SHARE
Come and experience the inner city as a car-free playground for the day
Following the huge success of the first event in April, which attracted more than 5000 visitors to the city, the much-anticipated next Main Street Sundays is taking place on Sunday 21 June. All the city’s people are invited to come through as Jozi My Jozi, Young Urbanists, the City of Joburg and Joburg Tourism turn Main Street in Marshalltown into a people’s colourful playground once again.
“We invite everyone to come out and experience the inner city as a car-free zone for a day,” says Dawn Robertson, Visitor and Creative Economy Catalyst at Jozi My Jozi. “A day where pedestrians, cyclists, prams, wheelchairs and skaters have total right-of-way, making it a safe, open playground for families. It’s not a commercial event, there’s no rush to get to a stage or a performance, it’s essentially about human connection. Main Street Sundays is a chance to meet Jozi at a chilled, walking pace. Not with one eye over your shoulder or through a window inside your locked car.”
The first Main Street Sundays event was a day of people connecting, sharing and walking the city. “People played ping pong right in the middle of the street,” wrote journalist Gus Silber. “Kids and grownups skateboarded down a ramp. Artists grabbed their brushes and dabbed a circle of bright colours on an intersection. Gone was the chorus of hooting and tooting; in its place, saxophones and trumpets serenaded the walkers who for once walked at their own leisurely pace, taking their time to reclaim the streets of a city that belongs to its foot soldiers too.”
By turning a major business corridor into a massive inner-city living room for a day, the event aims to reshape how locals interact with the CBD. And by saturating the area with marshals, volunteers, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), and emergency services, the event also intentionally tackles safety anxieties surrounding downtown Joburg.
There’ll be pure Jozi vibes all the way down the strip – from 44 Main Street to Gandhi Square. Dedicated lanes will open exclusively for walking, cycling, roller-skating, skateboarding, and pushing prams. There’ll be pop-up markets, live acoustic music, an interactive kids’ play area, street games, a walkable art mile, and a bustling food court located right at Gandhi Square. Talk Radio 702 and VOW88.1 FM (Voice of Wits) who will be hosting outside broadcasts during the day.
“It’s an open street vibe – so relax, there’s no rush,” says Robertson. “Think of the street as one long delicious fiesta that goes from yoga to hip-hop, skateboarding and cycling to food, design, art and craft.”
Main Street will be divided into different zones including:
- A zen and wellness zone outside 44 Main with its beautiful trees and fountains, featuring all the lovely de-stressing and calming wellness and mind & body stuff. Think yoga, silent book clubs and urban sketchers;
- The Jozi My Jozi info zone where friendly people will tell you what you need to know and where you want to go;
- An active mobility zone for bikes, trikes, prams, strollers, walkers, daydreamers, skateboarders and roller-skaters;
- A kids’ zone featuring Play Africa’s entire children’s museum with interactive games, plus street games, and graffiti walls;
- A walkable art mile with street galleries, the Homecoming Exhibition at Standard Bank Gallery, and a roof-top popup with Asisebenze Gallery atop the Aegis Building on Loveday Street;
- A creative Makers ‘Market with different makers showcasing their unique designs and original crafts;
- A Vintage & Vinyl market, live music and a food court at Ghandi Square, with other restaurants and food trucks offering all sorts of delicious far up and down Main Street.
“If we want Jozi to work, we must start with its streets. Because once you change the street, you change the city. And once you change the city, you change the country,” says Roland Postma, managing director of Young Urbanists.
Safe parking is available at nearby garages such as Standard Bank. Alternatively, you can take the Gautrain to Park Station and use the event’s free midi-bus shuttle service to Main Street, which operates return trips later in the afternoon. Registration is free, but please click on the link https://lumacom/slvhzohc so JMJ can track numbers.
What about making it a family day out to celebrate Father’s Day, using the City Sightseeing Red Bus from Rosebank – hop off near Main Street, and hop on back to Rosebank later in the day; a safe, fun and fuss-free way to celebrate fathers and Main Street Sundays!
“Main Street Sundays is about restoring Johannesburg’s soul. When we close the streets to cars and open them to community – to families, to artists, to cyclists and skaters, to vendors – we remind people that this city is theirs. It always has been. We want everyone who walks down that street on Sunday to feel something shift inside them. To remember why they fell in love with this city in the first place,” comments Robertson.
“This is a Sunday for everyone. Parents can bring their children, grandparents can walk without fear, visitors can explore without hesitation. We have created a space where the full spectrum of Johannesburg comes together – not separated by suburb or circumstance, but united by one street, one city, one Sunday. Come and feel what this city is truly capable of.”
For more information, and to register, visit: https://www.jozimyjozi.com/events/main-street-sundays
ABOUT JOZI MY JOZI
Jozi My Jozi is a movement that seeks to inspire and unite the residents of Johannesburg, South Africa, and beyond to rejuvenate their city with hope and pride. The initiative aims to engage people from various sectors, including public and private, in sustainable solutions for the city’s inner areas, fostering widespread positive change throughout South Africa. Spearheaded by prominent local and international corporations such as Anglo American, Nando’s, iqbusiness, Standard Bank, Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Maharishi Invincibility Institute, and Microsoft, the movement focuses on five key areas to revitalise Johannesburg’s central business district (CBD).
Firstly, the initiative emphasises enhancing safety and security through initiatives like developing safety corridors and implementing solar lighting to create more secure and well-lit spaces. Secondly, the programme includes social engagement efforts to support vulnerable populations such as the homeless. Thirdly, revitalising commerce in the CBD is crucial, with a focus on attracting businesses of all sizes. Additionally, the movement prioritises education, aiming to make the CBD a hub for training and nurturing creativity. Lastly, fostering arts, culture and tourism is recognised as integral to revitalising the city’s urban core.
By uniting various stakeholders and strategic partners, Jozi My Jozi aims to create a movement driven by the community, grounded in constitutional values, and committed to sustainable progress for Johannesburg and beyond. Through these concerted efforts, the movement seeks to sow the seeds of positive change that will radiate throughout South Africa, promoting a brighter future for all.
The official website of the Jozi My Jozi is: www.jozimyjozi.com
Official hashtag: #jozimyjozi
IMAGES of Jozi My Jozi projects can be downloaded at the following link:
Instagram: Jozi_my_jozi
Twitter: @jozi_my_jozi
Facebook: jozi_my_jozi
YouTube: jozi_my_jozi
INFO SUPPLIED.