Tokyo has its karaoke bars. Athens has its taverns. Cape Town has First Thursdays. What started as a free monthly initiative to encourage locals to visit art galleries and cultural centres after dark has now morphed into an institution of sorts.
Inspired by similar events in London, co-founders Gareth Pearson and Michael Tymbios wanted to put a unique spin on the event. In a 2015 post on Medium, Pearson said that the premise behind the concept was for art galleries and other cultural attractions within a walkable area to stay open late on the first Thursday of every month.
The duo explained: “The very first edition in November 2012 included just six spots on the map, one being a little pop-up exhibition we threw together in an empty retail space.”
These days, First Thursdays is a whole lot more than walking Bree Street. It’s the infectious spirit of a city that plays hard.
How about injecting excitement into the work week with Time Out Cape Town’s ultimate guide to First Thursdays, aka Fake Friday in Cape Town?
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