Archives: Venues

Opened in 2019 as a partnership between the University of Pretoria and the Javett Foundation, the Javett Art Centre (Javett-UP) combines both institutions’ art collections under one roof. Construction began in 2016, and the finished building, designed by architect Pieter Matthews, includes nine distinct exhibition spaces, among them a striking gallery built inside a bridge structure spanning Lynnwood Road. Its inaugural exhibition brought together around 100 South African artworks drawn from private and public collections, and it’s especially known for housing part of the Mapungubwe collection, including the famous Golden Rhino, alongside West African gold artefacts. Positioned as accessible to students and the public alike, it offers guided tours and discounted entry for pensioners, children and school groups, making it a strong venue for exhibitions, talks and cultural events.

Opened in August 1962 as the Johannesburg Civic Theatre, funded partly by money originally earmarked for a Union of South Africa anniversary celebration Johannesburg had been excluded from hosting, the venue operated as whites-only under apartheid law before undergoing a major renovation, reportedly around R120 million, between 1987 and 1992. It was rebranded Joburg Theatre in 2009 and now houses four separate theatres, its main auditorium, the Nelson Mandela Theatre, seating just over 1,000 people and reportedly the only theatre in the world named after Mandela. The complex also includes dance studios with public viewing windows and a sculpture titled ‘The Playmakers,’ and it remains one of Johannesburg’s flagship venues for musicals, ballet, opera and large-scale productions.

Opened in 1981 on the site of Pretoria’s old market square, the South African State Theatre was built for the Performing Arts Council of Transvaal and is often billed as the largest theatre complex in Africa, covering roughly 72,000 square metres. It has grown from its original four venues to six, the Opera, Drama, Arena, Studio, Momentum and Rendezvous theatres, with combined seating for around 2,700 people. The complex briefly carried a sponsor’s name in 1999 before closing in 2000 amid financial troubles, reopening in April 2001 under its current identity. Today it remains one of Pretoria’s premier venues for opera, drama, dance and large events, hosting everything from touring productions to community and corporate functions across its many stages.

Owned by the City of Tshwane, Giant Stadium in Soshanguve was upgraded to FIFA standards in 2009 and served as a training base and public-viewing site during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Originally planned for around 45,000 seats, only the western pavilion, premium seating and media facilities were ever completed, leaving it with a working capacity of about 18,000. It’s home to Vodacom League sides JDR Stars FC and Soshanguve Sunshine FC, and regularly hosts Tshwane Regional Football Association fixtures across various age groups, making it a key community sporting venue on the northern edge of Pretoria.

Run by Sun International roughly 30 kilometres east of Johannesburg, Carnival City is a casino, hotel and entertainment complex whose gaming floor holds more than 1,750 slot machines and 60 gaming tables. The on-site Carnival Club Hotel offers around 105 rooms, with an adjoining Road Lodge adding nearly 100 more, and the complex also includes a Ster-Kinekor cinema, several restaurants, a kids’ arcade and rides area, conference and banqueting rooms, a swimming pool and the adjacent Carnival Mall. Positioned as a family-friendly entertainment and gaming destination close to OR Tambo International Airport, it draws visitors for everything from casino nights to conferences, concerts and family days out.

Established in 1982 as the Transvaal National Botanic Garden on land handed over by the Krugersdorp town council, and opened to the public in 1987, this garden was later renamed after Walter Sisulu. It spans about 300 hectares across three natural vegetation zones and shelters more than 600 indigenous plant species. Its centrepiece is the Witpoortjie waterfall, which tumbles over the Roodekrans ridge, and the garden is also home to a breeding pair of Verreaux’s (black) eagles, viewable from a bird hide overlooking a small dam. With a restaurant and gift shop on site, it’s often ranked among the most scenic botanical gardens anywhere, and its open lawns and dramatic backdrop make it a popular setting for outdoor concerts, weddings and events.

Opened on 25 May 2012, Soweto Theatre was the first professionally equipped theatre built inside a South African township, commissioned by the City of Johannesburg and designed by architecture firm Afritects at a cost of around R150 million. Its exterior, built from bold red, blue and yellow blocks, has often been likened to giant Lego pieces, and it houses three auditoria, the 436-seat Red Theatre (the largest), the 120-seat Blue Theatre and the 80-seat Yellow Theatre, along with indoor and outdoor foyer spaces. Its opening production, ‘The Suitcase,’ was based on a story by Es’kia Mphahlele with music by Hugh Masekela and choreography by Gregory Maqoma. Before the venue existed, local theatre companies had to make do with community halls, so its arrival gave Soweto a proper home for drama, music and dance in the heart of the Jabulani precinct.

Opened on 30 November 2001 at a build cost of roughly R1.6 billion, Montecasino recreates a medieval Tuscan village, complete with a painted ‘Piazza’ ceiling that simulates the sky shifting from daylight to dusk. Named after the Italian abbey town of Monte Cassino, the complex draws more than 9 million visitors a year and includes a casino floor, the Palazzo hotel, cinemas, restaurants and a bird garden. Its Teatro theatre, which opened in 2007 at a cost of more than R100 million, seats around 1,870 people, making it one of the largest theatres in South Africa and a major stop for touring musicals, comedy and concerts. Between its scale, theming and entertainment offering, Montecasino has become one of Johannesburg’s most recognisable event and leisure destinations.

Run by Tsogo Sun on the banks of the Vaal River, Emerald Resort & Casino is marketed as the main family entertainment destination in the Vaal Triangle. Alongside its casino floor and hotel, it offers an all-weather indoor water park (the Aquadome), an Animal World zoo and aquarium with game drives, river cruises aboard the boat ‘Lady Elizabeth,’ a spa, mini-golf, wall climbing, padel courts and bowling. That mix of gaming, leisure and family activities makes it a popular destination for the surrounding Vaal industrial towns, functioning equally well as a weekend getaway, a conference venue and a spot for larger events and functions.

Opened in 2000 as Caesars Gauteng before being taken over and rebranded Emperors Palace under Peermont, this Kempton Park resort borrows loosely from classical Rome and Egypt in its theming, with venues carrying names like the Theatre of Marcellus, Pharaoh’s Bar and Queen of the Nile Buffet. Its gaming floor covers roughly 188,000 square feet with around 1,700 slot machines and 68 table games, including live poker, while four on-site hotels, the Metcourt, D’Oreale Grande, Mondior and Metcourt Suites, total about 670 rooms. The resort also has a cinema, a kids’ entertainment area, spa services and hosts conventions, comedy shows and concerts, running 24 hours with free entry. Its location near OR Tambo International Airport makes it a convenient stop for both locals and travellers looking for gaming, dining or a show.