The Newtown Cultural Precinct, located in the heart of the bustling city of Johannesburg, has become the cultural hub of the destination.
Newtown wasn’t always as vibrant and charming. It was in a dilapidated state some years ago. However, Johannesburg Metropolitan started making improvements and revived the area by implementing the iGoli 2000 programme. The goal was to turn Newtown into the creative capital of the city and the efforts seem to have paid off. Today, renowned art galleries, cosy coffee shops, restaurants, and many other tourist trappings dot Newtown Cultural Precinct.
Newtown definitely has a unique, colourful character of its own. Take a look.
A Festive Atmosphere
The culturally and ethnically diverse people here celebrate festivals from all around the world with great pomp and show. From the splendid fireworks during Diwali to the huge fire-breathing dragons during Chinese New Year and from Queen’s samba on the Nelson Mandela Bridge during Gay Pride to the merry festivities of the Joy and Jazz Festival of Newtown – every festival here is celebrated with great passion! Some of the other exciting festivals hosted here include SA Fashion Week, the Africa Day, Arts Alive, and the Dance Umbrella.
Places of Interest
Newtown is full of art galleries, museums, live music venues, restaurants and bars. Some of the famous landmarks of Newtown Cultural Precinct are the Market Theatre, Museum Africa, and Gramadoelas Restaurant. These culturally diverse spots have been infused together to form a multicultural enclave. Other popular places here are SAB World of Beer, Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and the Oriental Plaza.
A Warm Welcoming Vibe
You will definitely feel the friendly vibe of acceptance and harmony here. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that Newtown Cultural Precinct follows a colour-blind approach towards race. After all, right since the middle of the twentieth century, Newtown has been the place of refuge for artists, rebels, revolutionary leaders, musicians, dancers and poets, who expressed their sentiments through various arts during the Apartheid.
