Choose your own adventure: What’s On in Canberra this weekend
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How do you want to spend the weekend in Canberra?
From big nights out and family adventures to gallery-hopping, creative pursuits, long lunches and last-chance exhibitions, Canberra has plenty on the cards from Friday to Monday. Pick your vibe, gather your crew and choose your own adventure.
DON’T MISS
Saplings
Winner of the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Young People, Saplings brings raw, funny and heartbreaking stories about young people navigating the justice system to The Q in Queanbeyan.
Saturday 22 August, 2 pm and 7.30 pm | theq.net.au
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Free-Rain Theatre Company brings the second-longest-running Off-Broadway musical revue to Kingston’s ACT Hub, taking a hilarious and honest look at modern dating – from awkward first encounters and wedding stress to family road trips and senior dating. A cast of six plays 58 distinct characters.
Until Saturday 5 September | freeraintheatre.com
Euphrates
An overnight 12-hour gathering of electronic music, art installations and creative community showcases at The Circus in Mitchell.
Saturday 22 August, 6 pm–8 am | fullcirclecollective.com.au
The Dish + Q&A
A screening of The Dish followed by a Q&A with radio astronomer Mark Price, who worked at the Parkes Radio Telescope during the 1969 Moon landing.
Sunday 23 August, 2 pm | nfsa.gov.au
Deep Blue Ceramics Makers Community Market
More than 25 local artists and makers bring ceramics, candles, paintings, journals, jewellery and other handmade goods to Trenerry Square, with live pottery demonstrations.
Sunday 23 August, 10 am–2 pm | deepblueceramics.com
Ngurumbang-dhi Fashion Exhibition
First Nations fashion label Corella & Crow presents works originally created for the 2025 Country to Couture runway, exploring fashion, Country and community.
Until Sunday 23 August, 10 am–4 pm | belcoarts.com.au
Arthur Boyd: Tapestries
The National Gallery is presenting the inaugural exhibition of the complete cycle of twenty monumental tapestries by renowned Australian artist Arthur Boyd. Hand-woven in Portugal and acquired in 1975, these breathtaking textiles creatively retell the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Until Sunday 18 October. Times vary | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes | nga.gov.au
Canberra Roller Derby League’s inaugural Roundabout Riot
This weekend Canberra Roller Derby League is hosting its inaugural Roundabout Riot at Evelyn Scott School in Denman Prospect. If you’ve never been to a roller derby bout before, this is the perfect opportunity to check it out!
With five teams from across the ACT, NSW and QLD battling it out, it’s sure to be a jam-packed weekend full of action and excitement with plenty of time to watch CRDL’s Capital Brawlers take on interstate teams.
CRDL’s rep team, Vice City Betamax, will be hosting an exhibition match on Saturday evening against the combined forces of Maitland and Wollongong.
Tickets are available at the door. Tournament info can be found on CRDL’s Facebook.
Saturday 22 August, 8.30 am | facebook.com/canberra.derby
THE CULTURAL WEEKEND
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Free-Rain Theatre Company brings the second-longest-running Off-Broadway musical revue to Kingston’s ACT Hub, taking a hilarious and honest look at modern dating – from awkward first encounters and wedding stress to family road trips and senior dating. A cast of six plays 58 distinct characters.
Until Saturday 5 September | freeraintheatre.com
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026
The final chapter of one of the Gallery’s longest-running exhibitions features the 2026 finalist works alongside a curated retrospective celebrating two decades of Australian portrait photography.
Saturday 22 August until Sunday 11 October | portrait.gov.au
Saplings
Winner of the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Young People, Saplings brings raw, funny and heartbreaking stories about young people navigating the justice system to The Q in Queanbeyan.
Saturday 22 August, 2 pm and 7.30 pm | theq.net.au
Rear Vision: The Holden Collection
Trace Holden’s journey from a 19th-century saddlery to ‘Australia’s Own Car’ through archival records, rare artefacts, blueprints and photographs, with daily gallery talks.
Until Sunday 11 October | naa.gov.au
Latin American Film Festival
Thirteen feature films from across Latin America screen at Kambri Cultural Centre, spanning drama, comedy and family stories. Films screen in their original language with English subtitles.
Until Thursday 27 August, various times | laffcanberra2026.eventive.org
Club Art
A rotating exhibition of contemporary works by Canberra visual artists at ONE22 culminates in a Local Artist Bonanza on Friday night, with artist talks, live music and new winter installations.
Until Monday 31 August | one22.com.au
NFSA’s Winter Film Series
Arc Cinema’s winter program travels through time and space, from mind-bending time travel and fractured narratives to intergalactic adventures and cosmic odysseys.
Until 31 August | nfsa.gov.au
Antarctica
Explore more than 100 years of Australian science, exploration and survival in the frozen south through rare artefacts, historic equipment, first-hand accounts and immersive displays.
Until Sunday 11 October | nma.gov.au
Life in the Great Barrier Reef 360° VR Documentary
A 35-minute immersive documentary using custom-built 8K 360° virtual reality technology to take audiences beneath the surface of two UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Ongoing, session times vary | nma.gov.au
Josh Thomas: jiggle jiggle
Award-winning comedian Josh Thomas brings his new stand-up show to Canberra, promising an hour of pure, unfiltered silliness.
Friday 21 August, 7 pm–8 pm | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
The Girl on the Train
Mockingbird Theatre Company’s Canberra premiere of the stage thriller follows Rachel Watson as she becomes entangled in a dangerous missing-person mystery.
Until Saturday 22 August, 7.30 pm (matinees 2 pm) | belcoarts.com.au
Heathers the Musical
The cult classic comes to the stage in a dark comedy following Veronica Sawyer through the perilous social hierarchy of Westerberg High.
Until Sunday 23 August | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
The Dish + Q&A
Celebrate National Science Week with a screening of The Dish followed by a Q&A with radio astronomer Mark Price, who worked at the Parkes Radio Telescope during the 1969 Moon landing.
Sunday 23 August, 2 pm | nfsa.gov.au
Space Faring Civilisation Film Festival
A day of sci-fi, space exploration and optimistic cinema at Dendy Canberra, with pitch workshops, short films, keynote talks and networking.
Sunday 23 August, 10 am–6 pm | sfcfilms.com
National Science Week: Apollo 11 Q&A
Step back to 1969 at the NFSA with a special National Science Week screening and Q&A featuring radio astronomer Mark Price.
Sunday 23 August | nfsa.gov.au
THE FOODIE WEEKEND
St Hugo Wine Dinner at the Yacht Club
A four-course menu by Executive Chef Trung Pham paired with Barossa wines from St Hugo.
Friday 21 August, 6.30 pm–8.30 pm | cscc.com.au
High Tea at The Pavilion
Enjoy savouries, sweet treats, loose-leaf teas and bottomless prosecco in the Pavilion’s sunlit Atrium.
Saturday 22 August, 12 pm–2 pm | atriumrestaurantandbar.com.au
The Promenade Café’s Sunday Roast
A traditional winter roast with all the trimmings in the historic surrounds of Hyatt Hotel Canberra, with fireplaces crackling in the lounges.
Until Sunday 30 August | hyatt.com
Après QTea High Tea
QT Lounge and Space Kitchen turn afternoon tea into an alpine-inspired spread of savouries, scones, mulled cider, a white chocolate fountain and a roving cake trolley.
Until Saturday 29 August | qthotels.com
The Brunch Club at Capitol Bar & Grill
An all-day dining concept serving buttermilk pancakes, cheeseburgers, miso-grilled salmon and an interactive Bloody Mary cart.
Until Sunday 30 August | qthotels.com
Bourbon Street Sunday Jazz
Every Sunday, Molly becomes Bourbon Street with rotating local brass bands, a NOLA-themed menu, cheese and charcuterie and bourbon cocktails.
Until Sunday 30 August, 6 pm–10 pm | molly.bar
THE SHOPPING WEEKEND
Deep Blue Ceramics Makers Community Market
More than 25 local artists and makers bring ceramics, candles, paintings, journals, jewellery and other handmade goods to Trenerry Square, with live pottery demonstrations.
Sunday 23 August, 10 am–2 pm | deepblueceramics.com
Capital Region Farmers Market
More than 100 stallholders bring fresh produce and handmade goods to EPIC, with the chance to meet growers and pick up cooking tips.
Saturdays, 7 am–11.30 am | capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au
Old Bus Depot Markets
Browse more than 200 stalls of hand-crafted wares, clothing, food, jewellery and vintage finds in the historic Kingston building.
Sundays, 9.30 am–2.30 pm | obdm.com.au
Southside Farmers Markets
Pick up seasonal vegetables, handmade pasta, pet treats and more at Canberra College, with breakfast options available.
Sundays, 7 am–11.30 am | facebook.com/SouthsideFarmersMarketCanberra
Haig Park Village Markets
Browse food, fresh produce, artisan products and locally made crafts alongside live music, an artists’ table and family-friendly activities.
Sundays, 8 am–2 pm | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
THE FAMILY WEEKEND
Explore the wonders of science at Canberra Centre
Robogals runs interactive robotics and engineering activities on Saturday, followed by close-up native reptile encounters from Canberra Reptile Zoo on Sunday.
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August, 10 am–4 pm | canberracentre.qicre.com
AFP x Questacon for National Science Week
Try fingerprint matching, decode hidden messages, tackle geospatial challenges and take part in interactive forensic science activities with the AFP.
Saturday 22 August, 9 am–5 pm | questacon.edu.au
The National Zoo and Aquarium’s Wild Explorers Weekend Celebrating African Wild Dog Day
Celebrate African Wild Dog Day with a special Keeper Talk at 11.10 am each day, plus a commemorative medallion available for sale.
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August | tickets.nationalzoo.com.au
Platypus Month
The Upper Murrumbidgee region celebrates the elusive platypus with guided walks, citizen science surveys, family activities, expert talks and local film screenings.
Until Monday 31 August | act.waterwatch.org.au
Hop In! an immersive world of play
Designed for children aged three to 12, Hop In! turns the familiar family home inside out, inviting young visitors to move, build, crawl, splash and imagine.
Until Sunday 11 October | cmag.com.au
Children’s Concert: Musette
A 30-minute interactive classical music showcase for young children, featuring presenter Simon Rickard and Baroque wind instruments.
Sunday 23 August, 3 pm | apeiron-baroque.com
THE WORKSHOP WEEKEND
Dance Canberra Festival
A two-day festival for Canberra’s adult dance community, with masterclasses in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Broadway Jazz, Commercial and Contemporary.
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August | 6thposition.com.au
Painting Your Way with Jenny Adams
A four-hour advanced painting workshop focusing on colour, composition and developing a personal visual language inspired by nature.
Saturday 22 August, 10 am–2 pm | visitcanberra.com.au
Recording Drums Workshop
Producer Matt Barnes leads a technical masterclass covering drum-recording setups, studio strategies and post-production mixing.
Saturday 22 August, 1 pm–4 pm | music.cass.anu.edu.au
Sandcasting Glass Workshop
Learn hot glass casting by creating a custom sand mould before watching molten glass being poured into it.
Sunday 23 August, 1 pm–4 pm | canberraglassworks.com
Recharge in Nature: Forest Therapy Immersion
A three-hour shinrin-yoku-inspired forest therapy session at Tidbinbilla, finishing with reflection, light snacks and a traditional tea ceremony.
Sunday 23 August, 10 am–1 pm | latitude55.com.au
Breathwork and Sound Healing
A wellness session combining guided breathwork with a sound bath featuring didgeridoo, crystal bowls and shamanic drums.
Sunday 23 August | lawenhealingrituals.com
THE BIG NIGHT OUT
Euphrates
An overnight 12-hour gathering of electronic music, art installations and creative community showcases at The Circus in Mitchell.
Saturday 22 August, 6 pm–8 am | fullcirclecollective.com.au
The High Kings: Rocky Road To Dublin Tour
Ireland’s premier folk group returns with traditional heritage, modern energy, storytelling, harmonies and folk anthems.
Saturday 22 August, 8 pm–9.30 pm | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Baggy Trousers: UK Party Classics
Australia’s Madness tribute band brings 80s two-tone ska and anthems from Madness, The Specials and Bad Manners to the Zeppelin Room.
Saturday 22 August, 7.30 pm–10 pm | events.humanitix.com
Dancing in the Shadows of Motown
An all-singing, all-dancing tribute to the Motown era featuring hits from Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and The Supremes.
Saturday 22 August, 5.30 pm–7.30 pm | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
The Living End: I Only Trust Rock n Roll Tour
Australian punk-rock icons The Living End take over the UC Refectory for a high-energy live show featuring new tracks and classic anthems.
Saturday 22 August, 7 pm–11.30 pm | moshtix.com.au
Vera Blue: Modern Rituals Tour
Vera Blue performs tracks from Modern Rituals alongside fan favourites at UC Refectory.
Sunday 23 August | moshtix.com.au
Raiders v Broncos – NRL Round 25
The Raiders’ final regular home game of the season brings a high-stakes clash with the Brisbane Broncos and family-friendly entertainment around the precinct.
Friday 21 August, 6 pm–9 pm | raiders.com.au
GMI State League grand final gala day
Watch the season’s grand final matches across five divisions, from 17/Under through to Division 1.
Sunday 23 August, 9 am–7 pm | act.netball.com.au
THE ART LOVER’S WEEKEND
Lynda Draper’s GR’AFT at Canberra Glassworks
A major body of work in bronze and glass, developed over two years and inspired by the ancient horticultural practice of grafting.
Until Sunday 25 October, Wed–Sun 10 am–4 pm | canberraglassworks.com
Weaving the Coast by Christiane Keller
Fifteen sculptural works made from natural fibres, recycled materials and salvaged beach debris translate coastal rock formations into woven forms.
Friday 21 August – Saturday 17 October (Official Opening Friday 21 August, 6 pm) | tuggeranongarts.com
LUCKY ROCKET
Documentary photographer Yani Clarke’s series explores place, ritual and return through photographs of Bun Bang Fai, a traditional rain-making festival celebrated in Laos and Thailand’s Isan region.
Thursday 20 August – Saturday 19 September | photoaccess.org.au
Halfway Seen Halfway Home
The debut moving-image project by Guylieuzy explores identity and belonging through the perspective of first-generation Chinese-Australians.
Thursday 20 August – Saturday 19 September | photoaccess.org.au
Glad Tidings: Susan Chancellor
A multimedia solo exhibition creating a shifting environment inspired by the transition zone where land meets sea.
Until Sunday 23 August | m16artspace.com.au
Position/Trajectory: Matthew Freeman, Anne Pyne Irving & Tristan Ouweleen
Three distinct drawing practices explore drawing as a tool for connection and meaning-making, mapping movement, memory and change.
Until Sunday 23 August | m16artspace.com.au
UNRuly: Catherine Anselmi, David Helmers, Ro Murray & Mandy Burgess
Four artists embrace unruliness across sculpture, ceramics and collaborative drawing, exploring material flux, transformation and female determination in old age.
Until Sunday 23 August | m16artspace.com.au
My Country, My Connection exhibition
A personal solo exhibition exploring cultural links to three distinct regional relationships through creative practice.
Until Sunday 23 August, 10 am–4 pm | belcoarts.com.au
Ngiaga Art Exhibition
A collaborative First Nations exhibition of mixed-media works grounded in spirituality, Country and genealogy.
Until Sunday 23 August, 10 am–4 pm | belcoarts.com.au
Yawarj Mara Young Men’s Art Exhibition
Artworks and cultural artefacts created by the Yawarj Mara – Strong Pathways Young Men’s Group, reflecting identity and connection to culture.
Until Sunday 23 August, 10 am–4 pm | belcoarts.com.au
Ngura Puḻka–Epic Country
Major works by senior First Nations artists and collectives from the APY Lands, Coober Pedy and Adelaide celebrate Country and Tjukurpa.
Until Sunday 23 August | nga.gov.au
Tamara Henderson: The Gardener’s Bar
An exhibition centred on compost as material, method and model of transformation, bringing together sculpture, painting, film and sound.
Until Saturday 29 August | canberracontemporary.com.au
Spirit Dwellings by Sarah Hickey
Sarah Hickey explores ancestry, folklore and the memory contained within ancestral landscapes through richly layered figurative paintings.
Until Sunday 30 August, 11 am–5 pm | graingergallery.com.au
Afternoon of the Harpies
Judith Nangala Crispin and Stephen Harrison explore mythology, mortality and transformation through photography and sculpture.
Until Sunday 30 August | graingergallery.com.au
Elisa Crossing: Move Me!
A solo exhibition championing ‘slow looking’, with oil paintings exploring the embodied relationship between viewer, studio and canvas.
Until Monday 31 August | civicartbureau.com
Trent Parke: The Christmas tree bucket
A tender and darkly humorous photographic portrait of family life, centred on the chaos, rituals and contradictions of suburban Australian Christmas.
Until Sunday 6 September | nga.gov.au
2XX People-Powered Radio: Celebrating 50 Years
CMAG marks five decades of 2XX with archival audio, vintage equipment, photographs, posters and a recreated 1970s and 1980s radio studio.
Until Sunday 6 September | cmag.com.au
Vessels of Dialogue: Sarit Cohen
Whimsical porcelain sculptures influenced by Bauhaus architecture and early 20th-century Decorative Arts explore architectural memories and space.
Until Saturday 12 September | craftanddesigncanberra.org
Correspondence: Jude Muduioa
Ceramic accumulation becomes a study in patience and sustained craft, with individually shaped elements joined into larger structures.
Until Saturday 12 September | craftanddesigncanberra.org
Dwell: Suzanne Knight
Intricately woven tapestry forms shaped like discarded plastic bottles examine migration, consumer culture and ecological change.
Until Saturday 12 September | craftanddesigncanberra.org
Fragile Structures: The Architecture of Decay
Madeline Cardone and Fran Romano explore ruins, decay and architectural space through glass and ceramics.
Until Saturday 12 September | craftanddesigncanberra.org
Wangka Wakaṉutja: the story of the Papunya Literature Production Centre
Stories, drawings, photographs, manuscripts and oral histories celebrate Aboriginal literary culture and the work of keeping language alive across generations.
Until Sunday 11 October | library.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/wangka-wakanutja
GR’AFT: solo exhibition by Lynda Draper
Contemporary sculpture blending glass, ceramics and bronze, inspired by botanical grafting techniques and made through collaborations with local artisans.
Until Monday 26 October | canberraglassworks.com
For Curious Minds
Behind the Lines 2025: ‘Are We Rolling?’
The year’s best political cartoons explore the issues that made news through the lens of cinema.
Until December 2026 | moadoph.gov.au
Gurindji Freedom Banners
All ten hand-painted Gurindji Freedom Banners are brought together to tell the story of the 1966 Wave Hill Walk-Off and its lasting significance.
Now showing until late 2026 | moadoph.gov.au
Quantum Tomorrow: Imagined Futures
Questacon’s immersive gallery makes quantum physics accessible through illustrations, sculptures, a cloud chamber and stories of Australian researchers.
Open daily through 30 June 2027 | questacon.edu.au
Know My Name: Kee, Jackson and Delaunay
The work of Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee is shown alongside Sonia Delaunay, exploring the influence of Delaunay’s art on their iconic early designs.
Until 1 November 2026 | nga.gov.au
Yarning: Sharing Stories, Celebrating Culture
Artworks by more than 70 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students explore Country, identity, family and reconciliation.
Open daily until February 2027 | aph.gov.au
Floral Impressions: Coins in Bloom
The Royal Australian Mint explores the symbolism of flowers on coins from around the world through objects from the National Collection.
Until March 2027 | ramint.gov.au
National Library of Australia Treasures Gallery
Highlights from the National Library’s collections include maps, manuscripts, photographs, paintings, a First Folio, a cedar bookcase and material from the Australian Web Archive.
Until December 2030 | library.gov.au – Treasures Gallery
Illustra: 50 Women for 50 Years
A permanent portrait exhibition celebrating 50 years of women as residents at John XXIII College, featuring 50 alumni photographed by Bronte Morel.
Permanent exhibition, open 9 am–5 pm daily | johnxxiii.anu.edu.au
