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Johannesburg’s underground nightlife calendar is already packed, but this January, there’s a new name to pay attention to. Sheer City lands in Joburg for a one-night-only takeover on Friday, 23 January 2026, following its debut two-day block party in downtown Cape Town.
The event takes over Club AM and Carfax, teaming up with VNJ BALL, one of the city’s most important forces in inclusive nightlife and ballroom culture. The result? A late-night, multi-room experience rooted in electronic music, queer expression, and the kind of dancefloor energy Joburg does better than most.
What is Sheer City?
According to the creators, Sheer City is a nightlife concept built around a return to rave culture at its most essential: strong selectors, curious crowds, and dancefloors shaped by community rather than spectacle. The Joburg edition strips things back into a high-energy club night, designed for people who care as much about who’s on the floor as who’s behind the decks.
Running from 8 pm till late, the night brings together a mix of international and local electronic music heavyweights. Cinthie (Germany), Make A Dance (UK), and Esa (SA/UK) headline, delivering a blend of house, techno and left-field club sounds that sit comfortably between peak-time euphoria and after-hours release.
Why VNJ BALL matters
At the heart of the Johannesburg edition is its collaboration with VNJ BALL, a collective that has played a key role in shaping the city’s queer and ballroom-driven nightlife culture.
For the uninitiated, ballroom is a cultural movement that originated in Black and Latinx queer communities in New York in the late 20th century. It centres on performance, competition and self-expression through categories like voguing, runway and realness, offering a space where marginalised identities can be seen, celebrated and affirmed. In Joburg, ballroom has evolved into something uniquely local, influencing how people move, dress and show up on dancefloors.
For this night, VNJ BALL brings together some of the city’s most respected underground collectives, including Living Machines, The Loft, Movement is Medicine and The Breakfast Club, transforming Carfax into a ballroom-infused rave space where music, movement and identity collide.
Two venues, one shared dancefloor energy
Across Club AM and Carfax, Sheer City unfolds as a connected, multi-room experience. Expect everything from driving house and techno to ballroom energy and late-night experimentation. There’s no hierarchy here. Just different rooms, different rhythms and a shared sense of intention.
It’s also a nod to Johannesburg’s deep clubbing history, while pushing it forward. The name Sheer itself plays on fluidity, holding he, she and her, and the thrill of stepping into spaces that feel open, expressive and collective.
For Joburg, this isn’t just a Cape Town export passing through. It’s a meeting point between two cities’ underground scenes, reinterpreted for Johannesburg’s late nights, loud floors and anything-goes energy.
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