There has never been a better week to be in Canberra. Here’s 100+ things to do

Posted on 6 April, 2026

This is one of those weeks in Canberra where the hardest part is choosing where to start.

The Wonderful World Festival fills the city centre with free performances, live music, circus, dance, and discovery from Tuesday through Sunday. Bell Shakespeare opens Julius Caesar at Canberra Theatre Centre, The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey makes its world premiere, Sabrina Live takes over Llewellyn Hall, and the Canberra Times Marathon Festival brings more than 12,000 runners to closed city roads. Plus, K-fest celebrates Korean culture at the National Museum, and Techno Picnic launches lakeside on Sunday.

And that’s just the beginning. Read on for everything that’s happening in Canberra this week.

Don’t miss…

National Folk Festival

For almost 60 years, the National Folk Festival has been Australia’s home and heart of folk culture, and this April it returns to Exhibition Park for five days of world-class music, community, and discovery. The Folkie brings together established and emerging artists, performers of every folk tradition imaginable, and thousands of passionate music lovers for an experience that has no real equivalent anywhere else in the country. The only event of its kind in Canberra, it’s a gathering that feels genuinely unlike the rest of the festival calendar – warm, participatory, and deeply connected to the music that carries stories across generations.

Until Monday 6 April | Exhibition Park in Canberra, Lyneham | folkfestival.org.au

Wonderful World Festival

For one week this April, Canberra’s city centre transforms into a playground, a stage, and a spectacle – a festival for all generations that celebrates creativity, discovery, and the vibrant spirit of our city. The Wonderful World Festival unfolds across streets, parks, and plazas from 7 to 12 April, with Garema Place at its heart: a stage alive with wondrous shows, surrounded by installations, performances, and unexpected moments of joy. Local businesses, cafes, restaurants, and theatres all become part of the experience. Each day reveals something new to see, taste, and explore. Just show up and let the city do the rest.

Tuesday, 7 April–Sunday, 12 April | Canberra City Centre | inthecity.com.au

Alliance Française French Film Festival Canberra

From psychological thrillers and coming-of-age dramas to timeless masterpieces and comedic interludes, 38 films showcase the richness and diversity of French storytelling in a programme that reflects the extraordinary vitality and diversity of French cinema.

The Festival remains deeply committed to championing women on screen and behind the camera, celebrating new talents alongside cinema legends, and offering films that move, surprise and inspire. More than ever, the festival is a celebration of French storytelling in all its richness, openness and emotion.

Until Wednesday 8 April | Palace Electric Cinema Canberra, Phillip Law Street, NewActon | To view the full program or to secure tickets, visit affrenchfilmfestival.org.

The Canberra Times Marathon Festival

After a year of early morning training runs in the dark, Canberra’s marathon season is here. The Canberra Times Marathon Festival, presented by TCS, returns across two action-packed days with distances to suit every runner–from the Kids Dash and 5km through to the Half Marathon and full 42.2km Marathon on closed city roads. All distances (excluding the Kids Dash) are AIMS-certified, and with more than 12,000 participants expected, this is one of the biggest sporting events on the Canberra calendar. A three-day Festival Expo adds gear, giveaways, and inspiration for runners of all levels.

Friday 10 until Sunday 12 April | John Dunmore Lang Place, Parkes | solemotive.com

K-fest: Korean Cultural Festival

The National Museum of Australia transforms into a vibrant celebration of Korean culture this Saturday evening, with K-fest bringing together the sights, sounds, and flavours of hallyu in one spectacular free event. Under lanterns and against the backdrop of Lake Burley Griffin, guests can enjoy traditional and contemporary performances, explore a curated marketplace of Korean crafts, fashion, and beauty, and savour delicious food. The evening also includes extended viewing of the hit Hallyu! The Korean Wave exhibition. Created with support from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, this is a beautiful showcase of Canberra’s multicultural community at its finest.

Saturday, 11 April, 4 pm–8.30 pm | National Museum of Australia, Acton | nma.gov.au

Canberra and Region Heritage Festival

Autumn in Canberra signals the return of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival, inviting locals to explore the stories and spaces that shaped the capital. With a focus on mid-century innovation, the program spans guided tours, exhibitions and hands-on experiences across the region. It’s a chance to see familiar landmarks through a fresh lens while uncovering lesser-known histories.

Saturday, 11 April–Sunday, 10 May, Various times | Various locations | environment.act.gov.au

Techno Picnic

Proof that the best parties don’t need a late-night finish or a babysitter. Techno Picnic is a lakeside daytime series bringing international melodic techno headliners to the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, curated by the experienced crew behind Escape Ferocity and The Vault. The inaugural edition features Swiss producer Natascha Polké – who sings, plays keys, and delivers cranking techno all at once – alongside Doppel, back from the rainforest to launch his new album Harvest, and Club Junque’s lush melodic soundscapes. BYO picnic blanket and esky, or tap into the cocktail bar and premium food stalls on site. The whole thing wraps at 8 pm, because Sunday is still a school night.

Sunday, 12 April, 12 pm–8 pm | Lakeside location shared with ticket holders | technopicnic.com

Femme Fatale

Canberra’s fiercest dancers take the stage at Gungahlin College Theatre this Sunday for Femme Fatale, a bold, high-energy showcase from Femme Rebelle. Directed and curated by Thea Kabadanis, the show draws on the iconic femme fatale archetype to weave together heels, hip hop, commercial dance, and theatrical storytelling in a celebration of power, confidence, and unapologetic femininity. The performers have completed an intensive ten-week program training with multiple choreographers, and the result promises dangerous women, revenge energy, and fearless expression delivered with serious skill. Two shows only–a 4 pm matinee and a 7.30 pm evening performance. Tickets are limited.

Sunday, 12 April, 4 pm and 7.30 pm | Gungahlin College Theatre, Gozzard Street, Gungahlin | trybooking.com

& Juliet

All the world’s a stage. This one’s yours. What if Juliet’s story didn’t end with Romeo? What if she had the chance to live, to love, and to write a new chapter – one that was truly hers?

Free-Rain Theatre Company presents & Juliet – the smash-hit musical that reimagines Shakespeare’s most famous heroine with a vibrant new future and a pop-powered twist. Set to an electrifying soundtrack of global anthems from legendary songwriter Max Martin, this award-winning production bursts with songs you already know and love, including… ‘Baby One More Time’, ‘Since U Been Gone’, ‘Roar’, ‘I Want It That Way’, ‘It’s My Life’, and ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling!’

With a witty and heart-filled script by Emmy®-winning writer David West Read (Schitt’s Creek), & Juliet is unapologetically theatrical and endlessly entertaining. Renaissance meets pop royalty, heartbreak meets empowerment, and Shakespeare shares the stage with Anne Hathaway. Don’t miss this explosive, feel-good sensation as Free-Rain Theatre Company brings one of the world’s most celebrated new musicals to Canberra!

Until Sunday 26 April | The Q, Queanbeyan | theq.net.au

Easter

Easter Extravaganza at Let’s Play Indoor Playground

Let’s Play Indoor Playground in Nicholls is pulling out all the Easter stops with an Extravaganza the little ones won’t forget. Egg hunts, Easter crafts, face painting, and free rein of the playground make for a seriously fun morning — and the special visit from the Easter Bunny himself at 11 am is sure to be a highlight. It’s the perfect way to burn off a little of that holiday chocolate energy.

Monday 6 April, 10.30 am–12.30 pm | 7/50 Curran Drive, Nicholls | letsplaycanberra.com.au

Easter Egg-Citement at Corin Forest

If the family is looking for an adventure that goes well beyond a standard egg hunt, Corin Forest’s Easter Egg-Citement package delivers in spades. The deal includes an hour on the Alpine Slide, an hour of pre-season snow play (toboggan hire included), and a 30-minute Easter Egg Hunt.

It’s basically the perfect Canberra Easter trifecta of chocolate, adrenaline, and spectacular scenery.

Until Monday 6 April | 1268 Corin Dam Road, Paddys River | corinforest.com.au

The Great Mini Golf Easter Bunny Hunt

Mini Golf Federation Square in Nicholls has cooked up a delightful Easter activity: hidden Easter bunnies placed throughout the mini golf course, waiting to be found and photographed.

Once the game is done and the photos collected, head to the team to redeem your very own chocolate Easter eggs as a reward. It’s fun, and it’s the perfect excuse to finally try the mini golf.

Until Monday 6 April | Shop 5a/18 O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls | minigolffedsqu.com.au

Easter Egg-citement

Corin Forest has the perfect antidote to a long weekend with nowhere to be. The Easter Egg-citement package combines three of the season’s great pleasures–an alpine slide session, pre-season snow play, and an Easter egg hunt–into one exhilarating adventure in the mountains south of Canberra. An hour on the alpine slide, an hour of snow play, and a 30-minute hunt through the trees makes for a full morning of the kind of outdoor fun that stays in the memory long after the chocolate has been eaten. Tickets are limited, so early booking is essential.

Until Monday 6 April | Corin Forest, Paddy’s River | corin.com.au

Easter Seafood and Bottomless Sparkling Banquet

Easter long weekends were made for exactly this. Natural Nine at Casino Canberra is marking the occasion with a seafood-forward banquet paired with two hours of bottomless Hungerford Hill Dalliance sparkling from Tumbarumba–one of the Snowy Mountains region’s most celebrated cool-climate wines. Available across lunch and dinner sittings from Thursday to Sunday, it’s a genuinely elegant way to mark the long weekend without any of the usual rushing. Beautiful food, flowing bubbles, and absolutely no reason to be anywhere else in a hurry. Bookings are essential–visit the website to reserve a spot.

Until Monday 6 April | Natural Nine, Casino Canberra, Binara Street, City | casinocanberra.com.au

Easter at Canberra Outlet

From Wednesday 1 to Wednesday 8 April, the Easter Bunny is hopping into Canberra Outlet in Fyshwick, handing out Lindt chocolates and posing for photos with kids (and kids at heart).

There will also be a giant Easter Egg – an unmissable photo opportunity if ever there was one.

Wednesday 1 until Wednesday 8 April | 337 Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick | canberraoutlet.com.au

Hop Into Colour at IKEA

For a low-key, no-cost Easter activity that makes a great accompaniment to a family lunch, IKEA Canberra is offering free Easter placemat colouring in the restaurant from Saturday 4 April through to Tuesday 21 April.

Available for children aged three to 12, it’s a simple and joyful activity that keeps little ones happily occupied while the grown-ups enjoy a Swedish meatball in peace.

Until Tuesday 21 April | 1030 Majura Road, Pialligo | ikea.com/au

Special Events and Festivals

The Lost Wonders of the City at Verity Lane Market

Running nightly throughout the Wonderful World Festival, The Lost Wonders of the City transforms Verity Lane Market into a playful family discovery hub after dark. Each evening from 6 pm, free drop-in experiences unfold across the laneway–from laughter-filled trivia nights and roaming magic and juggling performances to interactive gameshow rounds and live music with audience-requested songs and heartfelt dedications. On Saturday afternoon, the program slows to something gentler with a supervised animal petting garden. It’s a week-long invitation to stumble upon something unexpected, connect with strangers, and let the kids lead the way.

Tuesday 7 until Saturday 11 April, from 6 pm | Verity Lane Market, Northbourne Avenue, Canberra | manager@veritylanemarket.com.au

POP Canberra–Wonder Hub

POP Canberra is transforming into a vibrant Wonder Hub for the Wonderful World Festival, and it’s shaping up as one of the most creatively engaging stops in Braddon. Kids receive a Wonderful World POP activity book packed with Canberra icons to spot and festival activities to explore–a genuinely delightful souvenir of the city. A free drop-in art and craft station runs throughout the festival, with children’s artworks added to an ever-evolving storefront collage. There’s also a Mini Makers stall with paint-your-own cookies and toys from local Canberra makers. Come for the creativity, stay for the community.

Tuesday 7 until Friday 10 April | POP Canberra, Lonsdale Street, Braddon | poplocal.com.au

Big Bubble Blowout

Glebe Park is about to be absolutely covered in bubbles, and honestly, what could be better? The Big Bubble Blowout, part of the Wonderful World Festival, begins with a spectacular bubble show on the Glebe Park Stage before transforming into an hour-long bouncing dance party where bubbles big and small are the undisputed stars of the show. Budding bubble artists can test their skills at making stations throughout the park, with prizes on offer for the most creative wands, the biggest bubbles, and the most bubbles made at once. Recommended for ages two to 112.

Friday, 10 April, 1.30 pm–2 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Mr. Moose’s Wonderful Silent Disco

Mooseheads is getting a very different kind of makeover this April. Mr. Moose’s Wonderful Silent Disco transforms Canberra’s iconic venue into a colourful family wonderland for a full day of sessions during the Wonderful World Festival. Children aged 6–14 receive wireless headphones with multiple music channels–kid-friendly pop, nostalgic classics for the grown-ups, and globally diverse sounds reflecting Canberra’s multicultural community–while the room fills with bubbles, vibrant lighting, and face painting. There are special meet-and-greet opportunities with Mr. Moose himself throughout the day. Check ticket conditions carefully before purchasing, as sessions run across multiple timeslots.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–6 pm | Mooseheads, London Circuit, Canberra | moshtix.com.au

National Trust open day at Gungahlin Homestead

One of Canberra’s most storied properties opens its doors to the public this April as part of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival. Gungahlin Homestead began as a Georgian brick building in 1862, before Edward Crace added a grand Victorian sandstone wing in 1883–and later served as a site for CSIRO wildlife research. Now ready for a new chapter, the National Trust is celebrating with guided tours, entertainment, displays, and refreshments. It’s a rare opportunity to step inside a place that carries so many layers of Canberra’s history.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–2.30 pm | Gungahlin Homestead, Bellenden Street | nationaltrust.org.au

Sound and Fury: Live. Art. Rapture. Party.

Canberra’s most singular performance art experience returns for its 24th incarnation, and the theme is Rapture. Presented by Chenoeh Miller of Little Dove Theatre Art, Sound and Fury is not a nightclub and it’s not a sit-down show–it’s something altogether stranger and more alive. Move between spaces, discover hidden performances, follow the music, and let the collision of live music, physical theatre, contemporary performance, and immersive installation lift you somewhere unexpected. Now welcoming 16-and-over audiences, this is a curated eruption in claret and gold. A sister event to the Wonderful World Festival.

Saturday, 11 April, 8 pm until late| Blank Cultural Platform, City Walk, Canberra | events.humanitix.com

Canberra Traditional BoatFest 2026

Heritage meets the water this April as the Canberra Traditional BoatFest returns to the Canberra Yacht Club in Yarralumla as part of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival. Historic vessels and beautiful modern replicas of older designs–mostly built in timber and powered by steam, electric, petrol, or the classic combination of sail and oars–go on display for all to admire. Head down to Kingston Harbour on Saturday or Sunday morning to catch the boats out on Lake Burley Griffin before the main display opens at noon. Entry is free.

Saturday, 11 April, 12 pm–3 pm | Canberra Yacht Club, Yarralumla | canberraboating.com

Tuchasoul Nights: Kings vs Queens of Pop

Tuchasoul Nights at The Jetty – presented by the Amosa Family, a powerhouse Samoan-Australian family band with over 30 years of combined performance experience – is a fully immersive, themed music experience built around the ultimate pop music showdown: Kings vs Queens. Guests choose their side, compete, vote, and sing their hearts out to icons from Whitney Houston and Beyoncé to Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars. A welcome drink and gift on arrival, themed cocktails, a red carpet photo wall, and VIP tables make this an exceptional night out.

Saturday, 11 April, 6 pm–late | The Jetty, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | tuchasoul.com

Block Print & Sew Workshop

With artist/ printmaker Mary Lou Nugent and fashion designer/ maker Dena Pharaoh from Saloon Design House.

On morning arrival, choose from a selection of fabrics and block prints. Create your own unique colour palette and, with direction from Mary Lou print your own design.

In the afternoon Dena will help you select from a variety of patterns and together assist with you to sew up your creation from your fabric. Choose from a simple reversable bag, or a top, skirt or dress.

Want more information? Call Dena on 0403 986 819 or email denapharaoh3@gmail.com. Bookings can be made through www.saloondesignhouse.com

$ 150 includes all materials.

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April, 10 am–4 pm | Braidwood Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) | saloondesignhouse.com

Zoorassic Park

Zoofest kicks off this weekend for the National Zoo and Aquarium’s ‘Zoorassic Park’.

Enjoy a fantastic day of family friendly fun with dino puppets, animatronic dinosaurs and a roving life-size Australenavator throughout Adventureland Playground. Families are welcome to bring their dancing shoes as jazz music fills the viewing park on Saturday or jump around in front of the rhinos with jumping castle fun all weekend.

There’s no better time to head to the National Zoo and Aquarium with the arrival of three brand new lion cubs, Tsenza, Mnavu and Kiazi. Take a tour, meet some of the world’s most exotic animals or become a member and enjoy new fun every single week!

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April | National Zoo and Aquarium | nationalzoo.com.au

Markets

Pearce Crafters Market

Curiouser and curiouser – the Pearce Crafters Market is taking an enchanting turn this April with an Alice in Wonderland theme that promises to make the trip to Collett Place well worth the effort. Running across two days, the market brings together a wonderful lineup of local makers and artisans, including Suga Mumma’s Cakes, Soft Darlings, Ruthless Customs, Penelope Shilling, Knot Happy Jan, Nature’s Own Wonders, and Emz Art. Whether picking up something handmade and unique or simply soaking up the creative atmosphere, this is one of the most charming community market weekends in Canberra’s autumn calendar.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–3 pm and Sunday, 12 April, 10 am–1 pm | Pearce Community Centre, Pearce | facebook.com

Playwell Brick Market Canberra

LEGO lovers, this one’s for you. Playwell Events returns to Canberra with their ultimate Brick Market at the Pearce Community Centre–a paradise for builders of every age and experience level. Whether hunting for rare and retired sets, sourcing new and used parts by weight, or searching for that elusive minifigure to complete a collection, this is the place to find it. Vintage treasures sit alongside the latest releases in what promises to be a thoroughly satisfying morning for anyone who’s ever spent a Sunday afternoon deep in a LEGO build. Entry by gold coin at the door.

Saturday, 11 April, 9.30 am–1.30 pm | Pearce Community Centre, Pearce | facebook.com

Capital Region Farmers Market

This farmers’ market is iconic for a reason.

Go along to sample the region’s freshest produce from over 100 stallholders who bring freshly picked, grown and hand-crafted goods to Canberra and speak directly with growers and learn cooking tips while supporting the Rotary Club of Hall’s community projects.

It will make you appreciate your Saturday morning shopping trip in a whole new way.

Saturdays, 7 am-11:30 am | Exhibition Park in Canberra, Mitchell | capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au

Old Bus Depot Markets

Lovers of fine hand-crafted wares, clothing collectors, food fanatics and jewellery junkies are just a few of the people who head to Canberra’s award-winning Old Bus Depot Markets every Sunday. In a fabulous old industrial building, you’ll experience the endless colour, tastes, sounds and atmosphere that is “Canberra’s Sunday Best”.

Not your average market, each week you’ll find over 200 stalls of exceptional quality, featuring items all hand-crafted by local and regional creatives. The sheer variety means you’ll discover something unexpected every visit, whether that’s a piece of pottery that speaks to you, a stunning necklace, or the perfect vintage find. There’s simply no better way to spend your Sunday in Canberra.

Sundays, 9.30 am – 2.30 pm | 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | obdm.com.au

Southside Farmers Markets

This village market is located at Canberra College, making it the perfect place to duck in to grab what you need (and maybe a few things you don’t). Order an egg and bacon roll to start the morning as you explore the best of fresh seasonal veggies, handmade pasta, pet treats and more.

Sunday 7 am -11.30 am | 2 Launceston Street, Phillip | facebook.com/SouthsideFarmersMarketCanberra

Haig Park Village Markets

Another local favourite, spend your Sunday morning browsing delicious cuisines, fresh produce, artisan products and locally handmade crafts while enjoying live music, an artists’ table and family-friendly activities.

It’s the kind of market where you can linger over breakfast, discover a new artist, and stock up on fresh produce all in one lovely morning, making it the perfect Sunday outing in leafy Braddon.

Sundays, 8 am – 2 pm | Haig Park, Girrahween Street, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au

Food and Drink

Bloom Stack Wonderland

Bloom Room is joining the Wonderful World Festival with something truly special: Bloom Stack Wonderland, a whimsical floral transformation of the Northbourne Avenue café designed to delight families, couples, and curious visitors alike. For the duration of the festival, the space will be styled with hanging floral installations, pastel dreamscape décor, Wonderland Corners inspired by global beauty, and a feature Bloom Wall perfect for photos. Beautifully crafted pancake creations take centre stage–with special discounts on selected kids’ pancakes–while romantic corners offer a quieter retreat for couples. It’s a feast for the eyes and the appetite in equal measure.

Tuesday 7 until Sunday 12 April | Bloom Room CBR, Northbourne Avenue, City | bloomroomcbr.com.au

Cypher Brewing Co. IIIxIII: Level 3 Unlocked

Gungahlin’s favourite craft brewery is turning three, and it’s marking the occasion in serious style. Cypher Brewing Co.’s IIIxIII: Level 3 Unlocked is a three-day anniversary celebration featuring three brand-new collaboration beers–a Triple West Coast IPA with BentSpoke and Jervis Bay Brewing, a Pastry Stout with Dangerous Ales and Seeker Brewing, and a Hazy IPA with Kicks Brewing and Future Brewing. Friday kicks off with the official launch and live music, Saturday brings an outdoor stage full day with the Canberra Bass Babes and Mi Tierra Band, and Sunday wraps up family-style with live music, face painting, a jumping castle, and fairy floss.

Friday 10 until Sunday 12 April | Cypher Brewing Co., Gungahlin | cypherbrewing.com.au/reservations

Fete Till Late

Fete Till Late at Sandoochie takes the simple pleasures of the classic school fete and reimagines them as a Saturday afternoon of playful nostalgia in the heart of the city. Apple bobbing, sweet and savoury temptations, and lively music create a feast for the senses that parents, grandparents, and children alike will recognise and adore. Kids play freely while adults get wonderfully sentimental. This is what community celebration looks like.

Saturday 11 April, 12 pm–5 pm | Sandoochie, Marcus Clarke Street, City | sandoochie.com.au

The Sweet and Savoury Fondue Cruise

Take a trip to Lake Burley Griffin for a two-hour fondue experience combining rich flavours with autumn views. It’s a cosy, social way to enjoy the season.

Sunday 12 April, 2 pm–4 pm | Canberra Party Boat, Kingston | canberrapartyboat.com.au

Tipsy Tea on the Yacht Club Balcony

Settle in for an afternoon of prosecco, cocktails and grazing-style high tea overlooking the lake. Perfect for a relaxed catch-up with friends.

Sunday 12 April, 3 pm–6 pm | Canberra Southern Cross Club Yacht Club, Yarralumla | cscc.com.au

The Brunch Club at Capitol Bar & Grill

Sunday mornings in Canberra just got a serious upgrade. Capitol Bar & Grill’s Brunch Club is an all-day, unapologetically indulgent affair built for those who believe weekends deserve better than a rushed coffee and toast. The menu runs from fluffy buttermilk pancakes and classic cheeseburgers with secret sauce to miso grilled salmon and a few cheeky surprises in between. The real centrepiece, though, is the Bloody Mary cart–a Ketel One Vodka partnership that lets guests load up with crispy bacon, blue cheese olives, dill pickles, mussels, chilli, and more, built tableside by the brunch bartenders. Running every Sunday until 30 August.

Every Sunday until 30 August | Capitol Bar & Grill, Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra | qthotels.com

Sport and Wellness

Fitness in The Park

Fitness class for all levels of fitness for the whole community. Join Ginninderry local Vince as he takes you through a group fitness class in the fresh air at Paddys Park.

Every Wednesday, 7.30 am to 8.30 am, Paddys Park, Asimus Avenue, Strathnairn | Find out more here.

Yoga at Ginninderry

Get bendy on Thursday evenings at a yoga class! You don’t need any experience – just head along for the slow-flow class that will help melt away tension, build strength and mobility, and give you a chance to recharge. Take along a yoga mat, water bottle, and comfy clothes.

Every Thursday, 6.45 pm to 7.45 pm | The Link, 1 McClymont Way, Strathnairn | More information here.

Puppy Yoga

A yoga session is already good for the body and the mind–but add a room full of puppies and the whole equation changes entirely. Yoga Paws brings its popular Puppy Yoga experience to Narrabundah for a session designed to help participants stretch, reset, and connect with an adorably distracting four-legged co-practitioner. Suitable for all levels and completely organised by the hosts (including, yes, the puppies), all that’s needed is the willingness to show up and have a very good time. Bookings are essential for this one–it’s exactly as popular as it sounds.

Saturday 11 April | Sanctuary Canberra, Brockman Street, Narrabundah | yogapawsbrisbane.com

Music

Jerikye Williams

Some performers are simply born for the stage, and Wiradjuri singer and guitarist Jerikye Williams is one of them. A natural showman praised as an enthralling performer across all ages and genres, Jerikye brings the spirit of 1950s and 60s rock’n’roll to the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage, moving effortlessly from Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak classics to his own original compositions. Joined by the Wonderful World House Band and blessed with a voice that reaches the operatic highs and richest low notes, this is a performance with genuine heart and soul at its centre.

Tuesday 7 April, 2:05 pm–3:05 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Otto and Astrid

Berlin’s self-proclaimed Prince and Princess of art rock and Europop are landing in Canberra, and it’s going to be wonderfully chaotic. Otto and Astrid–the hilarious alter egos of Melbourne-based comedy duo Dan Tobias and Clare Bartholomew–have toured their anarchic Greatest Hits show to Soho Theatre in London, Joe’s Pub in New York, and festivals across Europe and the US. The siblings clash like chalk and cheese on stage, but the sparks that fly are pure joy. Part Wonderful World Festival, part theatrical phenomenon, this Glebe Park Stage set is a must for anyone who likes their rock’n’roll with a side of absurdity.

Tuesday 7 April, 3.15 pm–4.15 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Miles Brown–Theremin Dance Party

The theremin is the world’s oldest electronic instrument, and Miles Brown might be its most entertaining advocate. At the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage, this internationally acclaimed theremin artist and composer brings his captivating live show to Canberra–weaving the strange science and unusual history of the instrument with his own hilarious personal journey of learning to master something fiendishly difficult. Having performed everywhere from Play School to Spicks and Specks to the Sydney Opera House, Brown delivers unearthly electronic music that’s genuinely spellbinding. For those who want more, intimate shows are also available at Smith’s.

Wednesday, 8 April, 4:50 pm–6 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Peter Combe and the Bellyflop in a Pizza Band

Pull out the orange juice and dust off the newspaper hats–Peter Combe is coming to Glebe Park. Part of the Wonderful World Festival, this free family show brings more than 40 years of beloved Australian children’s music to the stage, with the songs that have shaped generations of households: Wash Your Face in Orange Juice, Mr Clicketty Cane, and all the Christmas favourites. Kids will giggle, parents will reminisce, and everyone will discover the simple, silly magic of songs written with pure joy. Sharing this with the next generation is something rather special.

Wednesday, 8 April, 12.10 pm–1.10 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

The Goldberg Variations: Wesley Lunchtime Concert

Few works in the classical repertoire carry the emotional range of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and the intimate Wesley Music Centre in Forrest is just about the ideal setting to hear them performed in full. Extraordinary young pianist Charles Huang–who has previously brought the entire first book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to Canberra audiences–takes on the monumental Aria with Thirty Variations this Wednesday lunchtime, delivering what promises to be a genuinely remarkable hour. Tickets are $15 and include the program and refreshments. A very special way to spend a Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday 8 April, 12.40 pm–1.20 pm | Wesley Music Centre, National Circuit, Forrest | trybooking.com/DIJJK

Ben Walsh–The Drum Wheel

Imagine an octagonal drum that a master percussionist plays by moving his whole body around it in a continuous, breathtaking loop. That’s The Drum Wheel, and Ben Walsh–one of Australia’s most innovative percussionists–is the person who built and performs it. Part of the Wonderful World Festival, this 45-minute show at Glebe Park Stage draws on Walsh’s deep love of Japanese taiko and his passion for instrument design, exploring the many rhythms and unexpected melodies of this extraordinary instrument. If you’ve never quite understood why percussion matters, this is the performance that will settle that question permanently.

Thursday, 9 April, 2.45 pm–3.30 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan

Imagine Einstein, Dr Seuss, and Paganini making pancakes together – and you’re somewhere in the vicinity of Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan’s stage presence. Mal is a vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentalist, and looping beatboxing songwriter who plays guitar, mbira, slide trumpet, trombone, chromatic harmonica, and his beloved loop pedal Derek. Kylie, who has performed with Orchestra Victoria, Stevie Wonder, and Barry White, provides violin and voice in perfect counterpoint to Mal’s inspired chaos. Together they create something genuinely unlike anything else on the Wonderful World Festival program. Catch them at the Glebe Park Stage on Thursday and Friday evenings.

Thursday 9 until Friday 10 April, 4.50 pm–5.35 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Miles Brown–Electro-Magnetism

The theremin might be the world’s oldest electronic instrument, but in Miles Brown’s hands, it sounds like nothing from this world at all. Part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities at Smiths Alternative, this captivating one-man show explores the strange science and haunting history of the theremin–the instrument that gives retro sci-fi and horror films their most eerie soundscapes–with Brown’s trademark blend of curiosity, dark humour, and genuinely beautiful electronic music. An internationally acclaimed performer who has played everywhere from Play School to the Sydney Opera House, Brown makes the impossible look effortless.

Thursday 9 until Friday 10 April | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, City | smithsalternative.com

Big Boss Groove

The Wonderful World Festival kicks off its Friday program with something guaranteed to get Glebe Park moving. Big Boss Groove–Canberra’s premier party band–brings nine supremely talented musicians to the stage for a shimmering, high-energy set of classic disco tunes with a few funky new flavours woven in. With two powerhouse vocalists, a three-piece horn section, and a groove-heavy rhythm section holding it all together, this is the kind of performance that makes it genuinely impossible to stay seated. Whether the little ones lead the charge onto the dance floor or the adults get there first, everyone’s welcome.

Friday 10 April, 12.30 pm–1.30 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

The Vegetable Plot: Pajamazon Jungle

Here’s a band that has transcended the kids’ music category entirely. The Vegetable Plot–Aspara Gus, Ru Barb, and Sir Paul McCarrotney–bring their award-winning show Pajamazon Jungle to Tuggeranong Arts Centre this April, combining puppetry, live music, extraordinarily catchy songs, and a generous heap of rotten puns. With two Fringe Kids awards, two ARIA nominations, millions of Spotify streams, and listeners in over 150 countries, this is a group that adults enjoy just as much as their children. An organic, interactive theatre experience for families that earns every single one of those earworms.

Friday, 10 April, 10.30 am–11.15 am | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Reed Street North | tuggeranongarts.com

D’Opus and Roshambo reunite

Canberra hip-hop royalty is coming home. D’Opus and Roshambo – once young masters of the craft, now seasoned family men with two decades of perspective – are reuniting for a one-off show at the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage. Ross and Rowan have shared bills with the likes of Pharoah Monch, Lupe Fiasco, Blackalicious, and Cut Chemist, and performed at festivals including Soundscape and Foreshore. Their return in 2026 marks more than 20 years of making positive hip-hop that represents the Nation’s Capital with style and substance. Vinyl spinning, microphones vibing, and plenty of feel-good nostalgia for the whole family.

Friday, 10 April, 5.20 pm–6 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Diesel By Request

Diesel is putting the setlist in the hands of his audience, and the results are as electric as you’d expect. The By Request tour offers a genuinely unique concert experience–fans shape the night, with choices spanning his entire career from 1989’s debut Johnny Diesel and The Injectors through to his most recent release, Bootleg Melancholy. With no two shows identical, there’s every chance of hearing something unexpected alongside the hits that made Diesel a household name. Intimate, entirely audience-driven, and full of the kind of spontaneity that makes live music irreplaceable–this one is for the true fans.

Friday, 10 April, 7.30 pm–9.45 pm | The Street Theatre, Childers Street, City | thestreet.org.au

AYO Symphonists: Voyage of Discovery

Australia’s finest high-school classical musicians gather in Canberra this April for a concert that promises to be one of the most moving experiences of the school holidays season. Under the baton of Singapore’s Chan Tze Law, the Australian Youth Orchestra Symphonists take audiences on a voyage of emotional discovery–from Naomi Dodd’s vibrant Run, through the romantic passion of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, into the spiritual reflection of Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin’s Awakened, and concluding with Elgar’s radiant portrait of Italy in In the South. Young musicians, formidable repertoire, and a performance not to be missed.

Saturday, 11 April, 2 pm–3.30 pm | Snow Concert Hall, Red Hill | ayo.com.au

Rufino and the Wreckage: Discotheque Tropicale

Saturday’s Carnival stage at the Wonderful World Festival closes in the most spectacular fashion possible, with Rufino and the Wreckage bringing their infectious tropical-punk-disco energy to Glebe Park. Infamous for their swagger, their flamboyance, and genuinely irresistible genre-bending grooves, Rufino and his seven-piece Wreckage weave reggae, tropikal noir, and plenty of fabulous into a party-infused dreamscape that works beautifully for every age group and dance ability. If the music doesn’t sweep the whole crowd into the tropical spirit within the first two minutes, there may simply be no hope. No bookings required.

Saturday, 11 April, 5 pm–6 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Sam Buckingham–Beautiful Machine Tour

Since her career-defining album Dear John in 2022, Sam Buckingham has built one of the most devoted followings on the Australian live circuit–with six sold-out national headline tours, festival appearances at Woodford, Wild Village, and Queenscliff, and supports for Paul Kelly, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Whitlams, and Ben Lee to her name. This year sees the release of Beautiful Machine, a cross-Pacific collaboration with Australian-born Nashville-based producer Clare Reynolds. Catch her bringing the new material to life at The Street Theatre in what promises to be an intimate and unforgettable night.

Saturday, 11 April, 7.30 pm–9.20 pm | The Street Theatre, Childers Street, City | thestreet.org.au

Reserve Skank of Australia: Canberra’s finest ska-reggae

Canberra’s finest ska-reggae-rocksteady band (under-40s division) takes the Glebe Park Stage on Saturday afternoon as part of the Wonderful World Festival. Inspired by Gregory Isaacs, Peter Tosh, and Eek-A-Mouse, the Reserve Skank of Australia create uplifting rootsman riddims that are as good for a deep head-nod as they are for a full-body groove. Whether you’re a long-time lover of ska and punk or discovering proper ragga for the first time, this is one of those Glebe Park sets that tends to draw people in from across the park. All ages welcome.

Saturday 11 April, 2.15 pm–3 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Zambezi Sounds

The Wonderful World Festival continues its Saturday program with one of Canberra’s most beloved local bands bringing the spirit of the Zambezi River to Glebe Park. Zambezi Sounds draws inspiration from the Nyami Nyami–the spiritual custodians of the river that flows between Zimbabwe and Zambia–weaving together mbira, guitar, and river drumming into a danceable mix of contemporary and traditional African rhythms and Caribbean reggae. It’s the kind of music that reaches straight through the ribcage and gets hips moving without asking permission. All ages welcome, no bookings required.

Saturday 11 April, 3:45 pm–4:30 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Stage and Screen

Dandy Man–Ding Dilemmas

Head management at the Ding Hotel wants to replace everyone with AI. Ding the Hotel Manager has other ideas. Presented at Smiths Alternative as part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Ding Dilemmas is a slapstick, circus-packed family adventure that makes a delightfully chaotic case for the irreplaceable magic of human connection. When an unexpected catastrophe strikes, it’s up to Ding and his newly hired team to save the day through impossible feats, jaw-dropping stunts, and laugh-out-loud mishaps. World-class physical comedian Daniel Oldaker delivers the chaos with enormous skill and warmth.

Tuesday 7 until Wednesday 8 April, 2 pm–3 pm | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, City | smithsalternative.com

Chameleon Collective

Bees have never looked this beautiful on stage. Buzzz ACT is an award-winning dance and science show from the Chameleon Collective that explores the importance of bees in ecology, biodiversity, and the food chain through movement, music, and facts that will have young audience members buzzing with new knowledge. Produced by The Stellar Company, a multi-arts organisation championing diversity and cross-cultural collaboration, the show features performers of all abilities in a celebration of inclusive, accessible arts at its very finest. Part of the Wonderful World Festival at Glebe Park, it ties beautifully into Polyglot’s interactive bee experience in Garema Place.

Tuesday, 7 April, 1.25 pm–1.50 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan present Notey and Noisy: a sound science mathemusical

What happens when the perfect note and the perfect noise have always eluded their creators? That’s the question at the heart of Notey and Noisy, a 90-minute adventure through the facts, physics, and frivolity of music, presented by Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan as part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities at Smiths Alternative. Playing seven characters between them, Mal and Kylie pull off extraordinarily complex arrangements and looping while exploring why the science of music is a series of near misses and slippery slopes. Part radio show, part physics lesson, entirely captivating.

Tuesday 7 April, 10.30 am–12 pm | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, Canberra | smithsalternative.com

Project Dust

Project Dust brings something genuinely moving to the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage–First Nations stories told through the power of contemporary and hip hop dance. Established in 2022, Project Dust is a Canberra-based community providing a safe, nurturing space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to connect with culture, build confidence, and perform. Participants from many different Tribes come together through mentorship, resilience, and creative expression, and the result is a performance that takes audiences on a magical journey ending in joyful participation. Kids and grown-ups alike are warmly invited to join the interactive finale.

Tuesday 7 until Friday 10 April | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Giggly Wiggly Balloons–The Twisty Science Show

What do balloons and DNA have in common? Dr Chloe Lim is about to explain everything. A scientist, professional balloon artist, and Channel 7’s Blow Up finalist, Dr Chloe brings her book What Makes You Unique? to life at the Wonderful World Festival through spectacular balloon creations and playful scientific discovery about genes and what makes each of us wonderfully individual. It’s colourful, interactive, and genuinely educational–the rare kind of children’s show that has both kids and adults equally engaged from start to finish. Running 8 and 12 April. Recommended for ages five to 12.

Wednesday, 8 April and Sunday, 12 April | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

The Great Gatsby: a jazz ballet odyssey

The roaring twenties arrive at Canberra Theatre Centre this April in the most spectacular fashion imaginable. The world premiere of The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey reimagines F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic through a genre-defying fusion of ballet, tap, and jazz, directed and choreographed by Joel Burke. The score weaves Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and James P Johnson’s The Charleston alongside bold new compositions, while some of the world’s greatest dancers bring Gatsby’s story to life in bedazzled costumes on spectacular sets. Glittering, exhilarating, and unlike anything Canberra has seen before.

Wednesday 8 April–Sunday, 12 April | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit | bigliveco.com

Mic Conway and Robbie Long

Vaudeville is back, and it never looked this gloriously unhinged. The Wonderful World Festival welcomes Mic Conway and Robbie Long to the Glebe Park Stage for an afternoon of idiosyncratic songs, magic, juggling, and the kind of irreverent, tongue-in-cheek storytelling that makes jaws drop and sides split in equal measure. Fans of Conway’s days with Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band and Circus Oz will recognise the spirit immediately, while newcomers are in for a complete revelation. From Wash Your Face in Orange Juice to a surprisingly heart-breaking Mad World, this is surreal vaudeville for crooning and swooning.

Wednesday, 8 April, 1.25 pm–2.25 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Dandy Man

There’s a reason Daniel Oldaker’s Dandyman has been compared to Buster Keaton, Mr. Bean, and Jacques Tati–and seeing him in action makes that connection immediately apparent. Part of the Wonderful World Festival at Glebe Park, Dandyman delivers razor-sharp physical comedy in an impeccably tailored package: a world-class nouvelle clown whose virtuoso timing, expressive physicality, and joyful chaos have entertained millions from screen to stage. Dapper, charming, and full of cheeky surprises, this is the kind of performance that holds audiences of every age completely spellbound from beginning to end. Suitable for ages zero to 112.

Wednesday, 8 April, 3.40 pm–4.10 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Sabrina Live

The Sabrina Carpenter experience is coming to Llewellyn Hall, and fans already know this is going to be a very good night. Sabrina Live delivers show-stopping vocals, stunning choreography, and a setlist packed with the songs Carpenter fans know by heart–from the fierce punch of Feather to the cheeky charm of Nonsense and the stadium-sized singalong energy of Espresso. Part concert, part theatrical confessional, part pop fever dream, it’s Broadway-level production meets arena-worthy energy in one of Canberra’s most beautiful performance spaces. Get the group chat going. Dress accordingly. Sing loudly.

Thursday, 9 April, 7.30 pm–9.30 pm | Llewellyn Hall, ANU, Canberra | llewellynhall.com.au

Alias the Faerie’s Bubble Show

On a strange planet, an adventurer sets out to explore a world where bubbles are part of daily life. Alias the Faerie’s Bubble Show, part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities at Smiths Alternative, is a dazzling live experience developed with Canberra artists from Alias Performance and Circoscope circus production house. Wobbling bubble walls, gravity-defying stunts, frolics in foam, and even fiery surprises bring this whimsical universe to life in a performance that genuinely earns its wonder. Audiences can also catch a shorter set from the same performers during the Big Bubble Blowout at Glebe Park Stage.

Thursday 9 and Friday 10 April, 2 pm–3 pm | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, City | smithsalternative.com

Bell Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

The whispers have started. Julius Caesar has returned from battle to the roar of an adoring crowd, and the word “king” is circulating through the senate and streets of Rome once more. Fearful of where Caesar’s growing power leads, Brutus and Cassius hatch a conspiracy that will shake the republic to its foundations–and unleash a cascade of violence they can’t control. Peter Evans’ thrilling new production of Shakespeare’s great political masterpiece opens at Canberra Theatre Centre this April, with performances running through to 18 April. Complex, urgent, and as relevant as ever.

Friday 10 April until Saturday, 18 April | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, City | canberratheatrecentre.com.au

An Evening with Amy Bodossian

One-night-only cabaret at Smiths Alternative. Award-winning Melbourne performer Amy Bodossian brings her wildly honest, hilarious, and poignant original songs, spoken word, rap, and unfiltered storytelling to Canberra. She dives into the chaos and beauty of being human, exploring love, lost keys, OCD, ADHD, dating, and more.

Raw, funny, and unexpectedly moving, cabaret at its most alive.

Saturday 11 April | Smith’s Alternative, Canberra | shorturl.at/ibbz8

Linsey Pollak

Has anyone ever considered making bagpipes out of a rubber kitchen glove? Linsey Pollak has – and that’s just the beginning. Part of the Wonderful World Festival, his show Still Searching for That Sound takes audiences on a journey through a lifetime of instrument invention, from feather dusters to watering cans to carrots, using live-looping to layer these self-invented creations into music that is somehow both mind-bending and curiously beautiful. Equal parts science demonstration, personal story, and musical performance, it’s the kind of show that leaves people genuinely questioning everything they thought they knew about sound. Recommended for ages six to 112.

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April, 12.10 pm–12.50 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

NFSA’s Autumn Film Series

Reality meets imagination this season at the National Film and Sound Archive. The Autumn Film Series presents powerful storytelling and big-screen spectacle, inviting audiences to question reality, explore new perspectives and enjoy cinema that lingers after credits roll. Magic realism, social realism and Cinema Verité explore the tension between fantasy and reality. Community-focused festivals and partnerships include the Sign on Screen Film Festival presenting sign language cinema, Upstaging Canberra screenings, Trans Day of Visibility with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Book Club at NFSA, First Nations stories, CLIPPED Music Video Festival, documentaries, Science.Art.Film series and Cult Classics. Varied dates throughout autumn.

Until Sunday 31 May | National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton | nfsa.gov.au

Talks

Australia’s Naval Alliances: John Seymour and Hugh White

It’s a question that cuts close to home for Australians: are we repeating the same strategic mistake of the 1930s, this time with America instead of Britain? Author John Seymour joins Professor Hugh White of the Australian National University at the National Library to discuss Seymour’s new book Australia’s Naval Alliances: Lessons of History, which traces how Australia’s dependence on the Royal Navy left the country largely defenceless in 1941 and 1942. The conversation promises to be frank, timely, and deeply relevant to Australia’s current strategic position as AUKUS unfolds.

Tuesday 7 April, 6 pm–7 pm | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au

Meet an Electric Vehicle Owner

Sick of high petrol prices and worrying about fuel shortages next time you go to fill-up? Local community group, Electrify Canberra, is hosting a ‘Meet an EV owner’ event. This is an opportunity to have your questions about EVs answered by people who drive them. There will be a range of different models on display. Need caffeine for fuel? Local café, St. Elmo, will be open to help you out.

Saturday 11 April, 10 am–12 noon | Torrens shops | facebook.com 

Workshops

Journey Journals: outdoor painting workshop with Ineka Voigt

The rose gardens at Old Parliament House are stunning in any season, and this April they provide the backdrop for one of the most inviting creative experiences on the school holidays calendar. Local artist Ineka Voigt leads a full-day outdoor painting workshop, guiding participants of all ages in creating colourful artworks that tell a story about family, pets, hobbies, or community. All materials are provided, and the relaxed format–pack a picnic, invite some friends, spend a beautiful autumn day making something meaningful–makes this one genuinely hard to improve upon. Bookings are essential.

Thursday 9 April, 10 am–3 pm | Museum of Australian Democracy Rose Gardens, Old Parliament House, Parkes | moadoph.gov.au

Exhibitions

STAUNCH.

A powerful new exhibition opens at Craft + Design Canberra this April, introducing the STAUNCH. Collective–seven Blak artists whose work centres on culture as a practice of resistance. Each artist brings their own creative voice to questions of growth, connection, and healing, drawing from Country, community, and collaboration to open space for discussion, discourse, and genuine joy. STAUNCH. asks visitors to sit with a challenging and vital question: what does resistance truly look like, and how do we each navigate our relationship with the colony? An important and thought-provoking exhibition not to be missed.

Thursday, 9 April until Saturday, 23 May | Craft + Design Canberra, London Circuit, City | craftanddesigncanberra.org

Rewild: 2025 Artists-in-Residence Exhibition

What happens when two artists spend extended time immersed in the landscape of Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, then go behind the scenes at the National Zoo and Aquarium to explore conservation practices? The answer unfolds in Rewild, a new exhibition by Michele Grimston and Hannah McKellar developed through the 2025 Craft + Design Canberra Artist-in-Residence program. Framed by the theme of rewilding and ecological restoration, the works reflect a deep attentiveness to the natural world and its shifting relationship with humans. The exhibition opens with an artist talk on 9 April, with both artists joining Exhibitions Coordinator Stacy Jewell in conversation.

Thursday, 9 April until Saturday, 23 May | Craft + Design Canberra, London Circuit, City | craftanddesigncanberra.org

Staying with the trouble – Regeneration – Linda Dening, Kim Mahood, Sally Simpson, Wendy Teakel

Staying with the Trouble is an evolving collaborative project of enquiry between artists Linda Dening, Kim Mahood, Sally Simpson and Wendy Teakel. Their purpose is to explore environmental interconnectedness and crisis through their creative practices.

In its second exhibition iteration, Staying With the Trouble – Regeneration, the artists situated their practice at Bibbaringa regenerative farm. Here, they were challenged by farmer Gill Sanbrook to experience and creatively respond to the farm environment and sustainable practices. The result is a record of place, passion and renewal.

Thursday, 9 April, 6 pm until Wednesday 3 May | Grainger Gallery, 34 Geelong Street, Fyshwick | graingergallery.com.au

2026 Exhibition of Quilts

The Queanbeyan Quilters community throws open the doors of Bicentennial Hall this April for a weekend celebration of the craft that has been bringing people together for generations. The 2026 Exhibition of Quilts showcases a beautiful range of works made by community members, alongside live demonstrations, a sales table, and a Quilters market to browse at leisure. The much-anticipated raffle is back too, with three prizes including two stunning quilts and a $300 Bunnings voucher. Refreshments are available on site, entry is $5 at the door, and children under 12 are free. Cash and EFTPOS both accepted.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–5 pm and Sunday, 12 April, 10 am–3 pm | Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall, Crawford Street, Queanbeyan | facebook.com

Hall Heritage Centre bicentenary exhibition

The Hall Heritage Centre is launching Palmerville 1826: A Bicentenary Exhibition, exploring the impact of European settlement on the Limestone Plains 200 years ago. Exhibits include a visualisation of a Sunday dinner gathering in 1848, an audio-visual presentation tracing Palmerville’s history from 1828 to 1876, and story boards covering pre-colonial settlement, convict labour and free selection. Visitors can also tour the historic 1911 one-teacher school and explore stories and artefacts from the Lyall Gillespie collection, offering insights into rural primary schooling in the Hall-Ginninderra district during the early to mid 20th century.

Sunday 12 April, 12.30 pm (launch) | Hall Heritage Centre, Palmer Street, Hall | Open Sundays 12–4 pm until Sunday 10 May | environment.act.gov.au

Wangka Wakaṉutja: the story of the Papunya Literature Production Centre

Between 1979 and 1990, the Papunya Literature Production Centre produced hundreds of illustrated bilingual books–funny, moving, extraordinary documents of Pintupi-Luritja language and culture, guided by community Elders who were also pioneers of the Western Desert art movement. Many of those books have been held in the National Library’s collections ever since, and this landmark new exhibition finally brings them to life. Featuring stories, drawings, photographs, manuscripts, and oral histories drawn from multiple collections, it’s a profoundly significant celebration of Aboriginal literary culture, collective creativity, and the remarkable human effort to keep language alive across generations.

Until Sunday, 11 October | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/wangka-wakanutja

Traces

Tuggeranong Arts Centre presents work by five artists with connections to Ngunnawal and Ngambri land. Alexander Sarsfield, Bridget Baskerville, Clementine McIntosh, Gemma Brown and Sarah Murray work across ceramics, textiles, printmaking, drawing, weaving and community-based practices. The exhibition explores material processes and connections to place and people. Brown utilises experimental processes with industrial waste and commercial ceramic materials. Baskerville submerges metal plates in bodies of water to create corrosion marks. McIntosh uses site-responsive techniques including buried textiles and plant dyes. Sarsfield shares Māori culture through communal raranga weaving practices. Murray creates large-scale gestural paintings challenging colonial landscape ideals through embodied experiences of place.

Until Friday, 11 April | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North, Greenway | tuggeranongarts.com

Bean Soup

Canberra glass artist Bailey Donovan presents an immersive exhibition centred on recurring glass bean forms. The installation includes blown sculptures, wall-mounted works and colour compositions exploring relationships between domestic craft, queer identity and glass’s expressive nature. Donovan’s signature bean shapes embrace irregular silhouettes and uneven contours, offering alternatives to traditional glassblowing aesthetics focused on symmetry and technical refinement. The work references domestic textiles including gingham and crochet through cane work, colour overlays and patterning techniques. Bean clusters vary from small collectible-sized pieces to larger abstract blown forms arranged in compositions referencing kitchen jars and fabric scraps. The exhibition celebrates material exploration through humour and comfort.

Until Friday, 11 April | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North, Greenway | tuggeranongarts.com

The Long Look

Five printmakers who met at the Canberra School of Art Printmaking Workshop in the late 1990s reunite for an exhibition celebrating innovative practices. Cecile Galizzo, G.W. Bot, Lizzie Hall, Craig Cameron and John Pratt share material-based approaches where etching plates and woodblocks become artworks, metal becomes drawing, and repetition transforms into methodology. The exhibition references deep consideration needed during uncertain times, bringing together old friends to celebrate making art. Works in wood, metal and paper distil years of observing and inhabiting natural landscapes and internal landscapes of myth and memory. The exhibition functions as a conversation between artists reflecting their longstanding friendships.

Until Friday, 11 April | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North, Greenway | tuggeranongarts.com

DEEP END BY AMY CLAIRE MILLS

Deep End is an immersive sensory installation inviting exploration through touch, sight, and sound. The project explores the concept of accessible and adaptive ‘third spaces’. Third spaces, beyond home and work, are informal social environments that foster community and connection (Oldenburg, 1989).

However, for many Disabled people, third spaces often default to medical environments like doctors’ waiting rooms and outpatient clinics. Public pools have long served as adaptive third spaces existing somewhere between the social and the medical. Deep End invites you to wade into a future in which care, access, and disability culture are embedded in the design from the very beginning.

Until Sunday 12 April | Canberra Contemporary, 44 Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | canberracontemporary.com.au/current

WATER BY HANDS ON STUDIO

The artworks in Water have been developed by artists from Hands On Studio, Canberra, whose practices foreground process, material engagement, and embodied ways of making.

Through diverse approaches and mediums, the artists examine water as a mutable substance that exists across multiple states — liquid, solid, and vapour — and across varied registers of meaning. Rain, sea, ice, and tap water are considered not only for their physical properties, but for the social, political, and environmental contexts in which they are encountered.

Until Sunday 12 April | Canberra Contemporary, 44 Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | canberracontemporary.com.au/current

Curator tours: National Library Treasures Gallery

Discover the stories behind key items in the Treasures Gallery with a curator-led tour.

Tuesday, 14 April and Tuesday, 28 April, Various times | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au

In Bloom

In Bloom explores the beauty and symbolism of flowers. Featuring more than 50 portraits from the National Portrait Gallery collection, new acquisitions and selected loans, you will discover how flowers have long been used in art to express emotion and convey messages of personal, cultural and religious significance.

The show is a weird and wonderful floral extravaganza that includes much-loved and lesser-known works from the collection. See socialites, chefs, musicians, actors, doctors and politicians who are all unified by their accompanying floral markers.

Until Sunday 19 April 2026 | National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | portrait.gov.au

Bilong Papua New Guinea: 50 years of Independence

Bilong Papua New Guinea marks the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence and the birth of a new nation on September 16, 1975. The National Gallery holds the largest collection of Papua New Guinea urban art outside the country. Each of the works selected for Bilong Papua New Guinea presents a story, reflecting on cultural heritage, historical moments, the influence of ancestors, Christianity, kastom, societal changes and new technologies.

Until Sunday 19 April | National Gallery, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

5th National Indigenous Art Triennial

The National Indigenous Art Triennial brings together commissioned work by established and emerging First Nations artists from across Australia. Artistic Director Tony Albert (Girramay/Yidinji/Kuku-Yalanji peoples), one of Australia’s foremost contemporary artists, leads this iteration. After the Rain presents new immersive projects resonating with ideas of rebirth and cycles of cleansing, celebrating inter-generational legacies and cultural warriors of past, present and future. Made possible through the continued generosity of Wesfarmers Arts and key philanthropic supporters, the Triennial creates an important platform for art and ideas. Following its Kamberri/Canerra presentation, After the Rain will tour nationally.

Until Sunday, 26 April 2026 | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

THE WEATHER AND WHAT IS by Olive Burgess

This exhibition makes central a lesbian experience within a world shaped by dualisms—mind/body, nature/culture, windy/still, useful/redundant, productive/wasted, man/woman, hetero/not. Printmaking, photography and sculptural materials hold subject Burgess’ garden as kin, alongside her body.

Full, generous, focused, and sensual, The Weather and What Is opens space for a re-imagining of intimacy, ecology, history, and embodiment beyond dominant cultural frames.

Until Sunday, 26 April | Platform, 19 Furneaux Street, Forrest | canberracontemporary.com.au

The hidden world of the small – beautiful, powerful or vulnerable

The Hidden World of the Small examines the often overlooked. Seven artists from the Tin Shed Art Group pull focus onto the minute details of life, finding the power and beauty in tiny, quiet subjects.

Through a range of mediums, the group navigates the tension between beauty and power on a small scale, uncovering moments that usually stay hidden in plain sight.

See how the smallest subjects can tell the biggest stories.

Until Monday 27 April | Strathnairn Arts Association, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt | More information here. 

Hallyu! The Korean Wave

An exhibition exploring Korea’s cultural journey to global influence through 250 objects from the V&A in London. The exhibition spans film, fashion, drama, beauty and music–from BTS to aespa, Squid Game to Parasite, glass skin to bibimbap. Visitors can discover the powerhouse behind Korea’s dramatic cultural transformation and the vibrant world of K-culture as it continues to sweep across the globe. The exhibition examines how creativity, collaboration and cultural ambition shaped Korea’s contemporary identity.

Until Sunday, 10 May | National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula, Acton | nma.gov.au

Between What Remains

Belconnen Arts Centre hosts this creative reunion between David Manley and Hilary Wardhaugh. Through photography and post-documentary urban landscapes, the exhibition explores trauma, memory and disconnection. Conceptually aligned yet distinct, their works invite quiet reflection on time, place and shared histories.

Until Sunday, 17 May | West Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Witness

Reef and coastal ecosystems are environments of inspiration where many escape to rejuvenate, enveloped in the natural world. These teeter on the edge of flourish and destruction, resilience and fragility. Witness focuses on the pursuit to explore, experience and bear witness to these ecosystems undergoing critical change in the artist’s lifetime—with a wavering mix of awe, grief and hope. The exhibition examines environments that serve as sources of renewal while simultaneously facing unprecedented pressures. It documents the tension between beauty and vulnerability in marine and coastal landscapes.

Until Sunday, 17 May | The Nook, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Chasing Alice

Annie Lok’s exhibition features the latest works in her ongoing Rabbit Holes series. Each piece features a female protagonist, the Alice, navigating carefully constructed compositions imbued with symmetry, balance, texture and colour theory. Using photo editing software, Lok manipulates personal and found imagery through filtering, warping, stretching and layering to invent a landscape for each Alice to discover. Influenced by academic interests tackling the human experience through social, political and art historical lenses, the work also serves as an escape from chronic pain following a 2021 workplace accident that left Lok with ruptured discs and neuropathy.

Until Sunday, 17 May | Window Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Inhabiting Change

Fiona Heard’s exploration of impermanence invites viewers to see the present as the dynamic space between what was and what will be. Heard’s artistic process embraces the unpredictable nature of hand printing, accepting unexpected marks and reduced control to create initial imagery. The compositions are based on the landscape of southern NSW, reflecting Heard’s memory and ongoing relationship with this environment. Final artworks are built through configuration—tearing, combining and sewing images to produce the work. These pieces move beyond representation, evoking a feeling of abstracted familiarity that speaks to continuous becoming.

Until Sunday, 17 May | East Wall, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Mental Health and Nature

Jennifer Adams challenges the narrow view of mental health treatment as a clinical activity within four walls, positioning experiences of nature as vital for mental health. This is Adams’s first solo exhibition in over ten years. Mental Health and Nature celebrates nature experienced locally in Canberra, nearby farmland returned to its natural environment and other Australian locations. Adams draws out shapes, adds vibrant colours and decorative elements to express her response to the natural world. Subjects include people participating in nature and their bonds with animals. The experiential exhibition wraps viewers in colours, designs and positive imagery.

Until Sunday, 17 May | Generator Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Stained with Light

Sarah Murray brings together earlier work exploring embodied experiences of landscape with current work exploring the sublime, spirituality and sin. Murray has created a series of paintings in acrylic and oils that explore painterly dynamics of figuration versus representation, layering, shifting grounds, gestural mark-making and vibrant colour use. Using references to religious art-historical paintings as grounding, Murray creates vibrant, visceral compositions on traditional and non-traditional supports of sewn quilt-like canvases. Earlier work created embodied experiences of landscape through en-plein air painting, while current pieces translate themes of sublime versus grotesque and depictions of sin.

Until Sunday, 17 May | Pivot Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

In real life: inventors, innovators and opportunists

Celebrate Australian innovation at National Archives’ latest exhibition in Canberra, In real life: inventors, innovators and opportunists. Explore the history of Australian invention, from First Nations creativity to 150 years of patents, designs and trademark registrations.

See life-changing inventions, iconic designs and household brand names with original design drawings and trademarks from the national archival collection alongside their real-life counterparts.

Australians from all walks of life have pursued their ideas in the laboratory, at the drafting table and in the humble backyard shed. Learn about the innovators behind advances such as the baby capsule, spray-on skin and the stump-cam. Discover the origins of everyday products and national icons such as the Victa lawnmower, Hills Hoist and ‘goon bag’.

From pedestrian crossing buttons to dual flush toilets, see how the Australian Government played a vital role in supporting inventions and designs that you regularly see, hear, use – and flush. Spark your own imagination and be inspired by stories of bold dreams, determination and Australian ingenuity.

Until Sunday 17 May | National Archives of Australia, Kings Avenue, Parkes | naa.gov.au

Good Neighbour

Belconnen Arts Centre presents an offsite group exhibition at SLA Display Village and Innovation Precinct, Whitlam, curated by Brooke McEachern. A printmaker, glass blower, ceramist, mark maker and knifemaker come together celebrating local makers and quiet creative lives unfolding around us. Estelle Briedis, Hugo Curtis, Jacky Lo, Isobel Rayson and Dan Venables live and work in our neighbourhoods as familiar dog-walkers, corner café regulars or simply good neighbours. Through functional objects and considered craftsmanship, the exhibition presents works feeling personal and lived-with, as though gathered over time from friends and neighbours. The collaboration highlights the creative talent existing within everyday community spaces, making visible the artistic practice happening in homes and studios throughout Canberra’s suburbs.

Until Sunday, 13 July | SLA Display Village, Whitlam | belcoarts.com.au

Trent Parke: The Christmas tree bucket

Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas. The series showcases Parke’s distinctive and acclaimed visual style and his skilful use of light and colour, to transcendent effect.The Christmas tree bucket is a candid, unsettling and often absurd portrait of family life—centred on the chaos, rituals and contradictions of the suburban Australian Christmas. It is a fond, insider’s view—sharp but affectionate—and one that the participants, after initial bemusement, actively embraced.

Parke draws from the legacy of postwar American photography while retaining a distinctly personal visual language, using light and colour to transform the everyday. The resulting photographs are both intimate and theatrical, sometimes hilarious, sometimes poetic and haunting. The exhibition also features a small selection of work from Parke’s black-and-white series Minutes to midnight 2003‒04 and a number of his handmade concertina photobooks, which he sees as a central part of his practice.

Until Sunday 6 September | National Gallery, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

Illuminate: How Science Comes to Light

Questacon presents an interactive exhibition exploring the science of light through 13 hands-on exhibits. Visitors can experiment with light refraction, colour blending, shadow manipulation and reflection across multiple activity stations. The exhibition demonstrates how light travels, reflects and refracts, alongside displays of tools humans have developed to harness light. Activities include bending light, using sensors to create music, and working with lenses. The exhibition is designed for hands-on engagement with scientific concepts. Illuminate: How Science Comes to Light is a Museums Victoria Touring Exhibition running until November 2026.

Until Sunday, 22 November | Questacon–The National Science and Technology Centre, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | questacon.edu.au

Behind the Lines 2025: ‘Are We Rolling?’

Behind the Lines 2025: ‘Are We Rolling?’ celebrates the year’s best political cartoons.

Featuring established and emerging cartoonists from across Australia, this exhibition highlights the significant contribution they make to cultural and political debates through witty, insightful and often poignant satirical drawings.

This year our Behind the Lines theme is the cinema, acknowledging that, like some of our favourite movies, 2025 has been full of thrills and spills, romance and heartbreak, with plenty of unexpected plot twists. Australia’s cartoonists and illustrators have tackled many of the issues that made news, including the federal election, the cost of living, energy policy, interest rates, housing security, the economy, climate change and stories from overseas.

Until December 2026 | Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House | moadoph.gov.au

Gurindji Freedom Banners 

A powerful new exhibition commemorating the pivotal 1966 Wave Hill Walk-off opens at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Gurindji Freedom Banners: Mumkurla-nginyi-ma parrngalinyparla–From the darkness into the light unites all ten hand-painted banners for the first time in years, telling the story of when Gurindji and neighbouring peoples, led by Vincent Lingiari AM, walked off Wave Hill Station on 23 August 1966.

Their demands for fair working conditions and return of traditional lands sparked landmark change, leading to the first handback of Aboriginal land in 1975 and paving the way for the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. The textile banners were created in 2000 by 35 Gurindji people, many walk-off participants, with one recently recreated after going missing.

Now showing until late 2026 | Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House | moadoph.gov.au

Know My Name: Kee, Jackson and Delaunay

Know My Name: Kee, Jackson and Delaunay showcases two of Australia’s leading fashion designers: Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee, in conversation with international, multidisciplinary artist Sonia Delaunay (1885–1979).

The iconic and vibrant early designs of Kee and Jackson from the 1970s and early 1980s were directly inspired by the dynamic legacy of Delaunay, who was a member of the School of Paris and co-founder of Orphism, an art movement noted for its use of intense colours and abstract, geometric forms. As well as working in traditional mediums such as painting and printmaking, Delaunay’s practice also included textile, fashion, and theatre design.

For Jackson and Kee, who were beginning their shared journey in creating clothes as works of art, the discovery of Delaunay was revolutionary. This powerful display feature a rarely-seen collection of Kee and Jackson’s garments from their archives and are shown with the National Gallery’s collection of Delaunay’s prints, drawings, textiles and costumes.

Showing now | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

National Library of Australia Treasures Gallery

The National Library has millions of books, and the Treasures Gallery answers the frequently asked question, ‘Where are they’. They also collect other items. From maps and manuscripts to photographs and paintings, the Treasures Gallery is where you can find highlights from their vast physical and digital collections. Behind-the-scenes videos, pages from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice from the First Folio, a cedar bookcase carved by Dorothea Mackellar, photographs from the nation’s photo album, and a display of The Wiggles’ websites from 1997 to today from the Australian Web Archive are among the new additions.

Until December 2030 | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au

Taglietti: Life in Design

Discover the world of The Global Architect, Enrico Taglietti (1926–2019), a visionary whose design principles shaped modern Australian architecture and left an indelible imprint on Canberra, the city he and his wife Franca chose to call home. Celebrating the centenary of Taglietti’s birth, Taglietti: Life in Design explores the life, philosophy, and legacy of one of Australia’s most original architects.

Trace the compelling story of Taglietti’s arrival in Australia through the groundbreaking 1955 Italy in Australia exhibition at David Jones, Sydney, which introduced the latest Milanese design to a globally curious audience and demonstrated the soft power of design diplomacy. Encounter iconic projects from Canberra’s Cinema Center to Sydney’s St Antony’s Parish Church, and gain insight into some of his extraordinary residential designs. Highlighting his collaborative spirit, international acclaim, and significant contribution to Canberra’s architectural identity, Taglietti: Life in Design is a landmark exhibition celebrating a true visionary in architecture and design.

Until 3 May | Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra City | cmag.com.au

Easter

Easter Extravaganza at Let’s Play Indoor Playground

Let’s Play Indoor Playground in Nicholls is pulling out all the Easter stops with an Extravaganza the little ones won’t forget. Egg hunts, Easter crafts, face painting, and free rein of the playground make for a seriously fun morning — and the special visit from the Easter Bunny himself at 11 am is sure to be a highlight. It’s the perfect way to burn off a little of that holiday chocolate energy.

Monday 6 April, 10.30 am–12.30 pm | 7/50 Curran Drive, Nicholls | letsplaycanberra.com.au

Easter Egg-Citement at Corin Forest

If the family is looking for an adventure that goes well beyond a standard egg hunt, Corin Forest’s Easter Egg-Citement package delivers in spades. The deal includes an hour on the Alpine Slide, an hour of pre-season snow play (toboggan hire included), and a 30-minute Easter Egg Hunt.

It’s basically the perfect Canberra Easter trifecta of chocolate, adrenaline, and spectacular scenery.

Until Monday 6 April | 1268 Corin Dam Road, Paddys River | corinforest.com.au

The Great Mini Golf Easter Bunny Hunt

Mini Golf Federation Square in Nicholls has cooked up a delightful Easter activity: hidden Easter bunnies placed throughout the mini golf course, waiting to be found and photographed.

Once the game is done and the photos collected, head to the team to redeem your very own chocolate Easter eggs as a reward. It’s fun, and it’s the perfect excuse to finally try the mini golf.

Until Monday 6 April | Shop 5a/18 O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls | minigolffedsqu.com.au

Easter Egg-citement

Corin Forest has the perfect antidote to a long weekend with nowhere to be. The Easter Egg-citement package combines three of the season’s great pleasures–an alpine slide session, pre-season snow play, and an Easter egg hunt–into one exhilarating adventure in the mountains south of Canberra. An hour on the alpine slide, an hour of snow play, and a 30-minute hunt through the trees makes for a full morning of the kind of outdoor fun that stays in the memory long after the chocolate has been eaten. Tickets are limited, so early booking is essential.

Until Monday 6 April | Corin Forest, Paddy’s River | corin.com.au

Easter Seafood and Bottomless Sparkling Banquet

Easter long weekends were made for exactly this. Natural Nine at Casino Canberra is marking the occasion with a seafood-forward banquet paired with two hours of bottomless Hungerford Hill Dalliance sparkling from Tumbarumba–one of the Snowy Mountains region’s most celebrated cool-climate wines. Available across lunch and dinner sittings from Thursday to Sunday, it’s a genuinely elegant way to mark the long weekend without any of the usual rushing. Beautiful food, flowing bubbles, and absolutely no reason to be anywhere else in a hurry. Bookings are essential–visit the website to reserve a spot.

Until Monday 6 April | Natural Nine, Casino Canberra, Binara Street, City | casinocanberra.com.au

Easter at Canberra Outlet

From Wednesday 1 to Wednesday 8 April, the Easter Bunny is hopping into Canberra Outlet in Fyshwick, handing out Lindt chocolates and posing for photos with kids (and kids at heart).

There will also be a giant Easter Egg – an unmissable photo opportunity if ever there was one.

Wednesday 1 until Wednesday 8 April | 337 Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick | canberraoutlet.com.au

Hop Into Colour at IKEA

For a low-key, no-cost Easter activity that makes a great accompaniment to a family lunch, IKEA Canberra is offering free Easter placemat colouring in the restaurant from Saturday 4 April through to Tuesday 21 April.

Available for children aged three to 12, it’s a simple and joyful activity that keeps little ones happily occupied while the grown-ups enjoy a Swedish meatball in peace.

Until Tuesday 21 April | 1030 Majura Road, Pialligo | ikea.com/au

Special Events and Festivals

The Lost Wonders of the City at Verity Lane Market

Running nightly throughout the Wonderful World Festival, The Lost Wonders of the City transforms Verity Lane Market into a playful family discovery hub after dark. Each evening from 6 pm, free drop-in experiences unfold across the laneway–from laughter-filled trivia nights and roaming magic and juggling performances to interactive gameshow rounds and live music with audience-requested songs and heartfelt dedications. On Saturday afternoon, the program slows to something gentler with a supervised animal petting garden. It’s a week-long invitation to stumble upon something unexpected, connect with strangers, and let the kids lead the way.

Tuesday 7 until Saturday 11 April, from 6 pm | Verity Lane Market, Northbourne Avenue, Canberra | manager@veritylanemarket.com.au

POP Canberra–Wonder Hub

POP Canberra is transforming into a vibrant Wonder Hub for the Wonderful World Festival, and it’s shaping up as one of the most creatively engaging stops in Braddon. Kids receive a Wonderful World POP activity book packed with Canberra icons to spot and festival activities to explore–a genuinely delightful souvenir of the city. A free drop-in art and craft station runs throughout the festival, with children’s artworks added to an ever-evolving storefront collage. There’s also a Mini Makers stall with paint-your-own cookies and toys from local Canberra makers. Come for the creativity, stay for the community.

Tuesday 7 until Friday 10 April | POP Canberra, Lonsdale Street, Braddon | poplocal.com.au

Big Bubble Blowout

Glebe Park is about to be absolutely covered in bubbles, and honestly, what could be better? The Big Bubble Blowout, part of the Wonderful World Festival, begins with a spectacular bubble show on the Glebe Park Stage before transforming into an hour-long bouncing dance party where bubbles big and small are the undisputed stars of the show. Budding bubble artists can test their skills at making stations throughout the park, with prizes on offer for the most creative wands, the biggest bubbles, and the most bubbles made at once. Recommended for ages two to 112.

Friday, 10 April, 1.30 pm–2 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Mr. Moose’s Wonderful Silent Disco

Mooseheads is getting a very different kind of makeover this April. Mr. Moose’s Wonderful Silent Disco transforms Canberra’s iconic venue into a colourful family wonderland for a full day of sessions during the Wonderful World Festival. Children aged 6–14 receive wireless headphones with multiple music channels–kid-friendly pop, nostalgic classics for the grown-ups, and globally diverse sounds reflecting Canberra’s multicultural community–while the room fills with bubbles, vibrant lighting, and face painting. There are special meet-and-greet opportunities with Mr. Moose himself throughout the day. Check ticket conditions carefully before purchasing, as sessions run across multiple timeslots.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–6 pm | Mooseheads, London Circuit, Canberra | moshtix.com.au

National Trust open day at Gungahlin Homestead

One of Canberra’s most storied properties opens its doors to the public this April as part of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival. Gungahlin Homestead began as a Georgian brick building in 1862, before Edward Crace added a grand Victorian sandstone wing in 1883–and later served as a site for CSIRO wildlife research. Now ready for a new chapter, the National Trust is celebrating with guided tours, entertainment, displays, and refreshments. It’s a rare opportunity to step inside a place that carries so many layers of Canberra’s history.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–2.30 pm | Gungahlin Homestead, Bellenden Street | nationaltrust.org.au

Sound and Fury: Live. Art. Rapture. Party.

Canberra’s most singular performance art experience returns for its 24th incarnation, and the theme is Rapture. Presented by Chenoeh Miller of Little Dove Theatre Art, Sound and Fury is not a nightclub and it’s not a sit-down show–it’s something altogether stranger and more alive. Move between spaces, discover hidden performances, follow the music, and let the collision of live music, physical theatre, contemporary performance, and immersive installation lift you somewhere unexpected. Now welcoming 16-and-over audiences, this is a curated eruption in claret and gold. A sister event to the Wonderful World Festival.

Saturday, 11 April, 8 pm until late| Blank Cultural Platform, City Walk, Canberra | events.humanitix.com

Canberra Traditional BoatFest 2026

Heritage meets the water this April as the Canberra Traditional BoatFest returns to the Canberra Yacht Club in Yarralumla as part of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival. Historic vessels and beautiful modern replicas of older designs–mostly built in timber and powered by steam, electric, petrol, or the classic combination of sail and oars–go on display for all to admire. Head down to Kingston Harbour on Saturday or Sunday morning to catch the boats out on Lake Burley Griffin before the main display opens at noon. Entry is free.

Saturday, 11 April, 12 pm–3 pm | Canberra Yacht Club, Yarralumla | canberraboating.com

Tuchasoul Nights: Kings vs Queens of Pop

Tuchasoul Nights at The Jetty – presented by the Amosa Family, a powerhouse Samoan-Australian family band with over 30 years of combined performance experience – is a fully immersive, themed music experience built around the ultimate pop music showdown: Kings vs Queens. Guests choose their side, compete, vote, and sing their hearts out to icons from Whitney Houston and Beyoncé to Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars. A welcome drink and gift on arrival, themed cocktails, a red carpet photo wall, and VIP tables make this an exceptional night out.

Saturday, 11 April, 6 pm–late | The Jetty, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | tuchasoul.com

Block Print & Sew Workshop

With artist/ printmaker Mary Lou Nugent and fashion designer/ maker Dena Pharaoh from Saloon Design House.

On morning arrival, choose from a selection of fabrics and block prints. Create your own unique colour palette and, with direction from Mary Lou print your own design.

In the afternoon Dena will help you select from a variety of patterns and together assist with you to sew up your creation from your fabric. Choose from a simple reversable bag, or a top, skirt or dress.

Want more information? Call Dena on 0403 986 819 or email denapharaoh3@gmail.com. Bookings can be made through www.saloondesignhouse.com

$ 150 includes all materials.

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April, 10 am–4 pm | Braidwood Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) | saloondesignhouse.com

Markets

Pearce Crafters Market

Curiouser and curiouser – the Pearce Crafters Market is taking an enchanting turn this April with an Alice in Wonderland theme that promises to make the trip to Collett Place well worth the effort. Running across two days, the market brings together a wonderful lineup of local makers and artisans, including Suga Mumma’s Cakes, Soft Darlings, Ruthless Customs, Penelope Shilling, Knot Happy Jan, Nature’s Own Wonders, and Emz Art. Whether picking up something handmade and unique or simply soaking up the creative atmosphere, this is one of the most charming community market weekends in Canberra’s autumn calendar.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–3 pm and Sunday, 12 April, 10 am–1 pm | Pearce Community Centre, Pearce | facebook.com

Playwell Brick Market Canberra

LEGO lovers, this one’s for you. Playwell Events returns to Canberra with their ultimate Brick Market at the Pearce Community Centre–a paradise for builders of every age and experience level. Whether hunting for rare and retired sets, sourcing new and used parts by weight, or searching for that elusive minifigure to complete a collection, this is the place to find it. Vintage treasures sit alongside the latest releases in what promises to be a thoroughly satisfying morning for anyone who’s ever spent a Sunday afternoon deep in a LEGO build. Entry by gold coin at the door.

Saturday, 11 April, 9.30 am–1.30 pm | Pearce Community Centre, Pearce | facebook.com

Capital Region Farmers Market

This farmers’ market is iconic for a reason.

Go along to sample the region’s freshest produce from over 100 stallholders who bring freshly picked, grown and hand-crafted goods to Canberra and speak directly with growers and learn cooking tips while supporting the Rotary Club of Hall’s community projects.

It will make you appreciate your Saturday morning shopping trip in a whole new way.

Saturdays, 7 am-11:30 am | Exhibition Park in Canberra, Mitchell | capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au

Old Bus Depot Markets

Lovers of fine hand-crafted wares, clothing collectors, food fanatics and jewellery junkies are just a few of the people who head to Canberra’s award-winning Old Bus Depot Markets every Sunday. In a fabulous old industrial building, you’ll experience the endless colour, tastes, sounds and atmosphere that is “Canberra’s Sunday Best”.

Not your average market, each week you’ll find over 200 stalls of exceptional quality, featuring items all hand-crafted by local and regional creatives. The sheer variety means you’ll discover something unexpected every visit, whether that’s a piece of pottery that speaks to you, a stunning necklace, or the perfect vintage find. There’s simply no better way to spend your Sunday in Canberra.

Sundays, 9.30 am – 2.30 pm | 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | obdm.com.au

Southside Farmers Markets

This village market is located at Canberra College, making it the perfect place to duck in to grab what you need (and maybe a few things you don’t). Order an egg and bacon roll to start the morning as you explore the best of fresh seasonal veggies, handmade pasta, pet treats and more.

Sunday 7 am -11.30 am | 2 Launceston Street, Phillip | facebook.com/SouthsideFarmersMarketCanberra

Haig Park Village Markets

Another local favourite, spend your Sunday morning browsing delicious cuisines, fresh produce, artisan products and locally handmade crafts while enjoying live music, an artists’ table and family-friendly activities.

It’s the kind of market where you can linger over breakfast, discover a new artist, and stock up on fresh produce all in one lovely morning, making it the perfect Sunday outing in leafy Braddon.

Sundays, 8 am – 2 pm | Haig Park, Girrahween Street, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au

Food and Drink

Bloom Stack Wonderland

Bloom Room is joining the Wonderful World Festival with something truly special: Bloom Stack Wonderland, a whimsical floral transformation of the Northbourne Avenue café designed to delight families, couples, and curious visitors alike. For the duration of the festival, the space will be styled with hanging floral installations, pastel dreamscape décor, Wonderland Corners inspired by global beauty, and a feature Bloom Wall perfect for photos. Beautifully crafted pancake creations take centre stage–with special discounts on selected kids’ pancakes–while romantic corners offer a quieter retreat for couples. It’s a feast for the eyes and the appetite in equal measure.

Tuesday 7 until Sunday 12 April | Bloom Room CBR, Northbourne Avenue, City | bloomroomcbr.com.au

Cypher Brewing Co. IIIxIII: Level 3 Unlocked

Gungahlin’s favourite craft brewery is turning three, and it’s marking the occasion in serious style. Cypher Brewing Co.’s IIIxIII: Level 3 Unlocked is a three-day anniversary celebration featuring three brand-new collaboration beers–a Triple West Coast IPA with BentSpoke and Jervis Bay Brewing, a Pastry Stout with Dangerous Ales and Seeker Brewing, and a Hazy IPA with Kicks Brewing and Future Brewing. Friday kicks off with the official launch and live music, Saturday brings an outdoor stage full day with the Canberra Bass Babes and Mi Tierra Band, and Sunday wraps up family-style with live music, face painting, a jumping castle, and fairy floss.

Friday 10 until Sunday 12 April | Cypher Brewing Co., Gungahlin | cypherbrewing.com.au/reservations

Fete Till Late

Fete Till Late at Sandoochie takes the simple pleasures of the classic school fete and reimagines them as a Saturday afternoon of playful nostalgia in the heart of the city. Apple bobbing, sweet and savoury temptations, and lively music create a feast for the senses that parents, grandparents, and children alike will recognise and adore. Kids play freely while adults get wonderfully sentimental. This is what community celebration looks like.

Saturday 11 April, 12 pm–5 pm | Sandoochie, Marcus Clarke Street, City | sandoochie.com.au

The Sweet and Savoury Fondue Cruise

Take a trip to Lake Burley Griffin for a two-hour fondue experience combining rich flavours with autumn views. It’s a cosy, social way to enjoy the season.

Sunday 12 April, 2 pm–4 pm | Canberra Party Boat, Kingston | canberrapartyboat.com.au

Tipsy Tea on the Yacht Club Balcony

Settle in for an afternoon of prosecco, cocktails and grazing-style high tea overlooking the lake. Perfect for a relaxed catch-up with friends.

Sunday 12 April, 3 pm–6 pm | Canberra Southern Cross Club Yacht Club, Yarralumla | cscc.com.au

The Brunch Club at Capitol Bar & Grill

Sunday mornings in Canberra just got a serious upgrade. Capitol Bar & Grill’s Brunch Club is an all-day, unapologetically indulgent affair built for those who believe weekends deserve better than a rushed coffee and toast. The menu runs from fluffy buttermilk pancakes and classic cheeseburgers with secret sauce to miso grilled salmon and a few cheeky surprises in between. The real centrepiece, though, is the Bloody Mary cart–a Ketel One Vodka partnership that lets guests load up with crispy bacon, blue cheese olives, dill pickles, mussels, chilli, and more, built tableside by the brunch bartenders. Running every Sunday until 30 August.

Every Sunday until 30 August | Capitol Bar & Grill, Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra | qthotels.com

Sport and Wellness

Fitness in The Park

Fitness class for all levels of fitness for the whole community. Join Ginninderry local Vince as he takes you through a group fitness class in the fresh air at Paddys Park.

Every Wednesday, 7.30 am to 8.30 am, Paddys Park, Asimus Avenue, Strathnairn | Find out more here.

Yoga at Ginninderry

Get bendy on Thursday evenings at a yoga class! You don’t need any experience – just head along for the slow-flow class that will help melt away tension, build strength and mobility, and give you a chance to recharge. Take along a yoga mat, water bottle, and comfy clothes.

Every Thursday, 6.45 pm to 7.45 pm | The Link, 1 McClymont Way, Strathnairn | More information here.

Puppy Yoga

A yoga session is already good for the body and the mind–but add a room full of puppies and the whole equation changes entirely. Yoga Paws brings its popular Puppy Yoga experience to Narrabundah for a session designed to help participants stretch, reset, and connect with an adorably distracting four-legged co-practitioner. Suitable for all levels and completely organised by the hosts (including, yes, the puppies), all that’s needed is the willingness to show up and have a very good time. Bookings are essential for this one–it’s exactly as popular as it sounds.

Saturday 11 April | Sanctuary Canberra, Brockman Street, Narrabundah | yogapawsbrisbane.com

Music

Jerikye Williams

Some performers are simply born for the stage, and Wiradjuri singer and guitarist Jerikye Williams is one of them. A natural showman praised as an enthralling performer across all ages and genres, Jerikye brings the spirit of 1950s and 60s rock’n’roll to the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage, moving effortlessly from Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak classics to his own original compositions. Joined by the Wonderful World House Band and blessed with a voice that reaches the operatic highs and richest low notes, this is a performance with genuine heart and soul at its centre.

Tuesday 7 April, 2:05 pm–3:05 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Otto and Astrid

Berlin’s self-proclaimed Prince and Princess of art rock and Europop are landing in Canberra, and it’s going to be wonderfully chaotic. Otto and Astrid–the hilarious alter egos of Melbourne-based comedy duo Dan Tobias and Clare Bartholomew–have toured their anarchic Greatest Hits show to Soho Theatre in London, Joe’s Pub in New York, and festivals across Europe and the US. The siblings clash like chalk and cheese on stage, but the sparks that fly are pure joy. Part Wonderful World Festival, part theatrical phenomenon, this Glebe Park Stage set is a must for anyone who likes their rock’n’roll with a side of absurdity.

Tuesday 7 April, 3.15 pm–4.15 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Miles Brown–Theremin Dance Party

The theremin is the world’s oldest electronic instrument, and Miles Brown might be its most entertaining advocate. At the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage, this internationally acclaimed theremin artist and composer brings his captivating live show to Canberra–weaving the strange science and unusual history of the instrument with his own hilarious personal journey of learning to master something fiendishly difficult. Having performed everywhere from Play School to Spicks and Specks to the Sydney Opera House, Brown delivers unearthly electronic music that’s genuinely spellbinding. For those who want more, intimate shows are also available at Smith’s.

Wednesday, 8 April, 4:50 pm–6 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Peter Combe and the Bellyflop in a Pizza Band

Pull out the orange juice and dust off the newspaper hats–Peter Combe is coming to Glebe Park. Part of the Wonderful World Festival, this free family show brings more than 40 years of beloved Australian children’s music to the stage, with the songs that have shaped generations of households: Wash Your Face in Orange Juice, Mr Clicketty Cane, and all the Christmas favourites. Kids will giggle, parents will reminisce, and everyone will discover the simple, silly magic of songs written with pure joy. Sharing this with the next generation is something rather special.

Wednesday, 8 April, 12.10 pm–1.10 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

The Goldberg Variations: Wesley Lunchtime Concert

Few works in the classical repertoire carry the emotional range of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and the intimate Wesley Music Centre in Forrest is just about the ideal setting to hear them performed in full. Extraordinary young pianist Charles Huang–who has previously brought the entire first book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to Canberra audiences–takes on the monumental Aria with Thirty Variations this Wednesday lunchtime, delivering what promises to be a genuinely remarkable hour. Tickets are $15 and include the program and refreshments. A very special way to spend a Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday 8 April, 12.40 pm–1.20 pm | Wesley Music Centre, National Circuit, Forrest | trybooking.com/DIJJK

Ben Walsh–The Drum Wheel

Imagine an octagonal drum that a master percussionist plays by moving his whole body around it in a continuous, breathtaking loop. That’s The Drum Wheel, and Ben Walsh–one of Australia’s most innovative percussionists–is the person who built and performs it. Part of the Wonderful World Festival, this 45-minute show at Glebe Park Stage draws on Walsh’s deep love of Japanese taiko and his passion for instrument design, exploring the many rhythms and unexpected melodies of this extraordinary instrument. If you’ve never quite understood why percussion matters, this is the performance that will settle that question permanently.

Thursday, 9 April, 2.45 pm–3.30 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan

Imagine Einstein, Dr Seuss, and Paganini making pancakes together – and you’re somewhere in the vicinity of Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan’s stage presence. Mal is a vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentalist, and looping beatboxing songwriter who plays guitar, mbira, slide trumpet, trombone, chromatic harmonica, and his beloved loop pedal Derek. Kylie, who has performed with Orchestra Victoria, Stevie Wonder, and Barry White, provides violin and voice in perfect counterpoint to Mal’s inspired chaos. Together they create something genuinely unlike anything else on the Wonderful World Festival program. Catch them at the Glebe Park Stage on Thursday and Friday evenings.

Thursday 9 until Friday 10 April, 4.50 pm–5.35 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Miles Brown–Electro-Magnetism

The theremin might be the world’s oldest electronic instrument, but in Miles Brown’s hands, it sounds like nothing from this world at all. Part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities at Smiths Alternative, this captivating one-man show explores the strange science and haunting history of the theremin–the instrument that gives retro sci-fi and horror films their most eerie soundscapes–with Brown’s trademark blend of curiosity, dark humour, and genuinely beautiful electronic music. An internationally acclaimed performer who has played everywhere from Play School to the Sydney Opera House, Brown makes the impossible look effortless.

Thursday 9 until Friday 10 April | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, City | smithsalternative.com

Big Boss Groove

The Wonderful World Festival kicks off its Friday program with something guaranteed to get Glebe Park moving. Big Boss Groove–Canberra’s premier party band–brings nine supremely talented musicians to the stage for a shimmering, high-energy set of classic disco tunes with a few funky new flavours woven in. With two powerhouse vocalists, a three-piece horn section, and a groove-heavy rhythm section holding it all together, this is the kind of performance that makes it genuinely impossible to stay seated. Whether the little ones lead the charge onto the dance floor or the adults get there first, everyone’s welcome.

Friday 10 April, 12.30 pm–1.30 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

The Vegetable Plot: Pajamazon Jungle

Here’s a band that has transcended the kids’ music category entirely. The Vegetable Plot–Aspara Gus, Ru Barb, and Sir Paul McCarrotney–bring their award-winning show Pajamazon Jungle to Tuggeranong Arts Centre this April, combining puppetry, live music, extraordinarily catchy songs, and a generous heap of rotten puns. With two Fringe Kids awards, two ARIA nominations, millions of Spotify streams, and listeners in over 150 countries, this is a group that adults enjoy just as much as their children. An organic, interactive theatre experience for families that earns every single one of those earworms.

Friday, 10 April, 10.30 am–11.15 am | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Reed Street North | tuggeranongarts.com

D’Opus and Roshambo reunite

Canberra hip-hop royalty is coming home. D’Opus and Roshambo – once young masters of the craft, now seasoned family men with two decades of perspective – are reuniting for a one-off show at the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage. Ross and Rowan have shared bills with the likes of Pharoah Monch, Lupe Fiasco, Blackalicious, and Cut Chemist, and performed at festivals including Soundscape and Foreshore. Their return in 2026 marks more than 20 years of making positive hip-hop that represents the Nation’s Capital with style and substance. Vinyl spinning, microphones vibing, and plenty of feel-good nostalgia for the whole family.

Friday, 10 April, 5.20 pm–6 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Diesel By Request

Diesel is putting the setlist in the hands of his audience, and the results are as electric as you’d expect. The By Request tour offers a genuinely unique concert experience–fans shape the night, with choices spanning his entire career from 1989’s debut Johnny Diesel and The Injectors through to his most recent release, Bootleg Melancholy. With no two shows identical, there’s every chance of hearing something unexpected alongside the hits that made Diesel a household name. Intimate, entirely audience-driven, and full of the kind of spontaneity that makes live music irreplaceable–this one is for the true fans.

Friday, 10 April, 7.30 pm–9.45 pm | The Street Theatre, Childers Street, City | thestreet.org.au

AYO Symphonists: Voyage of Discovery

Australia’s finest high-school classical musicians gather in Canberra this April for a concert that promises to be one of the most moving experiences of the school holidays season. Under the baton of Singapore’s Chan Tze Law, the Australian Youth Orchestra Symphonists take audiences on a voyage of emotional discovery–from Naomi Dodd’s vibrant Run, through the romantic passion of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, into the spiritual reflection of Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin’s Awakened, and concluding with Elgar’s radiant portrait of Italy in In the South. Young musicians, formidable repertoire, and a performance not to be missed.

Saturday, 11 April, 2 pm–3.30 pm | Snow Concert Hall, Red Hill | ayo.com.au

Rufino and the Wreckage: Discotheque Tropicale

Saturday’s Carnival stage at the Wonderful World Festival closes in the most spectacular fashion possible, with Rufino and the Wreckage bringing their infectious tropical-punk-disco energy to Glebe Park. Infamous for their swagger, their flamboyance, and genuinely irresistible genre-bending grooves, Rufino and his seven-piece Wreckage weave reggae, tropikal noir, and plenty of fabulous into a party-infused dreamscape that works beautifully for every age group and dance ability. If the music doesn’t sweep the whole crowd into the tropical spirit within the first two minutes, there may simply be no hope. No bookings required.

Saturday, 11 April, 5 pm–6 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Sam Buckingham–Beautiful Machine Tour

Since her career-defining album Dear John in 2022, Sam Buckingham has built one of the most devoted followings on the Australian live circuit–with six sold-out national headline tours, festival appearances at Woodford, Wild Village, and Queenscliff, and supports for Paul Kelly, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Whitlams, and Ben Lee to her name. This year sees the release of Beautiful Machine, a cross-Pacific collaboration with Australian-born Nashville-based producer Clare Reynolds. Catch her bringing the new material to life at The Street Theatre in what promises to be an intimate and unforgettable night.

Saturday, 11 April, 7.30 pm–9.20 pm | The Street Theatre, Childers Street, City | thestreet.org.au

Reserve Skank of Australia: Canberra’s finest ska-reggae

Canberra’s finest ska-reggae-rocksteady band (under-40s division) takes the Glebe Park Stage on Saturday afternoon as part of the Wonderful World Festival. Inspired by Gregory Isaacs, Peter Tosh, and Eek-A-Mouse, the Reserve Skank of Australia create uplifting rootsman riddims that are as good for a deep head-nod as they are for a full-body groove. Whether you’re a long-time lover of ska and punk or discovering proper ragga for the first time, this is one of those Glebe Park sets that tends to draw people in from across the park. All ages welcome.

Saturday 11 April, 2.15 pm–3 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Zambezi Sounds

The Wonderful World Festival continues its Saturday program with one of Canberra’s most beloved local bands bringing the spirit of the Zambezi River to Glebe Park. Zambezi Sounds draws inspiration from the Nyami Nyami–the spiritual custodians of the river that flows between Zimbabwe and Zambia–weaving together mbira, guitar, and river drumming into a danceable mix of contemporary and traditional African rhythms and Caribbean reggae. It’s the kind of music that reaches straight through the ribcage and gets hips moving without asking permission. All ages welcome, no bookings required.

Saturday 11 April, 3:45 pm–4:30 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Stage and Screen

Dandy Man–Ding Dilemmas

Head management at the Ding Hotel wants to replace everyone with AI. Ding the Hotel Manager has other ideas. Presented at Smiths Alternative as part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Ding Dilemmas is a slapstick, circus-packed family adventure that makes a delightfully chaotic case for the irreplaceable magic of human connection. When an unexpected catastrophe strikes, it’s up to Ding and his newly hired team to save the day through impossible feats, jaw-dropping stunts, and laugh-out-loud mishaps. World-class physical comedian Daniel Oldaker delivers the chaos with enormous skill and warmth.

Tuesday 7 until Wednesday 8 April, 2 pm–3 pm | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, City | smithsalternative.com

Chameleon Collective

Bees have never looked this beautiful on stage. Buzzz ACT is an award-winning dance and science show from the Chameleon Collective that explores the importance of bees in ecology, biodiversity, and the food chain through movement, music, and facts that will have young audience members buzzing with new knowledge. Produced by The Stellar Company, a multi-arts organisation championing diversity and cross-cultural collaboration, the show features performers of all abilities in a celebration of inclusive, accessible arts at its very finest. Part of the Wonderful World Festival at Glebe Park, it ties beautifully into Polyglot’s interactive bee experience in Garema Place.

Tuesday, 7 April, 1.25 pm–1.50 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan present Notey and Noisy: a sound science mathemusical

What happens when the perfect note and the perfect noise have always eluded their creators? That’s the question at the heart of Notey and Noisy, a 90-minute adventure through the facts, physics, and frivolity of music, presented by Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan as part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities at Smiths Alternative. Playing seven characters between them, Mal and Kylie pull off extraordinarily complex arrangements and looping while exploring why the science of music is a series of near misses and slippery slopes. Part radio show, part physics lesson, entirely captivating.

Tuesday 7 April, 10.30 am–12 pm | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, Canberra | smithsalternative.com

Project Dust

Project Dust brings something genuinely moving to the Wonderful World Festival’s Glebe Park Stage–First Nations stories told through the power of contemporary and hip hop dance. Established in 2022, Project Dust is a Canberra-based community providing a safe, nurturing space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to connect with culture, build confidence, and perform. Participants from many different Tribes come together through mentorship, resilience, and creative expression, and the result is a performance that takes audiences on a magical journey ending in joyful participation. Kids and grown-ups alike are warmly invited to join the interactive finale.

Tuesday 7 until Friday 10 April | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Giggly Wiggly Balloons–The Twisty Science Show

What do balloons and DNA have in common? Dr Chloe Lim is about to explain everything. A scientist, professional balloon artist, and Channel 7’s Blow Up finalist, Dr Chloe brings her book What Makes You Unique? to life at the Wonderful World Festival through spectacular balloon creations and playful scientific discovery about genes and what makes each of us wonderfully individual. It’s colourful, interactive, and genuinely educational–the rare kind of children’s show that has both kids and adults equally engaged from start to finish. Running 8 and 12 April. Recommended for ages five to 12.

Wednesday, 8 April and Sunday, 12 April | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

The Great Gatsby: a jazz ballet odyssey

The roaring twenties arrive at Canberra Theatre Centre this April in the most spectacular fashion imaginable. The world premiere of The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey reimagines F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic through a genre-defying fusion of ballet, tap, and jazz, directed and choreographed by Joel Burke. The score weaves Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and James P Johnson’s The Charleston alongside bold new compositions, while some of the world’s greatest dancers bring Gatsby’s story to life in bedazzled costumes on spectacular sets. Glittering, exhilarating, and unlike anything Canberra has seen before.

Wednesday 8 April–Sunday, 12 April | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit | bigliveco.com

Mic Conway and Robbie Long

Vaudeville is back, and it never looked this gloriously unhinged. The Wonderful World Festival welcomes Mic Conway and Robbie Long to the Glebe Park Stage for an afternoon of idiosyncratic songs, magic, juggling, and the kind of irreverent, tongue-in-cheek storytelling that makes jaws drop and sides split in equal measure. Fans of Conway’s days with Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band and Circus Oz will recognise the spirit immediately, while newcomers are in for a complete revelation. From Wash Your Face in Orange Juice to a surprisingly heart-breaking Mad World, this is surreal vaudeville for crooning and swooning.

Wednesday, 8 April, 1.25 pm–2.25 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Dandy Man

There’s a reason Daniel Oldaker’s Dandyman has been compared to Buster Keaton, Mr. Bean, and Jacques Tati–and seeing him in action makes that connection immediately apparent. Part of the Wonderful World Festival at Glebe Park, Dandyman delivers razor-sharp physical comedy in an impeccably tailored package: a world-class nouvelle clown whose virtuoso timing, expressive physicality, and joyful chaos have entertained millions from screen to stage. Dapper, charming, and full of cheeky surprises, this is the kind of performance that holds audiences of every age completely spellbound from beginning to end. Suitable for ages zero to 112.

Wednesday, 8 April, 3.40 pm–4.10 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

Sabrina Live

The Sabrina Carpenter experience is coming to Llewellyn Hall, and fans already know this is going to be a very good night. Sabrina Live delivers show-stopping vocals, stunning choreography, and a setlist packed with the songs Carpenter fans know by heart–from the fierce punch of Feather to the cheeky charm of Nonsense and the stadium-sized singalong energy of Espresso. Part concert, part theatrical confessional, part pop fever dream, it’s Broadway-level production meets arena-worthy energy in one of Canberra’s most beautiful performance spaces. Get the group chat going. Dress accordingly. Sing loudly.

Thursday, 9 April, 7.30 pm–9.30 pm | Llewellyn Hall, ANU, Canberra | llewellynhall.com.au

Alias the Faerie’s Bubble Show

On a strange planet, an adventurer sets out to explore a world where bubbles are part of daily life. Alias the Faerie’s Bubble Show, part of the Wonderful World Festival’s Cabinet of Curiosities at Smiths Alternative, is a dazzling live experience developed with Canberra artists from Alias Performance and Circoscope circus production house. Wobbling bubble walls, gravity-defying stunts, frolics in foam, and even fiery surprises bring this whimsical universe to life in a performance that genuinely earns its wonder. Audiences can also catch a shorter set from the same performers during the Big Bubble Blowout at Glebe Park Stage.

Thursday 9 and Friday 10 April, 2 pm–3 pm | Smiths Alternative, Alinga Street, City | smithsalternative.com

Bell Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

The whispers have started. Julius Caesar has returned from battle to the roar of an adoring crowd, and the word “king” is circulating through the senate and streets of Rome once more. Fearful of where Caesar’s growing power leads, Brutus and Cassius hatch a conspiracy that will shake the republic to its foundations–and unleash a cascade of violence they can’t control. Peter Evans’ thrilling new production of Shakespeare’s great political masterpiece opens at Canberra Theatre Centre this April, with performances running through to 18 April. Complex, urgent, and as relevant as ever.

Friday 10 April until Saturday, 18 April | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, City | canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Linsey Pollak

Has anyone ever considered making bagpipes out of a rubber kitchen glove? Linsey Pollak has – and that’s just the beginning. Part of the Wonderful World Festival, his show Still Searching for That Sound takes audiences on a journey through a lifetime of instrument invention, from feather dusters to watering cans to carrots, using live-looping to layer these self-invented creations into music that is somehow both mind-bending and curiously beautiful. Equal parts science demonstration, personal story, and musical performance, it’s the kind of show that leaves people genuinely questioning everything they thought they knew about sound. Recommended for ages six to 112.

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April, 12.10 pm–12.50 pm | Glebe Park Stage, Canberra | inthecity.com.au

NFSA’s Autumn Film Series

Reality meets imagination this season at the National Film and Sound Archive. The Autumn Film Series presents powerful storytelling and big-screen spectacle, inviting audiences to question reality, explore new perspectives and enjoy cinema that lingers after credits roll. Magic realism, social realism and Cinema Verité explore the tension between fantasy and reality. Community-focused festivals and partnerships include the Sign on Screen Film Festival presenting sign language cinema, Upstaging Canberra screenings, Trans Day of Visibility with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Book Club at NFSA, First Nations stories, CLIPPED Music Video Festival, documentaries, Science.Art.Film series and Cult Classics. Varied dates throughout autumn.

Until Sunday 31 May | National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton | nfsa.gov.au

Talks

Australia’s Naval Alliances: John Seymour and Hugh White

It’s a question that cuts close to home for Australians: are we repeating the same strategic mistake of the 1930s, this time with America instead of Britain? Author John Seymour joins Professor Hugh White of the Australian National University at the National Library to discuss Seymour’s new book Australia’s Naval Alliances: Lessons of History, which traces how Australia’s dependence on the Royal Navy left the country largely defenceless in 1941 and 1942. The conversation promises to be frank, timely, and deeply relevant to Australia’s current strategic position as AUKUS unfolds.

Tuesday 7 April, 6 pm–7 pm | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au

Workshops

Journey Journals: outdoor painting workshop with Ineka Voigt

The rose gardens at Old Parliament House are stunning in any season, and this April they provide the backdrop for one of the most inviting creative experiences on the school holidays calendar. Local artist Ineka Voigt leads a full-day outdoor painting workshop, guiding participants of all ages in creating colourful artworks that tell a story about family, pets, hobbies, or community. All materials are provided, and the relaxed format–pack a picnic, invite some friends, spend a beautiful autumn day making something meaningful–makes this one genuinely hard to improve upon. Bookings are essential.

Thursday 9 April, 10 am–3 pm | Museum of Australian Democracy Rose Gardens, Old Parliament House, Parkes | moadoph.gov.au

Exhibitions

STAUNCH.

A powerful new exhibition opens at Craft + Design Canberra this April, introducing the STAUNCH. Collective–seven Blak artists whose work centres on culture as a practice of resistance. Each artist brings their own creative voice to questions of growth, connection, and healing, drawing from Country, community, and collaboration to open space for discussion, discourse, and genuine joy. STAUNCH. asks visitors to sit with a challenging and vital question: what does resistance truly look like, and how do we each navigate our relationship with the colony? An important and thought-provoking exhibition not to be missed.

Thursday, 9 April until Saturday, 23 May | Craft + Design Canberra, London Circuit, City | craftanddesigncanberra.org

Rewild: 2025 Artists-in-Residence Exhibition

What happens when two artists spend extended time immersed in the landscape of Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, then go behind the scenes at the National Zoo and Aquarium to explore conservation practices? The answer unfolds in Rewild, a new exhibition by Michele Grimston and Hannah McKellar developed through the 2025 Craft + Design Canberra Artist-in-Residence program. Framed by the theme of rewilding and ecological restoration, the works reflect a deep attentiveness to the natural world and its shifting relationship with humans. The exhibition opens with an artist talk on 9 April, with both artists joining Exhibitions Coordinator Stacy Jewell in conversation.

Thursday, 9 April until Saturday, 23 May | Craft + Design Canberra, London Circuit, City | craftanddesigncanberra.org

2026 Exhibition of Quilts

The Queanbeyan Quilters community throws open the doors of Bicentennial Hall this April for a weekend celebration of the craft that has been bringing people together for generations. The 2026 Exhibition of Quilts showcases a beautiful range of works made by community members, alongside live demonstrations, a sales table, and a Quilters market to browse at leisure. The much-anticipated raffle is back too, with three prizes including two stunning quilts and a $300 Bunnings voucher. Refreshments are available on site, entry is $5 at the door, and children under 12 are free. Cash and EFTPOS both accepted.

Saturday, 11 April, 10 am–5 pm and Sunday, 12 April, 10 am–3 pm | Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall, Crawford Street, Queanbeyan | facebook.com

Wangka Wakaṉutja: the story of the Papunya Literature Production Centre

Between 1979 and 1990, the Papunya Literature Production Centre produced hundreds of illustrated bilingual books–funny, moving, extraordinary documents of Pintupi-Luritja language and culture, guided by community Elders who were also pioneers of the Western Desert art movement. Many of those books have been held in the National Library’s collections ever since, and this landmark new exhibition finally brings them to life. Featuring stories, drawings, photographs, manuscripts, and oral histories drawn from multiple collections, it’s a profoundly significant celebration of Aboriginal literary culture, collective creativity, and the remarkable human effort to keep language alive across generations.

Until Sunday, 11 October | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/wangka-wakanutja

Traces

Tuggeranong Arts Centre presents work by five artists with connections to Ngunnawal and Ngambri land. Alexander Sarsfield, Bridget Baskerville, Clementine McIntosh, Gemma Brown and Sarah Murray work across ceramics, textiles, printmaking, drawing, weaving and community-based practices. The exhibition explores material processes and connections to place and people. Brown utilises experimental processes with industrial waste and commercial ceramic materials. Baskerville submerges metal plates in bodies of water to create corrosion marks. McIntosh uses site-responsive techniques including buried textiles and plant dyes. Sarsfield shares Māori culture through communal raranga weaving practices. Murray creates large-scale gestural paintings challenging colonial landscape ideals through embodied experiences of place.

Until Friday, 11 April | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North, Greenway | tuggeranongarts.com

Bean Soup

Canberra glass artist Bailey Donovan presents an immersive exhibition centred on recurring glass bean forms. The installation includes blown sculptures, wall-mounted works and colour compositions exploring relationships between domestic craft, queer identity and glass’s expressive nature. Donovan’s signature bean shapes embrace irregular silhouettes and uneven contours, offering alternatives to traditional glassblowing aesthetics focused on symmetry and technical refinement. The work references domestic textiles including gingham and crochet through cane work, colour overlays and patterning techniques. Bean clusters vary from small collectible-sized pieces to larger abstract blown forms arranged in compositions referencing kitchen jars and fabric scraps. The exhibition celebrates material exploration through humour and comfort.

Until Friday, 11 April | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North, Greenway | tuggeranongarts.com

The Long Look

Five printmakers who met at the Canberra School of Art Printmaking Workshop in the late 1990s reunite for an exhibition celebrating innovative practices. Cecile Galizzo, G.W. Bot, Lizzie Hall, Craig Cameron and John Pratt share material-based approaches where etching plates and woodblocks become artworks, metal becomes drawing, and repetition transforms into methodology. The exhibition references deep consideration needed during uncertain times, bringing together old friends to celebrate making art. Works in wood, metal and paper distil years of observing and inhabiting natural landscapes and internal landscapes of myth and memory. The exhibition functions as a conversation between artists reflecting their longstanding friendships.

Until Friday, 11 April | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North, Greenway | tuggeranongarts.com

DEEP END BY AMY CLAIRE MILLS

Deep End is an immersive sensory installation inviting exploration through touch, sight, and sound. The project explores the concept of accessible and adaptive ‘third spaces’. Third spaces, beyond home and work, are informal social environments that foster community and connection (Oldenburg, 1989).

However, for many Disabled people, third spaces often default to medical environments like doctors’ waiting rooms and outpatient clinics. Public pools have long served as adaptive third spaces existing somewhere between the social and the medical. Deep End invites you to wade into a future in which care, access, and disability culture are embedded in the design from the very beginning.

Until Sunday 12 April | Canberra Contemporary, 44 Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | canberracontemporary.com.au/current

WATER BY HANDS ON STUDIO

The artworks in Water have been developed by artists from Hands On Studio, Canberra, whose practices foreground process, material engagement, and embodied ways of making.

Through diverse approaches and mediums, the artists examine water as a mutable substance that exists across multiple states — liquid, solid, and vapour — and across varied registers of meaning. Rain, sea, ice, and tap water are considered not only for their physical properties, but for the social, political, and environmental contexts in which they are encountered.

Until Sunday 12 April | Canberra Contemporary, 44 Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | canberracontemporary.com.au/current

Curator tours: National Library Treasures Gallery

Discover the stories behind key items in the Treasures Gallery with a curator-led tour.

Tuesday, 14 April and Tuesday, 28 April, Various times | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au

In Bloom

In Bloom explores the beauty and symbolism of flowers. Featuring more than 50 portraits from the National Portrait Gallery collection, new acquisitions and selected loans, you will discover how flowers have long been used in art to express emotion and convey messages of personal, cultural and religious significance.

The show is a weird and wonderful floral extravaganza that includes much-loved and lesser-known works from the collection. See socialites, chefs, musicians, actors, doctors and politicians who are all unified by their accompanying floral markers.

Until Sunday 19 April 2026 | National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | portrait.gov.au

Bilong Papua New Guinea: 50 years of Independence

Bilong Papua New Guinea marks the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence and the birth of a new nation on September 16, 1975. The National Gallery holds the largest collection of Papua New Guinea urban art outside the country. Each of the works selected for Bilong Papua New Guinea presents a story, reflecting on cultural heritage, historical moments, the influence of ancestors, Christianity, kastom, societal changes and new technologies.

Until Sunday 19 April | National Gallery, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

5th National Indigenous Art Triennial

The National Indigenous Art Triennial brings together commissioned work by established and emerging First Nations artists from across Australia. Artistic Director Tony Albert (Girramay/Yidinji/Kuku-Yalanji peoples), one of Australia’s foremost contemporary artists, leads this iteration. After the Rain presents new immersive projects resonating with ideas of rebirth and cycles of cleansing, celebrating inter-generational legacies and cultural warriors of past, present and future. Made possible through the continued generosity of Wesfarmers Arts and key philanthropic supporters, the Triennial creates an important platform for art and ideas. Following its Kamberri/Canerra presentation, After the Rain will tour nationally.

Until Sunday, 26 April 2026 | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

THE WEATHER AND WHAT IS by Olive Burgess

This exhibition makes central a lesbian experience within a world shaped by dualisms—mind/body, nature/culture, windy/still, useful/redundant, productive/wasted, man/woman, hetero/not. Printmaking, photography and sculptural materials hold subject Burgess’ garden as kin, alongside her body.

Full, generous, focused, and sensual, The Weather and What Is opens space for a re-imagining of intimacy, ecology, history, and embodiment beyond dominant cultural frames.

Until Sunday, 26 April | Platform, 19 Furneaux Street, Forrest | canberracontemporary.com.au

The hidden world of the small – beautiful, powerful or vulnerable

The Hidden World of the Small examines the often overlooked. Seven artists from the Tin Shed Art Group pull focus onto the minute details of life, finding the power and beauty in tiny, quiet subjects.

Through a range of mediums, the group navigates the tension between beauty and power on a small scale, uncovering moments that usually stay hidden in plain sight.

See how the smallest subjects can tell the biggest stories.

Until Monday 27 April | Strathnairn Arts Association, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt | More information here. 

Hallyu! The Korean Wave

An exhibition exploring Korea’s cultural journey to global influence through 250 objects from the V&A in London. The exhibition spans film, fashion, drama, beauty and music–from BTS to aespa, Squid Game to Parasite, glass skin to bibimbap. Visitors can discover the powerhouse behind Korea’s dramatic cultural transformation and the vibrant world of K-culture as it continues to sweep across the globe. The exhibition examines how creativity, collaboration and cultural ambition shaped Korea’s contemporary identity.

Until Sunday, 10 May | National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula, Acton | nma.gov.au

Between What Remains

Belconnen Arts Centre hosts this creative reunion between David Manley and Hilary Wardhaugh. Through photography and post-documentary urban landscapes, the exhibition explores trauma, memory and disconnection. Conceptually aligned yet distinct, their works invite quiet reflection on time, place and shared histories.

Until Sunday, 17 May | West Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Witness

Reef and coastal ecosystems are environments of inspiration where many escape to rejuvenate, enveloped in the natural world. These teeter on the edge of flourish and destruction, resilience and fragility. Witness focuses on the pursuit to explore, experience and bear witness to these ecosystems undergoing critical change in the artist’s lifetime—with a wavering mix of awe, grief and hope. The exhibition examines environments that serve as sources of renewal while simultaneously facing unprecedented pressures. It documents the tension between beauty and vulnerability in marine and coastal landscapes.

Until Sunday, 17 May | The Nook, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Chasing Alice

Annie Lok’s exhibition features the latest works in her ongoing Rabbit Holes series. Each piece features a female protagonist, the Alice, navigating carefully constructed compositions imbued with symmetry, balance, texture and colour theory. Using photo editing software, Lok manipulates personal and found imagery through filtering, warping, stretching and layering to invent a landscape for each Alice to discover. Influenced by academic interests tackling the human experience through social, political and art historical lenses, the work also serves as an escape from chronic pain following a 2021 workplace accident that left Lok with ruptured discs and neuropathy.

Until Sunday, 17 May | Window Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Inhabiting Change

Fiona Heard’s exploration of impermanence invites viewers to see the present as the dynamic space between what was and what will be. Heard’s artistic process embraces the unpredictable nature of hand printing, accepting unexpected marks and reduced control to create initial imagery. The compositions are based on the landscape of southern NSW, reflecting Heard’s memory and ongoing relationship with this environment. Final artworks are built through configuration—tearing, combining and sewing images to produce the work. These pieces move beyond representation, evoking a feeling of abstracted familiarity that speaks to continuous becoming.

Until Sunday, 17 May | East Wall, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Mental Health and Nature

Jennifer Adams challenges the narrow view of mental health treatment as a clinical activity within four walls, positioning experiences of nature as vital for mental health. This is Adams’s first solo exhibition in over ten years. Mental Health and Nature celebrates nature experienced locally in Canberra, nearby farmland returned to its natural environment and other Australian locations. Adams draws out shapes, adds vibrant colours and decorative elements to express her response to the natural world. Subjects include people participating in nature and their bonds with animals. The experiential exhibition wraps viewers in colours, designs and positive imagery.

Until Sunday, 17 May | Generator Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

Stained with Light

Sarah Murray brings together earlier work exploring embodied experiences of landscape with current work exploring the sublime, spirituality and sin. Murray has created a series of paintings in acrylic and oils that explore painterly dynamics of figuration versus representation, layering, shifting grounds, gestural mark-making and vibrant colour use. Using references to religious art-historical paintings as grounding, Murray creates vibrant, visceral compositions on traditional and non-traditional supports of sewn quilt-like canvases. Earlier work created embodied experiences of landscape through en-plein air painting, while current pieces translate themes of sublime versus grotesque and depictions of sin.

Until Sunday, 17 May | Pivot Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au

In real life: inventors, innovators and opportunists

Celebrate Australian innovation at National Archives’ latest exhibition in Canberra, In real life: inventors, innovators and opportunists. Explore the history of Australian invention, from First Nations creativity to 150 years of patents, designs and trademark registrations.

See life-changing inventions, iconic designs and household brand names with original design drawings and trademarks from the national archival collection alongside their real-life counterparts.

Australians from all walks of life have pursued their ideas in the laboratory, at the drafting table and in the humble backyard shed. Learn about the innovators behind advances such as the baby capsule, spray-on skin and the stump-cam. Discover the origins of everyday products and national icons such as the Victa lawnmower, Hills Hoist and ‘goon bag’.

From pedestrian crossing buttons to dual flush toilets, see how the Australian Government played a vital role in supporting inventions and designs that you regularly see, hear, use – and flush. Spark your own imagination and be inspired by stories of bold dreams, determination and Australian ingenuity.

Until Sunday 17 May | National Archives of Australia, Kings Avenue, Parkes | naa.gov.au

Good Neighbour

Belconnen Arts Centre presents an offsite group exhibition at SLA Display Village and Innovation Precinct, Whitlam, curated by Brooke McEachern. A printmaker, glass blower, ceramist, mark maker and knifemaker come together celebrating local makers and quiet creative lives unfolding around us. Estelle Briedis, Hugo Curtis, Jacky Lo, Isobel Rayson and Dan Venables live and work in our neighbourhoods as familiar dog-walkers, corner café regulars or simply good neighbours. Through functional objects and considered craftsmanship, the exhibition presents works feeling personal and lived-with, as though gathered over time from friends and neighbours. The collaboration highlights the creative talent existing within everyday community spaces, making visible the artistic practice happening in homes and studios throughout Canberra’s suburbs.

Until Sunday, 13 July | SLA Display Village, Whitlam | belcoarts.com.au

Trent Parke: The Christmas tree bucket

Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas. The series showcases Parke’s distinctive and acclaimed visual style and his skilful use of light and colour, to transcendent effect.The Christmas tree bucket is a candid, unsettling and often absurd portrait of family life—centred on the chaos, rituals and contradictions of the suburban Australian Christmas. It is a fond, insider’s view—sharp but affectionate—and one that the participants, after initial bemusement, actively embraced.

Parke draws from the legacy of postwar American photography while retaining a distinctly personal visual language, using light and colour to transform the everyday. The resulting photographs are both intimate and theatrical, sometimes hilarious, sometimes poetic and haunting. The exhibition also features a small selection of work from Parke’s black-and-white series Minutes to midnight 2003‒04 and a number of his handmade concertina photobooks, which he sees as a central part of his practice.

Until Sunday 6 September | National Gallery, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

Illuminate: How Science Comes to Light

Questacon presents an interactive exhibition exploring the science of light through 13 hands-on exhibits. Visitors can experiment with light refraction, colour blending, shadow manipulation and reflection across multiple activity stations. The exhibition demonstrates how light travels, reflects and refracts, alongside displays of tools humans have developed to harness light. Activities include bending light, using sensors to create music, and working with lenses. The exhibition is designed for hands-on engagement with scientific concepts. Illuminate: How Science Comes to Light is a Museums Victoria Touring Exhibition running until November 2026.

Until Sunday, 22 November | Questacon–The National Science and Technology Centre, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | questacon.edu.au

Behind the Lines 2025: ‘Are We Rolling?’

Behind the Lines 2025: ‘Are We Rolling?’ celebrates the year’s best political cartoons.

Featuring established and emerging cartoonists from across Australia, this exhibition highlights the significant contribution they make to cultural and political debates through witty, insightful and often poignant satirical drawings.

This year our Behind the Lines theme is the cinema, acknowledging that, like some of our favourite movies, 2025 has been full of thrills and spills, romance and heartbreak, with plenty of unexpected plot twists. Australia’s cartoonists and illustrators have tackled many of the issues that made news, including the federal election, the cost of living, energy policy, interest rates, housing security, the economy, climate change and stories from overseas.

Until December 2026 | Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House | moadoph.gov.au

Gurindji Freedom Banners 

A powerful new exhibition commemorating the pivotal 1966 Wave Hill Walk-off opens at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Gurindji Freedom Banners: Mumkurla-nginyi-ma parrngalinyparla–From the darkness into the light unites all ten hand-painted banners for the first time in years, telling the story of when Gurindji and neighbouring peoples, led by Vincent Lingiari AM, walked off Wave Hill Station on 23 August 1966.

Their demands for fair working conditions and return of traditional lands sparked landmark change, leading to the first handback of Aboriginal land in 1975 and paving the way for the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. The textile banners were created in 2000 by 35 Gurindji people, many walk-off participants, with one recently recreated after going missing.

Now showing until late 2026 | Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House | moadoph.gov.au

Know My Name: Kee, Jackson and Delaunay

Know My Name: Kee, Jackson and Delaunay showcases two of Australia’s leading fashion designers: Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee, in conversation with international, multidisciplinary artist Sonia Delaunay (1885–1979).

The iconic and vibrant early designs of Kee and Jackson from the 1970s and early 1980s were directly inspired by the dynamic legacy of Delaunay, who was a member of the School of Paris and co-founder of Orphism, an art movement noted for its use of intense colours and abstract, geometric forms. As well as working in traditional mediums such as painting and printmaking, Delaunay’s practice also included textile, fashion, and theatre design.

For Jackson and Kee, who were beginning their shared journey in creating clothes as works of art, the discovery of Delaunay was revolutionary. This powerful display feature a rarely-seen collection of Kee and Jackson’s garments from their archives and are shown with the National Gallery’s collection of Delaunay’s prints, drawings, textiles and costumes.

Showing now | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au

National Library of Australia Treasures Gallery

The National Library has millions of books, and the Treasures Gallery answers the frequently asked question, ‘Where are they’. They also collect other items. From maps and manuscripts to photographs and paintings, the Treasures Gallery is where you can find highlights from their vast physical and digital collections. Behind-the-scenes videos, pages from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice from the First Folio, a cedar bookcase carved by Dorothea Mackellar, photographs from the nation’s photo album, and a display of The Wiggles’ websites from 1997 to today from the Australian Web Archive are among the new additions.

Until December 2030 | National Library of Australia, Parkes | library.gov.au

Taglietti: Life in Design

Discover the world of The Global Architect, Enrico Taglietti (1926–2019), a visionary whose design principles shaped modern Australian architecture and left an indelible imprint on Canberra, the city he and his wife Franca chose to call home. Celebrating the centenary of Taglietti’s birth, Taglietti: Life in Design explores the life, philosophy, and legacy of one of Australia’s most original architects.

Trace the compelling story of Taglietti’s arrival in Australia through the groundbreaking 1955 Italy in Australia exhibition at David Jones, Sydney, which introduced the latest Milanese design to a globally curious audience and demonstrated the soft power of design diplomacy. Encounter iconic projects from Canberra’s Cinema Center to Sydney’s St Antony’s Parish Church, and gain insight into some of his extraordinary residential designs. Highlighting his collaborative spirit, international acclaim, and significant contribution to Canberra’s architectural identity, Taglietti: Life in Design is a landmark exhibition celebrating a true visionary in architecture and design.

Until 3 May | Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra City | cmag.com.au