The Fair

7-9 August 2026
Register

KwaZulu-Natal’s vibrant visual art and design ecosystem is poised to retain talent, sustain momentum, and grow the industry. The KZN Art Fair @ The Hilton Arts Festival will connect galleries with talent and new markets, creating sustainable careers for both emerging and established artists.

This new KZN-based fair complements other national fairs (RMB Latitudes Art Fair, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, FNB Art Joburg) and marks a historic first for the province as a critical intersection for its diverse creative communities and contributors, catalysing a dynamic local sector.

  • “There are already so many entities in play -  talented practitioners who are celebrated internationally, creative collectives, a dynamic incubator non-profit gallery, as well as collectors seeking work - that naturally want to galvanise into a format like this. The KZN Art Fair is the organic consequence of an abundant supply of creative content, along with a demand for creative industry growth in KZN.”

    Angela Shaw, co-founder KZN Art Fair

Set in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands at Hilton College, the inaugural KZN Art Fair joins the 2026 Hilton Arts Festival, now in its 34th year. The Midlands Meander region is a premier creative hub, with cultural anchors like the Nelson Mandela Capture Site Museum, and Ardmore Ceramic Studios. The UNESCO Creative City designation for Howick (Craft & Folklore) elevates regional craft development and tourism.

The Hilton Arts Festival’s prominence - attracting nearly 25,000 visitors annually and earning national and international acclaim - provides an ideal launchpad for this new fair. The festival’s renowned performing arts, Jongosi Youth Programme, and now an elevated visual art experience amplify the occasion. 

Hilton College’s Memorial Hall will host the art fair, with booths in the main hall and classrooms flanking a courtyard cafe and a lecture theatre for talks. As the proud venue partner of the Hilton Art Festival since its inception in 1993, Hilton College is heralded for the high-quality education it delivers, and prides itself on the community of internationally based, progressive, highly skilled alumni it has nurtured. 

Visitors to the art fair will encounter a curated programme celebrating KZN’s dynamic visual arts and design scene, alongside national and continental work. Galleries representing career artists, and booths highlighting KZN design, will be complemented by a robust events and education programme with talks, panel discussions, workshops, book launches, and discourse opportunities.

The co-founders of the KZN Art Fair are Lungelo Mkhize and Angela Shaw. Together, their combined expertise and wealth of knowledge on the KZN creative ecosystem contribute strong logistics, site management and stakeholder and arts community liaison, along with exciting programming and curatorial direction.