Johannesburg’s inner city is preparing for another day of connection, creativity and community as Main Street Sundays returns after a hugely successful debut that drew thousands of people into the CBD.
Johannesburg, South Africa (17 June 2026) – Main Street Sundays is back!!! After a hugely successful debut in April that drew more than 5,000 people into the heart of the Johannesburg CBD, the much-loved initiative returns on Sunday, the 21st of June, transforming Main Street in Marshalltown into a colourful, people-first playground once again.
For one day, cars will step aside and people will take centre stage.
Update (21 June 2026): Rain Delays Main Street Sundays as Organisers Look Ahead to August
What started as an invitation to experience the city differently became something much bigger. The first event turned a busy urban corridor into a place where families strolled together, children played freely, cyclists and skaters claimed the road, artists painted in the open air and strangers connected over a shared appreciation for the city around them.
And the response was overwhelming. People spoke about rediscovering Johannesburg. About seeing parts of the city they had forgotten. About feeling a sense of pride that had perhaps been buried beneath years of headlines and assumptions.
Now, Jozi My Jozi, Young Urbanists, the City of Joburg and Joburg Tourism are bringing it all back for another unforgettable Sunday.
“We invite everyone to come out and experience the inner city as a car-free zone for a day,” says Dawn Robertson, Visitor and Creative Economy Catalyst at Jozi My Jozi.
“A day where pedestrians, cyclists, prams, wheelchairs and skaters have total right-of-way, making it a safe, open playground for families. It’s not a commercial event, there’s no rush to get to a stage or a performance, it’s essentially about human connection. Main Street Sundays is a chance to meet Jozi at a chilled, walking pace. Not with one eye over your shoulder or through a window inside your locked car.”
From 44 Main Street all the way to Gandhi Square, the route will be packed with activities designed to celebrate everything that makes Johannesburg unique.
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Visitors can wander through a Zen and wellness zone featuring yoga sessions, urban sketchers and silent book clubs, browse creative maker markets, explore a walkable art mile, enjoy vintage and vinyl stalls, tuck into delicious food offerings and discover live acoustic performances along the route. Families will find plenty to keep little ones entertained too. Play Africa will bring its interactive children’s museum experience into the street, alongside games, graffiti walls and hands-on activities designed to spark imagination and curiosity. For those who prefer to stay active, dedicated lanes will be reserved for walking, cycling, roller-skating, skateboarding, prams and strollers, creating a safe environment where movement becomes part of the experience.
Journalist Gus Silber perhaps captured the spirit of the first event best when reflecting on what unfolded in April.
“People played ping pong right in the middle of the street,” he wrote. “Kids and grownups skateboarded down a ramp. Artists grabbed their brushes and dabbed a circle of bright colours on an intersection. Gone was the chorus of hooting and tooting; in its place, saxophones and trumpets serenaded the walkers who for once walked at their own leisurely pace, taking their time to reclaim the streets of a city that belongs to its foot soldiers too.”
Beyond the activities, Main Street Sundays is helping to reshape how people engage with Johannesburg itself. By filling the route with volunteers, marshals, JMPD officers and emergency services personnel, organisers are intentionally creating an environment where people can experience the CBD with confidence and comfort.
“It’s an open street vibe – so relax, there’s no rush,” says Robertson. “Think of the street as one long delicious fiesta that goes from yoga to hip-hop, skateboarding and cycling to food, design, art and craft.”
For Roland Postma, Managing Director of Young Urbanists, the impact reaches even further.
“If we want Jozi to work, we must start with its streets. Because once you change the street, you change the city. And once you change the city, you change the country.”
There are plenty of ways to get there too. Visitors can park at nearby garages, catch the Gautrain to Park Station and use the free shuttle service, or even turn it into a Father’s Day adventure by hopping aboard the City Sightseeing Red Bus from Rosebank.
But perhaps the most powerful reason to attend has little to do with markets, music, food or activities… it’s about seeing Johannesburg differently.
“Main Street Sundays is about restoring Johannesburg’s soul,” says Robertson. “When we close the streets to cars and open them to community – to families, to artists, to cyclists and skaters, to vendors – we remind people that this city is theirs. It always has been. We want everyone who walks down that street on Sunday to feel something shift inside them. To remember why they fell in love with this city in the first place.”
Maybe that’s what Main Street Sundays is really about. Not closing a road but opening a door. One that invites us to rediscover Johannesburg, together, and remember just how much possibility lives in its streets.
Update (21 June 2026): Rain Delays Main Street Sundays as Organisers Look Ahead to August
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