Heritage Day 2026: Things to do in Gauteng over the long weekend
· Citizen
This week is the shortest of the season, as Heritage Day falls on Thursday, 24 September. It’s a potential four-day weekend, and all it takes is a day’s leave on Friday for a break of note.
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And, if you’re not planning on joining the political slap-on-the-back festival circuit, there’s plenty more interesting things to do than listen to promises for November’s poll.
Instead, there are festivals, markets and live music, chess, museums, history, art and enough to keep the kids occupied while grown-ups recover from the braai and its national drink, Klippies and Coke.
GoWest! returns to the West Rand
GoWest! is back after a long absence, with its main festival taking over Coronation Park in Mogale City on Saturday, 26 September. The line-up includes Kwesta, Mdu, Big Zulu, Nhlanhla Mafu, Musa, Lwa Ndlunkulu, Trompies, Rethabile Khumalo, The Voshorist and Thobani White.
When: Saturday, 26 September
Where: Coronation Park, Mogale City
Trompies will be live at the GoWest festival. Picture SuppliedHunt for something old in Irene
Pretoria’s Vintage and Decor Show will see more than 120 stallholders descend on Irene Village Mall on Heritage Day with vintage jewellery, clothing, collectables and décor. Artisanal food stalls and food trucks will also be on hand when treasure hunting turns into hunger.
Kids have outdoor space to burn off some energy; the venue is wheelchair-friendly, and pets are welcome on a leash. Entry is free.
When: Thursday, 24 September, 9am to 7pm
Where: Irene Village Mall, Centurion
Make a weekend of it at Fourways Mall
Fourways Mall is stretching Heritage Day into a weekend on its Level 7 rooftop. Friday brings its night market with food, shopping, entertainment and activities for children, while Saturday’s Fourways Improvement District Community Day puts local talent and businesses in the spotlight.
Sunday rounds things off with a Game Day Market and rugby screening, alongside food, drinks and kids’ entertainment.
When: Friday, 25 September, 4pm to 10pm; Saturday, 26 September, 10am to 4pm; Sunday, 27 September
Where: Level 7 Rooftop Parking, Fourways Mall
Cost: Friday R20, with under-12s free; Saturday free; Sunday from R50
Chess tournaments aplenty this weekend. Picture iStockPlay chess on Heritage Day
Heritage Day is not only about music, food and markets. Chess, which is making a major comeback, sees several tournaments take place over the long weekend.
Johannesburg Metro Chess hosts the CPH Heritage Day Open at the Mint Hotel in Randburg on 24 September. Prestige and A divisions start at 8am, followed by divisions B to E at 8.30am. Five rounds will be played at 50 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move.
Tshwane Chess also has its 2026 Clash Open Team Tournament scheduled for Heritage Day.
On Saturday, the action moves to Midrand, where the Midrand Rapid Open starts at 10am. Players face seven rounds at 15 minutes plus five seconds per move, with entry at R300.
Sedibeng Chess also hosts its Chess in the Vaal Blitz and Doubles Tournament from 8am, with nine rounds of ChessSA-rated blitz and cash prizes on offer.
Spend a day at Gold Reef City
There’s a lot more to Gold Reef City Theme Park than rollercoasters, although the Tower of Terror, Anaconda, Golden Loop, and 14 thrill rides may not be heritage activities; it’s about fun. There are nine family rides and 20 rides for children, but visitors can also head 75 metres underground on a mine tour, watch a gold pour demonstration and explore museums housed in historic buildings.
There is also a 4D cinema, mini golf and other attractions, making this an easy full-day option for families who want something beyond a Heritage Day event.
Where: Northern Parkway, Johannesburg South
Joburg’s rich history. Go underground at Gold Reef City. Picture: SuppliedTake the kids to meet Mrs Ples
Pretoria’s Ditsong National Museum of Natural History dates back to 1892 and offers a rather different way to spend the public holiday. Its collections include hominid fossils from the Cradle of Humankind, including the famous Mrs Ples skull, alongside mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians, invertebrates, skeletons and preserved specimens.
When: Daily, 7.30am to 4pm
Where: 432 Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria
Sing and paint at Constitution Hill
Soweto Pride’s Sing & Paint programme comes to Constitution Hill on Heritage Day and combines art, music and storytelling with the history of Pride activism. The intergenerational event includes handmade Pride signage, songs and a pop-up Soweto Pride Archive exhibition, with the programme running from 10am to 4pm.
Constitution Hill is also offering free admission on Heritage Day, with the first 100 self-guided tour tickets free.
When: Thursday, 24 September, 10am to 4pm
Where: Constitution Hill, 11 Kotze Street, Johannesburg
Paint instead of braai
Irene Farm’s Heritage Day Watercolour Workshop offers a quieter alternative with a step-by-step session creating a Strelitzia painting. It is suitable for anyone aged 16 and older, and online booking is required.
When: Thursday, 24 September, 9.30am
Where: Irene Farm, Nellmapius Road, Irene, Centurion
Fans dressed as characters from movies, fantasy, sci-fi, and pop culture during Day 1 of Comic Con Africa at Joburg Expo Centre on August 28, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Comic Con Africa is the continent’s largest multi-genre pop culture, cosplay, gaming, and fan festival. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)Pair biltong with wine
Eighteen13 at Cedar Square is pairing two rather South African pleasures instead.
Its Heritage Day tasting matches local wines with different types of biltong, with guests also taken through why particular wines work with different flavours and textures. Sessions take place at 11am and 1pm, with the standard pairing costing R150 per person.
When: Thursday, 24 September, 11am or 1pm
Where: Eighteen13, Cedar Square, Fourways
Cost: From R150 per person
Turn a museum into a cultural festival
The Kulture Factory Heritage Festival takes over the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria on Saturday. Instead of simply walking through exhibits, the event aims to turn the museum into a live cultural space with music, art exhibitions, storytelling, local fashion, and food.
When: Saturday, 26 September, from noon
Where: Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History, Pretoria Central
Explore our heritage and architecture
The Gauteng Institute for Architecture’s Heritage Family Tour offers another way to see one of Johannesburg’s best-known museums.
Taking place on Saturday morning, the tour combines architecture and history in a family-focused exploration of the Apartheid Museum. Visitors who want to make a broader heritage day of it can also head into Soweto to visit the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Vilakazi Street.
When: Saturday, 26 September, 9am
Where: Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef Road, Ormonde
Comic Con Africa
Heritage weekend also coincides with Comic Con Africa, which runs from Thursday to Sunday at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec.
It is four days of comics, gaming, anime, cosplay, celebrity appearances, esports, artists and merchandise, with programming changing across the weekend. Tickets start from R250 a day.
When: Thursday, 24 September to Sunday, 27 September
Where: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec
Cost: From R250