35+ things to do for an egg-cellent week in Canberra
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The countdown is officially on for the Easter long weekend, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do this week – in fact, our event calendar is looking egg-cellent.
Here’s everything that’s happening in Canberra, you better hop to it!
Special Events and Festivals
Miriam Margolyes: Oh Miriam!
Celebrated British-Australian TV and film star and raconteur, Miriam Margolyes, is bringing her new live stage show to Canberra and we’re very excited. Delivering more, juicy, jaw-dropping stories from her eventful life and career and is presented on the back of her bestselling and much acclaimed book, Oh Miriam! Stories from an Extraordinary Life. Buckle up for an irrepressible, hilarious and moving evening as Miriam shares some of her favourite anecdotes and divulges never-told-before stories and life lessons.
Wednesday 27 March | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra | Book here.
National Folk Festival
The National Folk Festival is back with a bang with five days filed with folk culture. Bringing world-class performers, established and emerging artists and music lovers together to discover, share, experience and celebrate the exciting world of folk, it’s iconic for a reason. See you there?
Thursday 28 March until Monday 1 April | Various locations | Book here.
Canberra Steam Train Rides
The Canberra Steam Train Rides are back for the Easter Long weekend! Experience the unique thrill of a heritage rail journey behind steam locomotive 5917 as you travel from Canberra to Bungendore and return. Choose from a private compartments for large groups or classic seating for four or two and enjoy views of the spectacular Molonglo Gorge, and the rolling country scenery.
Friday 29 March until Monday 1 April | Canberra Railway Station, Kingston | Book here.
The Great Treat Hunt
Think Easter treat hunts are just for humans? Hop over to Haig Park this Easter Sunday for a pawsome treat hunt for your pup. Dress your pooch and strike a pose in the photo booth adorned with Easter baskets and props, enjoy some chocolate free Easter treats and explore the bustling Haig Park Village Markets.
Saturday 30 March | Haig Park, Girrahween Street, Braddon | More information here.
Meet the Easter Bunny at the Old Bus Depot Markets
The Easter Bunny is hopping into the Old Bus Depot Markets for an egg-cellent day. Take place in a chocolate egg hunt, explore the stalls for some unique treasures and make the most of the long weekend with a relaxing Easter Sunday out and about!
Sunday 31 March | The Old Bus Depot Markets, 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | More information here.
Hercules + Children’s Egg Hunt
This is fun for the whole family! Head along to the National Film and Sound Archive to watch Disney’s version of the Ancient Greek myth Hercules in the stand-out 1990s animation. It has an epic storyline, heroic characters, plenty of laughs, and an inspiring soundtrack…and for those with keen eyes, there are plenty of hidden references to spot too. And to celebrate Easter, a pre-screening chocolate egg hunt for children will take place in the NFSA Courtyard. All children will also receive a complimentary activity sheet to identify the Easter eggs within the film!
Sunday 31 March | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, McCoy Circuit, Acton | Book here.
Three Sixty Fashion Market
Calling all fashion lovers, don’t miss this niche Canberra market dedicated to sustainable fashion. Shop for high end designer and vintage clothing and accessories!
Sunday 31 March | Fitter’s Workshop, Printers Way, Kingston | More information here.
Dahlicious Festival
A yoga flow class among a field of dahlias, a guided dahlia tour, masterclasses, and more – this beautiful festival is a celebration of design, colour and dahlias. Running for the month of March, check out the program to see what’s happening when.
Until Sunday 31 March | The Commons at Pialligo, 12 Beltana Road, The Potting Shed, Pialligo | Book here.
Discovering Ancient Egypt
Journey back in time to discover the wonders of ancient Egypt in this must-see exhibition featuring over 220 objects from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden). You’ll learn all about the lifestyles of the ancient Egyptians, their religion and society, their creativity and their belief in an afterlife where they hoped to live for eternity.
Until September 2024 | National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton | Book here.
Food and Wine
Easter Seafood Feast at Natural Nine
Dive into an eggstraordinary Easter feast at natural nine this Easter, presenting an exclusive Easter Seafood Menu featuring the star of the show – live lobster and mud crabs! You can choose from an array of options which include live whole lobster, live whole mud crab, whole john dory, half shell scallop, black tiger prawns and baby loligo squid. This menu will be an addition to the dining menu, so all the favourite sides, mains and desserts are still on offer!
Friday 29 March | 21 Binara Street, Canberra City | Book here.
Easter High Tea
This Easter, Hyatt Hotel Canberra is partnering with Haigh’s Chocolate to create the ultimate High Tea indulgence, and it sounds delicious. Book in over the Easter weekend to eat your way through a three-tiered stand of sweet and savory items, including desserts inspired by Haigh’s famous recipes such as Honeycomb mousse with brandy snaps and shaved chocolate, Haigh’s chocolate lamingtons and Haigh’s chocolate chip scones with clotted cream and jam. Talk about a sugar rush.
Friday 29 March until Sunday 31 March | 120 Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla Book here.
Bottomless High Tea at Parlour Restaurant
Freshly made finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries with all the trimmings, and bottomless cocktails and wine – this isn’t your stuffy high tea. Book into Parlour to make the most of the long weekend and to enjoy a refreshing twist on a traditional high tea.
Saturday 30 March | 16 Kendall Lane, Canberra City | Book here.
Luna Saturdays
Have you been to Luna yet? On Saturdays watch the bar transform for an evening where intrigue and luxury intertwine. There will be Cabaret Dancers, DJs and more! Book online or walk in.
Saturday 30 March | Luna, 99 London Circuit, City | More information here
Sunday Soirée
Live music, a Bentspoke pop-up bar and gourmet food and drink offers…what’s not to love? Head along to the Hyatt Hotel for a relaxing Sunday afternoon that will have something for the whole family. Perfect for friends, families and couples looking for a chilled Sunday afternoon catch-up, book ahead or walk in on the day!
Sunday 31 March | Hyatt Hotel Canberra, 120 Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla | Book here.
Stage and Screen
Science. Art. Film: Black Orpheus Screening and Panel
Head along to the National Film and Sound Archive to see Black Orpheus, a film that took out prestigious international awards. Reimagining the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, setting this romantic tragedy in Rio Di Janeiro amongst the festivities of Carnival, the film was criticised in Brazil for stereotyping Brazilian culture and idealised portrayal of the favelas. Then, stay after the movie for an insightful panel discussion with special guests Dr Tatiana Bur, Dr Karo Moret-Miranda and Rita Agha as they explore questions around culture and representation.
Wednesday 27 March | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, McCoy Circuit, Acton | Book here.
DARKFIELD: FLIGHT
Calling all thrill seekers, this one is for you. Sitting at the nexus of technology and theatre, FLIGHT takes you on a deeply hypnotic journey that challenges your sense of what is real, and what is imagined through two worlds, two realities and two outcomes to your journey. We won’t say anymore, you need to experience it for yourself…
Thursday 28 March until Sunday 14 April | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
DARKFIELD: SÉANCE
Step inside, take a seat but don’t get comfortable. SÉANCE is an intense sonic performance that explores the psychology of a group of people who have been bombarded with suggestible material. In complete darkness, your senses become vulnerable to persuasion. You’ll need to proceed with an open mind…
Thursday 28 March until Sunday 14 April | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
Music
Reuben Tsang
Experience the mesmerising talent of Reuben Tsang, Cairns-born piano prodigy! Astounding audiences at the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition with his renditions of Chopin and Beethoven when he was only 12 years old, now aged 20 he was the second youngest semi-finalist in the 2023 Competition and was crowned with the prestigious Nancy Weir Best Australian Pianist Prize, proudly supported by YMFA. Don’t miss him playing masterpieces by Scarlatti, Fauré, Brahms (Piano Sonata No.1 in C major Op.1), and Mozart (Piano Sonata No.3 in B major K.281).
Monday 25 March | Wesley Music Centre, 20-22 National Circuit, Forrest | Book here.
Romantic Piano Gems
The talented pianist Sam Row is coming back to Canberra for a gorgeous performance of dramatic piano works by Chopin and Liszt. One for music lovers, you’ll hear Chopin’s stormy and unorthodox Sonata No. 2 which will be followed by Liszt’s virtuosic Hungarian Rhapsody with its gypsy rhythms.
Wednesday 27 March | 20-22 National Circuit, Entrance via Fitzroy Street, Forrest | Book here.
Gladys Knight
Get excited, seven-time Grammy award winner, singer, actress and true Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight is coming to Canberra with The Farewell Tour this March. Bringing all her biggest hits ( ‘Licence To Kill’ ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ ‘I Don’t Want To Know’ ‘Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me’ and ‘That’s What Friends Are For’), you’ll spend the night singing and dancing along. And why not make a night of it and enjoy a pre-show cocktail or dinner at Crowne Plaza Canberra?
Thursday 28 March | Royal Theatre (National Convention Centre Canberra), 31 Constitution Avenue, Canberra City | Book here.
Exhibitions
All Sorts Collective – From The Outside To The Inside
Showing at the Strathnairn Arts Association, From The Outside To The Inside explore the relationship between public and private spaces through a series of works in acrylic, watercolour in and pastel. Featuring contrasting views of outside lives to personal interiors exploring the quiet sanctity of a home, head along to see the works of Shakir Rayman, Stephanie Boyle, Louise Spencer, Katie Volter and Belinda Gill.
Wednesday 27 March until Sunday 21 April | Strathnairn Arts Association, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt | More information here.
Interwoven 7
Interwoven 7 brings together basketry and textile artists from the Canberra region and the NSW South Coast. Using a range of fibre traditions, combining natural, synthetic and recycled materials, artworks have been created using twining, coiling, looping, stitching and assemblage to reinterpret fibre art from functional vessels to sculptural forms. Born of an idea by artist Gabrielle Powell, this is a beautiful fusion of traditional and experimental works.
Until Thursday 28 March | West Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | More information here.
Atmo-Spheres: Francis Kenna
Francis Kenna is a Kamberri/Canberra based interdisciplinary artist, who engages a number of different media to explore our experience of space and perception, temporality and the body. In this exhbition, Francis a takes transitory states of atmosphere as a place to begin questions around the mutability of space and humanity’s own experience.
Until Thursday 28 March | Generator Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | Book here.
The Benefit Of Doubt: Fran Romano and Zoe Slee
This exhibition is an experimental project, exploring the idea of self-doubt. Working collaboratively, Zoe Slee and Fran Romano are focusing on concepts of self-doubt, self-image and related preconceptions and biases. But they are being exhibited with a twist: they have each chosen what the other puts up for display.
Until Thursday 28 March | The Window Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | Book here.
Lines Of Sight by Patsy Payne and John Pratt
Lines of Sight by Patsy Payne and John Pratt is the outcome of three years worth of phone conversations and postcard dialogues mostly at a distance of 1,100 kilometres between Darkinjung and Ngunnawal country. The focus of this exchange is a particular zone of the environment between Gulaga and the ocean on the rugged south coast of NSW, in Yuin country.
Until Thursday 28 March | Pivot Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | Book here.
Layered Land: Time, Fragility, Repair
This is a solo exhibition by Barbara Dawson. Creating a series of drawings and textiles that investigates the way a place is remembered, Barbara’s intention is not to represent the landscape, rather it is to capture and communicate her lived experience of being in it. Through combining and layering different procedures – reclaiming and repurposing materials, drawing, layering, dyeing, stitching – she is able to capture and communicate her relationship and concern for landscape. And remind us we are not separate from it but are inextricably part of it.
Until Sunday 14 April | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | More information here.
# by Guy Morgan
Guy Morgan’s debut solo exhibition, ‘#’ features Morgan’s ‘Evaporation’ series – a blending of oil and acrylic paintings with archival prints and his acclaimed ArtScreen 2023 project. Exploring the transient nature of creativity, the exhibition also features works from Morgan’s book, ‘The Empire Sells Out’, offering an alternative societal narrative.
Until Sunday 14 April | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | More information here.
HARD YAKKA
HARD YAKKA delves into the cultural significance of the flannel shirt, a beloved garment transcending social divides from artists to farmers and labourers. Created by UK Frederick, it delves into the intersection of art and labour, drawing on photographic practices, ceramics and pattern to investigate the sensory qualities of disembodied clothing and the memories they invoke.
Until Sunday 14 April | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | More information here.
Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence
This is the first major exhibition of the Sydney-born artist’s work in his home country. Featuring some of the most significant portraits in the artist’s career to date (from early major works such as his painting of HM Queen Mary of Denmark through to his most recent paintings), you’ll see some amazing works that have cemented Ralph Heimans as a internationally sought-after portraitist known for his meticulously realised paintings.
Until Monday 27 May | National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | More information here.
Vincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour
This exhibition of acclaimed Western Aranda artist Vincent Namatjira, Vincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour, charts the artist’s career, revealing the power of his painting and the potency of his words. Showcasing Namatjira’s burgeoning artistic practice, this major exhibition brings together paintings, works on paper and moving image from public and private collections nationwide, the exhibition will also feature a selection of watercolours from the national collection by the artist’s great-grandfather and critically acclaimed Western Arranda artist, Albert Namatjira.
Until Sunday 21 July | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | More information here.
Sport
Lebanon v Subway Socceroos
The Subway Socceroos return to the nation’s capital for the first time since their 5-0 victory over Nepal during the FIFA World Cup 2022. Catch them in action as they take on Lebanon and gear up to continue their FIFA World Cup 2026™ second round Asian qualifiers.
Tuesday 26 March | GIO Stadium, Canberra, Battye Street, Bruce | Book here.
2024 Paddle Australia Canoe Polo National Championships
Witness teams from across Australia battle it out for titles in the Australian Canoe Polo National Championships! We’re the reigning champions in Open’s and Open Women’s, so head along to support local and learn more about Canoe Polo as well as the other disciplines offered by the Burley Griffin Canoe Club.
Friday 29 until Sunday 31 March | Burley Griffin Canoe Club, Molonglo Reach, Campbell | More information here.
Workshops, webinars and more
In Conversation with RTD Hon Helen Clark
Don’t miss the first female Prime Minister of New Zealand at the Australian National University for a special talk with ANU Professor Sharon Friel, Director of Planetary Health Equity Hothouse. They will discuss global challenges faced as a society and how these impact health and human security; governance systems and what is needed to ensure a future where humanity can thrive; and what this means for our leaders of the future.
Monday 25 March | Manning Clark Hall, 153 Tangney Road, Cultural Center, Acton | Book here.
Book Launch: Model Minority Gone Rogue
Canberra local Qin Qin (formerly Lisa Qin) is launching her debut memoir Model Minority Gone Rogue and you’re invited! It’s about how an unfulfilled daughter of a tiger mother went way off script, through career pivots, #Asianfail and unlearning. There will be a book signing session before/after the launch and you’re warmly encouraged to wear pink or green to match the book cover.
Tuesday 26 March | National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Parkes | Register here.
Palapala: A Story Of Reading, Writing, and Books with Dr Christina Thompson
Head along to this free event to hear Dr Christina Thompson as she presents a lecture on her 2023 Creative Arts Fellowship research into what happened when writing arrived on the islands of the Pacific.
Tuesday 26 March | National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Parkes | Register here.
Floor Talk | UK Frederick
Loved the ‘HARD YAKKA’ at M16 Artspace? Attend an engaging floor talk where UK Frederick will unveil the creative process behind her exhibition. They will delve into the cultural significance of the flannel shirt, and the intersection of art and labour. RSVP’s are encouraged, head to the website to learn more!
Saturday 30 March | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | Book here.
