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South Africa🇿🇦 | attractionsMarket TheatreProtest-era plays, Newtown precinct, Laboratory stage, Kippies jazz | things to do and best time to go

Explore Baxter Theatre CentreExplore Johannesburg Art Gallery

Backpacking in Market Theatre
👌 Worth visitingattraction ranked #15
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

Market Theatre is where apartheid-era South Africa got shouted at from the stage, and that history is why people come. What gets overlooked is the Newtown cultural precinct around it: galleries, a Sunday flea market at Mary Fitzgerald Square, and live jazz nearby. It sits in Newtown, on the western edge of central Johannesburg in South Africa. Crowds are thin, and tickets are cheap next to Broadway prices. I picked up the printed season programme at the box office and planned my whole evening around it, and you can too. Book the show in advance and arrive before dark.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 South Africa Travel Guide.


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✨ Why go?
Ranked #15 attraction in South AfricaWhy visitors keep coming back

Market Theatre matters because of what was staged here when staging it was dangerous. Opened in 1976, it was one of the few venues in the country that defied apartheid by hosting racially mixed casts and audiences, and Athol Fugard’s work premiered on these boards. Seeing a play in that same Main Theatre gives you context no museum label can match. It also anchors a short walk of Johannesburg sights, with Museum Africa and the Newtown cultural precinct close by. For a traveler building a route through the country, it is the best place to hear living South African voices rather than only reading about them, and tickets cost far less than comparable theater at home.

💡 HighlightsThe experiences that define the visit

  1. Main Theatre: the 500-seat house where landmark protest-era plays opened. A performance here is the main event.
  2. Laboratory Theatre: a small black-box space for experimental and new local writing, close enough to see actors’ faces up close.
  3. Barney Simon Theatre: an intimate venue named for the co-founder, often hosting emerging playwrights and festival work.
  4. The old Indian Fruit and Produce Market building: the 1913 structure itself, with its high brick walls and iron work, converted into a theater.
  5. Market Photo Workshop: the photography school and gallery founded by David Goldblatt, with free exhibitions of South African photographers.
  6. Kippies Jazz Club: live jazz in the precinct, named for saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi, good for a post-show drink.
  7. Mary Fitzgerald Square: the open plaza outside, used
… read more 👉
  1. Main Theatre: the 500-seat house where landmark protest-era plays opened. A performance here is the main event.
  2. Laboratory Theatre: a small black-box space for experimental and new local writing, close enough to see actors’ faces up close.
  3. Barney Simon Theatre: an intimate venue named for the co-founder, often hosting emerging playwrights and festival work.
  4. The old Indian Fruit and Produce Market building: the 1913 structure itself, with its high brick walls and iron work, converted into a theater.
  5. Market Photo Workshop: the photography school and gallery founded by David Goldblatt, with free exhibitions of South African photographers.
  6. Kippies Jazz Club: live jazz in the precinct, named for saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi, good for a post-show drink.
  7. Mary Fitzgerald Square: the open plaza outside, used for concerts and gatherings, with street art and Mandela-era history around it.
Start with a show in the Main Theatre, because the stage history is the reason the place exists and everything else in the precinct is a good follow-up.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do around Market Theatre

Pretoria,Johannesburg,soweto & Apartheid Museum tour

Pretoria,Johannesburg,soweto & Apartheid Museum tour

5.0(60) 9h
From €147
per personViator
Johannesburg: Hot Air Balloon Flight along Magalies Valley

Johannesburg: Hot Air Balloon Flight along Magalies Valley

5.0(39) 5h
From €320
per personViator
Exploring Johannesburg through Skateboarding - incl. skate lesson for beginners!

Exploring Johannesburg through Skateboarding - incl. skate lesson for beginners!

5.0(35) 3h
From €50
per personViator
Johannesburg and Soweto Tour (6-7 hours)

Johannesburg and Soweto Tour (6-7 hours)

5.0(35) 7h
From €108
per personViator
Elephant Sanctuary Tour from Johannesburg

Elephant Sanctuary Tour from Johannesburg

5.0(30) 5h
From €274
per personViator
4-Day Kruger National Park Safari from Johannesburg

4-Day Kruger National Park Safari from Johannesburg

5.0(26) 96h
From €1,818
per personViator
Exclusive Classic Flight for Two

Exclusive Classic Flight for Two

5.0(25) 3h
From €292
per personViator
Full-Day Soweto Apartheid Museum and Lunch

Full-Day Soweto Apartheid Museum and Lunch

5.0(21) 8h
From €116
per personViator
4 Day Dumela Tented Camp at Kruger National Park

4 Day Dumela Tented Camp at Kruger National Park

5.0(21) 96h
From €828
per personViator
Soweto & Apartheid Museum Tour

Soweto & Apartheid Museum Tour

5.0(21) 5h
From €139
per personViator

Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?Seasonal considerations and timing

  • Dry Winter (May to August): Clear, sunny days of 17 to 21°C (63 to 70°F), but nights drop to 3 to 7°C (37 to 45°F). Evening shows mean a proper jacket. Daylight runs roughly 10.5 hours.
  • Hot Wet Summer (November to March): Highs of 25 to 28°C (77 to 82°F) with afternoon thunderstorms that usually clear by evening. Days stretch to about 14 hours.
  • Shoulder Months (April, September, October): Mild 20 to 25°C (68 to 77°F), dry, and the easiest for walking Newtown.
  • Festival and Holiday Periods: December and the national arts festival seasons bring busier shows and higher Johannesburg bed prices.
Book popular evening performances a week ahead and check the Saturday flea market schedule before planning your day.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: good for travelingMARMarch: good for travelingAPRApril: highly recommended for travelingMAYMay: excellent for travelingJUNJune: excellent for travelingJULJuly: excellent for travelingAUGAugust: excellent for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: good for travelingNOVNovember: good for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
when-to-go

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🛏️ Where to stay?Choosing the right base

Maboneng, about 3 km east of Market Theatre, is the best base for backpackers. It has the densest cluster of hostels, rooftop bars, street art and Sunday markets, and plenty of other travelers to share rides with. Daytime walking is fine, and the Maboneng Precinct has security guards on the streets. Braamfontein, roughly 2 km north, suits solo travelers who like a student-town feel, with cheap cafes, bars and the university nearby. It is also close to Park Station for onward buses. Newtown itself has few beds, but staying here puts you steps from the theatre. In every area, take an Uber or Bolt … read more 👉
Maboneng, about 3 km east of Market Theatre, is the best base for backpackers. It has the densest cluster of hostels, rooftop bars, street art and Sunday markets, and plenty of other travelers to share rides with. Daytime walking is fine, and the Maboneng Precinct has security guards on the streets. Braamfontein, roughly 2 km north, suits solo travelers who like a student-town feel, with cheap cafes, bars and the university nearby. It is also close to Park Station for onward buses. Newtown itself has few beds, but staying here puts you steps from the theatre. In every area, take an Uber or Bolt after dark rather than walking, even for short hops between venues.
Best hostels in South Africa


Best quality hotels in South Africa

👛 Costs (as of 22 October 2026)Money, prices, and spending tips

Market Theatre costs a backpacker about US$14 to 22 a day, with the show ticket being the main variable. The Total Daily Budget below assumes a dorm bed in high season.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm bed (high season)US$14 to 22Maboneng and Braamfontein hostels, cheaper in winter at US$10 to 16
Theatre ticketUS$8 to 25Prices depend on the production; the foyer and flea market are free
Guided precinct tourUS$10 to 20Optional walking tours of Newtown and nearby sites
Food and drinksUS$8 to 15Market stalls and casual cafes nearby, paid in rand
TransportUS$5 to 10Uber or Bolt short rides cost US$2 to 5 each
Total Daily BudgetUS$45 to 92Roughly US$70 for a typical day
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

FAQFrequently asked questions about Market Theatre

Plan on 2 to 3 hours for Market Theatre if you are seeing a show and browsing the foyer and cafes. Add a morning for the Saturday flea market and nearby Newtown sights such as the Mary Fitzgerald Square and the Bridge. A full day covers the area comfortably.
Market Theatre is worth paying for if you book a live production, since tickets run roughly US$8 to 25 and the venue has a long history of anti-apartheid stage work. Wandering the foyer, gallery and surroundings costs nothing. Pick a show with local casts for the most distinctive evening.
Take an Uber or Bolt from Maboneng or Braamfontein, a 10 to 15 minute ride costing about US$3 to 6. Johannesburg Park Station is roughly 1.5 km away, and Gautrain connects to Park Station from OR Tambo airport in about 35 minutes. Avoid walking at night and arrange a ride back before the show ends.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other South African attractions near Market Theatre

Explore more nearby:

  • Origins Centre—75,000-year-old ochre, San rock art, click languages, Wits campus| 1 km away
  • Johannesburg Art Gallery—Lutyens facade, Rodin and Monet, protest-era rooms, Joubert Park chess| 1 km away
  • Constitution Hill—Old Fort cells, Constitutional Court, Number Four, Gandhi's cell| 2 km away

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We 💚 feedbackIs it worth it?

Market Theatre has a photography school and gallery in the same precinct, and first-timers often walk straight past it. I would give it twenty minutes before your show, since the exhibitions are free and the images explain the plays better than any program note.

✈️ When did I visit South Africa?
I have visited South Africa, before and after my Zimbabwe trip in 2001.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in South Africa, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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