unseen; For Colored Girls) performs the role of Tessa, a brilliant young barrister who climbs her way up from working class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning. Tessa believes in the legal system, until a brutal attack turns her world upside down as she navigates the very same system she once championed. Now put on trial herself, re-traumatised through her cross-examination, she finds herself questioning everything she believed about justice.
Upcoming Event
The Jury Experience
31 Oct 2026
Step into the world of justice with The Jury Experience, where you become the jury in a live, interactive trial. This immersive courtroom drama challenges you to examine witness testimonies, cross-examine key players, and assess forensic evidence, all while live actors present compelling arguments in front of a cinematic screen.
As you engage with the case, you’ll make decisions at pivotal moments, with your final vote determining the fate of the accused: guilty or innocent.
Upcoming Event
Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty
01 Nov 2026
⭐ Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty has arrived in Johannesburg! This beloved tale is brought to life with classical dance, stunning choreography, and beautiful glow-in-the-dark costumes. Get your tickets for Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show in Johannesburg!
Highlights
🩰 Six incredible local dancers light up the stage
✨ Glow-in-the-dark costumes transform every movement into a radiant display
Upcoming Event
The Word N Sound Poetry League
11 April - 13 Dec 2026
The Word N Sound Poetry League is one of South Africa’s leading spoken word platforms, bringing together emerging and established poets in a vibrant live slam series. For over a decade, it has been a home for bold voices, powerful performance, and poetic excellence.
Now in Season 12, the League runs monthly from April to November 2026, creating a journey of competition, creativity, and community, before culminating in December with the Word N Sound Poetry Festival, a three-day celebration of spoken word and live literature.
NEWS
The Market Theatre’s 50th Birthday Weekend: A Celebration of the South African Story
19 June – Sunday, 21 June 2026
The Market Theatre Foundation is excited to announce The Market Theatre’s 50th birthday weekend celebrations, running from Friday, 19 June – Sunday, 21 June 2026 at The Market Theatre in Newtown. The anniversary festival will comprise a special performance entitled “Let’s Meet at The Market”, exhibitions, surprise appearances, a wall with the names of people who have shaped the Theatre, talks as well as a brand new play acknowledging the historic week in which the theatre opened in June, 1976.
Each of these activities stand as a touchpoint inviting audiences to feel and be a part of the Theatre’s 50-year-strong internationally renowned legacy.
Skin We Are In – 3rd Term Tour
The thought-provoking school production Skin We Are In returns from 3–27 August, bringing powerful conversations about race, identity and belonging to young audiences. Through storytelling, music and audience interaction, the play encourages empathy and challenges misconceptions about skin colour. For school bookings and enquiries, contact Anthony Ezeoke (Audience Development Specialist) at AnthonyE@markettheatre.co.za or 083 246 4950.
