25+ Canberra events to put in your diary this week
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November is putting some spring (sorry) into our step and whether you’d like your week to be filled with music, art, theatre or food, here’s what to plan ahead for.
There’s 25+ things to choose from!
Special Events and Festivals
Kitchen Warehouse’s Majura Park Housewarming Party
Kitchen Warehouse is hosting their Majura Park Housewarming Party and you’re invited! Indulge in tasty food and drinks, watch helpful demonstrations, shop big brands including Tefal, Swiss Diamond, KitchenAid, Magimix and more. Celebrity chef Luca Ciano will also be cooking up a storm, Mr Papa will be selling his famous empanadas and you can even enjoy handmade gelato from Mellabella gelato cart.
Sunday 12 November | Kitchen Warehouse, Majura Park | Book here.
The Visitors
After its Sydney Theatre Award-winning premiere production at the 2020 Sydney Festival, Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison’s The Visitors will be coming to Canberra to provide a riveting, deeply researched insight into one of the most impactful and painful days in Australia’s history – the day European ships appeared on the horizon of Sydney Harbour in 1788. Post-referendum, the play’s tagline of “Visitors leave, right?” feels especially poignant. For those Australians focused on truth-telling, The Visitors is waiting for you.
Wednesday 8 until Saturday 11 November | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, City | Book here.
Canberra’s Largest Murder Mystery Extravaganza at Kingpin
Kingpin is holding an interactive murder mystery night, and your invited! Put your detective skills to the ultimate test with an evening full of mystery, suspense, and immersive entertainment where you will race against the clock to identify whodunnit! And with the ticket price including a free cocktail or mocktail, games credit for the arcade and 90 minutes of thrilling entertainment and activities, this event promises to be an unforgettable experience.
Thursday 9 November | Kingpin Canberra, Bunda Street, Canberra Centre | Book here.
CAPO’s 40th Ruby Anniversary Gala
This will be Canberra’s biggest art event of the year. At the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation’s (CAPO) annual gala event, you’ll enjoy an evening of art, entertainment, and excitement, complete with great food, drinks and entertainment. Raising money to support the arts in Canberra and the region, there will also be an Art Auction, opened by CAPO patron Bree Pickering, Director, National Portrait Gallery.
Friday 10 November | 100 Commonwealth Avenue, The Albert Hall, Yarralumla | Book here.
Canberra SpringOUT Pride Festival
Canberra’s month-long pride festival is back with a bang! Celebrating our LGBTQIA+ community in all its fabulous diversity, this year there will be a diverse array of more than 40 events, ranging from workshops to exhibitions, tours, comedy shows, and more. From starting your day with the Big Gay Breakfast to celebrating at the ‘I should be so Kylie’ launch party with STUN Magazine, there’s something for everyone.
Until Sunday 3 December | Various locations | More information here.
Scale ACT 23
Is this Australia’s friendliest scale modelling show? You’ll have to go along to find out! From model displays, competitions, modelling goods and books for sale, and expert ‘how to’ workshops presented by some of Australia’s best modellers and more, there will be plenty to see and do.
Saturday 11 until Sunday 12 November | Thoroughbred Park, 1 Randwick Road, Lyneham | More information here.
Jewel of Canberra
This will be a day full of the exquisite works from some of the region’s best jewellery designers and artists. If you’re serious about silver, go gaga over gold, or just love your shiny stones or showing off costume jewellery, then this event is for you – because there will be all of this and more.
Sunday 12 November | The Old Bus Depot Markets, 21 Wentworth Ave, Kingston | More information here.
Stage and screen
SouthFest Battle of the Bands
Tuggeranong’s best young bands are going to battle it out on stage! Featuring 12 up-and-coming bands competing for prizes, this youth focused event has everything from market stalls, to food and drink and more!
Friday 10 November | Tuggeranong Laneways, Cowlishaw Street, Greenway | More information here.
This Rough Magic
Reimagining Shakespeare’s The Tempest, award-winning playwright of ideas, Helen Machalias is returning to The Street with her exhilarating epic of power reckoning, survival and the cost of pursuing the promise of a better life. Fusing ‘brave new world’ poetry with ‘stop the boats’ rhetoric and interpolations of Persian poetry, philosophy and storytelling to deliver a radically different representation of offshore detention, This Rough Magic is ambitious and thrilling.
Friday 10 until Sunday 19 November | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, City | Book here.
Music
Juan Diego Flórez
Hailing from Lima, Peru, the highly anticipated illustrious tenor, Juan Diego Flórez, is coming to Canberra for the first time. Having performed at every major international opera house under the world’s leading conductors, you’ll have to head along to hear this stunningly expressive voice (and be apart of this historic moment) yourself.
Tuesday 7 November | Llewellyn Hall, 100 William Herbert Place, City | Book here.
Smith’s@Belco: Daniel Champagne
We have some exciting news: Belco Arts are teaming up with Smith’s Alternative in this new Smith’s@Belco live-music series. Bringing touring sensations and well loved artists to Belconnen, to kick it all off, extraordinary singer-songwriter, Daniel Champagne will be taking the stage (supported by Canberra’s own Alec Randles) in a one night only gig. See you there?
Tuesday 7 November | The Theatre, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | Book here.
Wednesday Lunchtime Concert: Stuart Long
Stuart Long will be showing off his skills on the piano during a lunchtime concert held by the Wesley Music Centre. Tickets can be purchased in advance online as well as on the day, at the door!
Wednesday 8 November | Wesley Music Centre, 20 National Circuit, Forrest | Book here.
Bek Jensen Band at the Zeppelin Room
Bek Jensen has crossed a few things off her bucket list, including recording and touring nationally with some of Australia’s most iconic artists: Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes, Mahalia Barnes, The Sleepy Jackson, and Lachy Doley. But now she’s coming to Canberra to blend classic soul and contemporary blues to create a dynamic and engaging performance that will make you want to dance the night away. Make sure to book tickets now!
Friday 10 November | Harmonie German Club, 49 Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah | Book here.
Singing Out with Pride
It’s time to express your pride with Qwire for their special 30th anniversary concert “Singing Out with Pride”. Celebrating the beautiful and heart-warming stories of the community, this concert will be an unforgettable experience, blending uplifting music with joyous performances.
Saturday 11 November | Llewellyn Hall ANU, 100 William Herbert Place, Building 100, City | More information here.
Apeiron x Poetry
Kicking off a series of cross-concerts mixing Early Music with presentations from a wide variety of non-musical disciplines, in this event, Apeiron Baroque will be playing music from the Baroque and Classical eras. Joined by the hosts of ArtSoundFM’s “Poetry on the Radio” (Kimberly Williams and Peter Searles) as well as local poets (Penelope Layland and Jacqui Malins) to present poems from the newly published “Book of Birds”, this is a very unique event for music lovers.
Sunday 12 November | Wesley Uniting Church, 20 National Circuit, Forrest | Book here.
Exhibitions
Megalo Fundraising Auction and Artist Party
Some of Australia’s leading print artists are coming together for an important cause: to support Megalo Print Studio’s Artist Residency program. Artworks for auction include work by some of Australia’s most renowned print artists, all of whom have enjoyed a Megalo residency in the past, think: Annika Romeyn, Trevor Dickinson, Naomi Zouwer and more. An exhibition of works for auction will be open for viewing.
Until Friday 20 November | 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | More here.
On Fire: Works from the Strathnairn Arts’ Wood Firing Group
From raw clay forms with wood ash effects, large sculptural forms, to glazed pieces utilising ash effects from the long firing process, this exhbition will display a stunning range of works from the Strathnairn Arts’ Wood Firing Group. Head along to see what beautiful results from hours of preparing wood, work, packing, firing and unpacking.
Until Sunday 26 November | Strathnairn Arts Association, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt | More information here.
Canberra Potters 2023 Members’ Exhibition
Featuring ceramic works created over the past 12 months by Canberra Potters’ members, this exhibition is a celebration of some fantastic local works. From delicate porcelain vessels to bold, hand-built sculptures, and everything in between, you can explore the ever-evolving world of contemporary ceramics through the diverse displays that push the boundaries of pottery.
Until Sunday 3 December | 1 Aspinall Street, Watson | More information here.
Guns & Flowers: Ex de Medici
Ex de Medici grew up and lives in Canberra and is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. In this exhbition at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, audiences will have the opportunity to see Medici’s earliest works, made when she was part of the energetic first wave of independent artist-activists in Canberra in the early 1980s, to some of her most recent, travelling from her acclaimed retrospective at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.
Until early 2024 | Canberra Museum and Gallery, Corner London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City | More information here.
Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize
The National Portrait Gallery is hosting the Art Gallery of NSW’s touring exhibition Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize. Celebrating 100 years of Australia’s oldest and most-loved portrait award and reflects upon the changing face of the nation, this exhbition delves into the controversies and the commonplace, the triumphant and the thwarted, and honours the artists who have made the Archibald Prize the most sought-after accolade in Australian art today.
Until early 2024 | National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | More information here.
Workshops, webinars and more
Archie 100: Trivia Night
Meet some new or familiar faces as you walk through Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize, before settling in for an evening of quizzical questions with iQ Trivia. Put together a team, bring your thinking caps and settle in for a night filled with drinks, food and fun! See you there?
Thursday 9 November | National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | Book here.
Biography Book Group: Exploring Australian Political History
Have you heard of the Biography Book Group? Exploring the diversity of Canberrans’ stories through biography, autobiography, and memoir by local authors, this month author and editor Dr Stephen Wilks will be discussing the recently published Order, Order!: A Biographical Dictionary of Speakers, Deputy Speakers and Clerks of the Australian House of Representatives (2023) with political biographer and historian Dr Derek Drinkwater.
Saturday 11 November | ACT Heritage Library, 255 Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick | Book here.
Wendy Sharpe: Artist Talk
Ever wondered what it feels like to win the Archibald Prize? In this talk, one of Australia’s most acclaimed and awarded artists, Wendy Sharpe, shares her experience about being an Archibald finalist eight times – including the time she took out top honours. Her extensive list of prize wins also includes the Archibald Prize, the Sulman Prize, the Portia Geach Memorial Award, the Calleen Art Prize, the Adelaide Perry Art Prize and the Gold Award. And with vast experience as a judge herself, she can share the other side of the coin: what judges look for when selecting prize winners. Go along and ask some questions!
Saturday 11 November | National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | Book here.
At Her Table – Gathering
At Her Table Gatherings offer an invitation to engage in open and honest conversations about life, spirituality and the values that matter most to you. The next table gathering is hosted by AHT Founder Lauren Harkness and special guest Rosemary Gattuso from Sydney NSW. Rosemary will get guests talking about overcoming overthinking and how to turn this potential hinderance into an empowering asset and vehicle for growth.
Sunday 12 November | Sanctuary, 17 Brockman Street Narrabundah | Book here.
Feature image: Daniel Boud.
