The abandoned South African railway station that was transformed into a popular concert venue

The old Park Station in Johannesburg, which stood abandoned for 24 years, is now one of the city’s premier venues for hosting music concerts and other events.

The station was built in 1896 and opened its doors the following year, making it Johannesburg’s first railway station and one of the oldest buildings in the city’s history.

As Johannesburg expanded from a small mining town into a large city, permanent rail facilities were deemed critical for moving both people and gold.

The station was commissioned by the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek and was operated by the Netherlands South African Railway Company, which evolved into what is now Transnet.

The structure was designed by Dutch architect and civil engineer Jacob Frederik Klinkhamer, and was fabricated in the Netherlands before being transported to Johannesburg for assembly.

The station’s name was derived from the nearby Joubert Park neighbourhood, which is located adjacent to the original station’s site and was one of Johannesburg’s earliest urban parks.

Park Station’s central location between Johannesburg’s CBD and Braamfontein made it the first sight for millions of people moving to the city from rural areas during the early 20th century.

The station remained in operation at its original location until 1952, when the structure was dismantled and moved 45 km away to the Transnet railway training college at Esselen Park.

This paved the way for the redevelopment of the Park Station complex, which has continued to operate in the original station’s place under the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

In 1993, the structure of the old Park Station was dismantled for a second time and moved to its current location in Johannesburg’s Newtown precinct, with plans to turn it into a railway museum.

This plan never materialised, with the old station remaining unoccupied for 24 years after Transnet sold large portions of the surrounding land.

New life for old Park Station

Since being abandoned after its second move, several attempts have been made over the years to revitalise the old station.

It served as the site of the Station Regional Market, which launched on 15 September 2017 and featured food, crafts, and live music performances by up-and-coming local artists.

The market was hosted in partnership with Brick City Sundays, Kasi Social Market, Pusha Mo Media Entertainment, Sporo Street Cookout, and Vaal Sunday Market.

While the market aimed to restore economic activity to the old station, it was eventually shut down as the surrounding area deterred potential patrons and tourists.

Today, the station serves as a popular venue for event hosting, with numerous local musicians and DJs having performed in the building in recent years.

The station has a capacity of 500 people and has hosted three events so far in 2026, with a fourth scheduled to take place on 28 November.

The venue is not limited to music performances, and has been used to host other events in the past such as exhibitions and private functions.

“The Old Park Station is an events venue for hire to shoot commercials and films, host events and concerts, picnics, conferences, shows, exhibitions, etc.,” the venue’s website says.

“It is one of the oldest surviving structures in Johannesburg, giving it exceptional historical value. It is also one of only two station structures in the region surviving from this period, giving it a high degree of rarity.”

Some of the old Park Station’s most frequent performers include popular local musicians such as Sun El Musician and Kelvin Momo.

It has also hosted performances from German electronic musicians Adam Port, Rampa, and &ME, who form part of the Berlin-based electronic music collective Keinemusik.

The Collective has performed at Old Park Station on at least two occasions in recent years, with a performance on 24 November 2023 and another on 21 November 2025.

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Photos of old Park Station

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