Daily Maverick’s new ‘Friyay’ gig guide celebrates Joburg’s creative soul

Daily Maverick’s Johannesburg bureau, led by award-winning journalist Ferial Haffajee and supported by a team of journalists who live in – and love – Johannesburg, is turning up the volume on the city’s creative energy.

Each Friday, 'Friyay! Your essential gig guide' fills inboxes across the city, serving up an irresistible mix of culture, music, food, art and entertainment curated by some of the city’s most knowledgeable insiders including Maria McCloy, Laurice Taitz-Buntman (Johannesburg in your Pocket) and Bridget Hilton-Barber (Jozi My Jozi).

It’s the region’s new weekly map to all the good stuff, from the Market Theatre to Melville’s backroom bars, a celebration of the stories, the people and the places that bring Joburg to life.

The newsroom spends the week holding the City accountable, but on Fridays, they celebrate it.

“Our motto is simple: We love this place,” said Haffajee.

Pictured in last week’s ‘Friyay’ edition: Strictly Soul at La Parada Rosebank on 17 October 2025. Photo: Gabriel Bambo

A celebration of civic culture

'Friyay' sits at the heart of the bureau’s broader mission to report on Joburg, not just its failures, but also its resilience, creativity and undeniable soul.
In a city too often defined by crisis, 'Friyay' offers a much-needed counterpoint.

“Our goal is to restore Johannesburg’s civic heartbeat,” said Haffajee. “To report on a place with care, rigour and ambition is itself an act of civic love.”

Why it matters to you

'Friyay' isn’t just a gig guide, it’s an invitation to reconnect with the city you live in (and love). It’s your weekend starter, cultural compass and reminder that Joburg’s story is being written by its people.

Even as the City battles water and electricity outages, Joburgers keep creating, performing and building. 'Friyay' is a celebration of that relentless spirit.

Learn more about the new Joburg bureau on the DM blog.

How to join the celebration

• Subscribe: Sign up for the Joburg newsletter, which lands three times a week, offering essential reporting, practical service journalism and now, 'Friyay': your weekly cultural fix keeping readers plugged into the city’s creative scene from those who live and experience it.

• Share it: Forward it to friends, family, and community members who care about Joburg.

• Support it: Become a Maverick Insider. Your monthly contribution helps fund this bureau and expand our journalism to other cities. Sign up here.

• Got a story? Send a tip-off to the newsroom here. All submissions are treated with utmost discretion.