70+ ways to spend your Saturday and Sunday in Canberra
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Staying in Canberra this weekend? Here are 70+ things you can do.
Think: Canberra’s size-inclusive fashion runway show, a workshop with world-renowned K-pop choreographer KINKY, the STOMP festival, and so much more. Read on for your ultimate guide!
Don’t miss…
Revel the Runway 2026
Canberra’s most talked-about size-inclusive fashion experience is back, and this year it’s bigger than ever. Revel the Runway returns with a new venue, more seats, and two themed runways–Ready to Wear and Emerging and Sustainable–showcasing stunning collections from top local and Australian designers who are redefining who fashion is for. The signature Shop the Runway feature returns after the show, giving guests the chance to meet the makers, feel the fabrics, and snap up favourite looks on the spot. Bold, boundary-breaking, and genuinely joyful, this is fashion as it should always be.
Saturday 18 April | Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre, ANU, Acton | wearthedamndress.wixsite.com
K-pop with KINKY: free dance masterclass and talk
World-renowned K-pop choreographer KINKY comes to the National Museum of Australia for a free dance masterclass and an in-conversation event that’s not to be missed. KINKY will guide participants through key steps and performance techniques from the K-pop world, before joining HerCanberra founder and editor Amanda Whitley for a candid conversation about his life as a K-pop artist, the path to becoming a dancer, and what it means to ride the Korean Wave. The session concludes with audience Q&A and a photo opportunity. Ticket holders also receive 20 per cent off the Hallyu! exhibition.
Saturday, 18 April | National Museum of Australia, Acton | nma.gov.au
STOMP Festival
Autumn in the Canberra wine district is already one of the region’s great pleasures, and the Canberra District Stomp Festival makes it even better. Across two days, cellar doors from Murrumbateman to Majura, Hall to Lake George open for exclusive tastings, live music, gourmet food pairings, and the kind of unhurried, scenic experiences that make this region so special. Highlights include Winemaker for a Day experiences, masterclasses with leading producers, tasting sessions comparing local wines to international varieties, and the always-popular grape stomping. Whether it’s a dedicated wine weekend or simply a brilliant autumn escape, this one delivers.
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 | Various locations across the Canberra Wine District | canberrawines.com.au
Afro and Dancehall Music Festival
Verity Lane transforms into an open-air celebration of rhythm, culture, and connection this Sunday as the Afro and Dancehall Music Festival lands at The Laneway. Local legends and international artists bring the heat through an afternoon and evening of live music, a live band experience, and flavour-packed food, in what promises to be an unmissable celebration of two of the world’s most joyful musical traditions. From the organisers who helped build the Vybz movement in Canberra, this is described as more than a festival–it’s a moment.
Sunday, 19 April, 4 pm–10 pm | Verity Lane, Northbourne Avenue, Canberra | vybz.com.au
Bungendore Harvest Festival
The Bungendore Harvest Festival returns for a delicious long weekend celebrating the flavours, people, and landscapes of the Southern Tablelands region. This year’s festival coincides with the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer, making community and connection the heart of the program. Saturday’s Festival Market brings street food, talks, demonstrations, and short courses, while Sunday offers farm tours, workshops, and the annual Harvest Long Lunch fundraiser. It’s a paddock-to-plate weekend that showcases the remarkable producers and growers who make this region one of Australia’s most exciting food destinations.
Until Sunday 19 April | Various locations, Bungendore | southernharvest.org.au
& 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
Portals Beneath the City
Visual artist Tommy Balogh has transformed Blackbird Bar into something Canberra hasn’t seen before. Portals Beneath the City is a UV-reactive, immersive art exhibition where seven original luminous artworks take over the entire venue–booths, entrance, walls, every corner–activated by light and available for sale. Across seven nights from 17 April, the exhibition evolves through a series of distinct events: an Electric Disco UV party, a live painting show with cocktails and canapés, a flying neon paint performance, and an intimate art masterclass where participants create their own Tommy Balogh-style work inside the installation itself. Come for a drink. Stay for something unexpected.
Until Monday, 27 April | Blackbird Bar, Canberra | Various ticket prices from $15 | facebook.com/share/14b4TUn9yy9
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.
Until Sunday, 10 May, Various times | Various locations | environment.act.gov.au
Special Events and Festivals
Celebrate Gungahlin Festival
Celebrate Gungahlin Festival brings together music, dance, food and community spirit for a lively day in the town square. With performances, stalls and family-friendly activities, it’s a relaxed way to experience the creativity and diversity of the region.
Saturday, 18 April, 11 am–2 pm | Gungahlin Town Square, Gungahlin | belcoarts.com.au
Autumn Garage and Plant Sale
Marymead CatholicCare’s popular Garage and Plant Sale returns to Narrabundah this April, bigger and better than ever. The expanded plant stall brings a wonderful selection of home-grown specimens for keen gardeners, while the treasure trove of pre-loved and vintage items–clothing, books, music, and more–offers genuine finds for those who love a good community browse. Whether it’s plants, vintage wares, or simply a lovely Saturday morning outing, this is a community staple worth making the trip for.
Saturday, 18 April, 9 am–1 pm | Marymead CatholicCare, Goyder Street, Narrabundah | mccg.org.au
Limestone Plains Ball
Step into the elegance of a nineteenth-century ballroom this April at Wesley Hall in Forrest. The Limestone Plains Ball invites guests to experience the charm of Regency and Victorian era dances, with dancing masters on hand to guide everyone through the steps–no partner or prior experience required, as dances are designed for all and partners rotate throughout the evening. Costumes from the period are warmly welcomed but entirely optional. Ticket price includes ball entry and supper. It’s a genuinely delightful way to spend a Saturday evening.
Saturday, 18 April, 6.30 pm–10.30 pm | Wesley Hall, National Circuit, Forrest | events.humanitix.com
LGBTIQ+ tea dance
Step onto the dance floor and into a space of joy, connection and celebration.
LGBTIQ+ community members, especially our rainbow elders and their allies, are invited to join Meridian and acclaimed artists All The Queen’s Men for an afternoon dance on 18 April at Ainslie Arts Centre!
This free all-ages event invites you to move your body, share stories, and connect with others in a relaxed and uplifting environment. It will bring together the classic traditions of tea dances with queer community culture, all wrapped in an atmosphere of fun music, great local performers and joyful connection.
Expect great music spanning the decades, gentle guided dance moments, and plenty of time to socialise with community members and allies across the generations over some light refreshments. This event is for everyone, whether you’re a lifelong dancer or just keen to tap your foot and enjoy the atmosphere. There’s no pressure, no expectations, just a room full of warmth, laughter and community spirit.
There’ll also be information about Meridian’s Aged Care Volunteer Visiting program for those who want to continue the community connection after the dance.
Go solo or bring a friend. Dress up if you like. Dance how you feel. All bodies. All identities. All welcome.
Saturday 18 April | Ainslie Arts Centre | meridianact.org.au/lgbtiq_tea_dance
Little Italy Festa
Kingston is going full Italian this April, and the Former Transport Depot on Wentworth Avenue is the perfect setting for a day-long celebration of Italy’s rich culture, food, and creative spirit. The Little Italy Festa brings together Italian street food, local vino, and a packed program of live entertainment including the Youth Chamber Orchestra, the Canberra School of Dance, the Dante Musica Viva Italian Choir, magician Humph, and vocalists According to Us and Mimma Furlan. There are also children’s activities throughout the day–mask and necklace making, face painting, and games. Best of all, entry is completely free.
Saturday, 18 April, 11 am–5.30 pm | Former Transport Depot, Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | vivaitaliaincanberra.com.au
Tuff Nutterz Canberra
This giant inflatable obstacle course transforms Patrick White Lawns into a playground for all ages. Climb, slide and crawl your way through the course, with plenty of laughs along the way.
Until Sunday, 19 April, Various times | Patrick White Lawns, Parkes | tuffnutterz.com
Canberra Kids Triathlon returns to the AIS
The Canberra Kids Triathlon returns to the Australian Institute of Sport in Bruce, offering children aged 7 to 18 the chance to take on a triathlon in a supportive, inclusive environment. Open to all abilities–from first-timers to those with racing experience–the event combines swimming, cycling and running across age-appropriate distances.
Proudly supported by the ACT Government, the event is part of a broader commitment to encouraging youth participation in sport and active lifestyles across the Canberra community. Families are welcome to come along and cheer on young participants as they take on the challenge.
Sunday 19 April | Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce | triathlonaustralia.justgo.com
Afro and Dancehall Music Festival
An open-air celebration of rhythm and culture, this festival brings together live music, DJs and food in the heart of the city. Expect an energetic atmosphere that carries from afternoon into evening.
Sunday, 19 April, 4 pm–10 pm | Verity Lane, City| vybz.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
Markets
South Canberra Community Markets
Grab your family, friends, neighbours, and furry friends (on a leash 🐾). Discover unique handmade finds and delicious street food. Soak up the live music and a relaxing community vibe.
It’s more than a market. Every visit helps support Galilee School and Lions Youth Haven in backing disadvantaged young people across Canberra. Gold coin donations welcome on entry.
Saturday 18 April, 10 am–2 pm | 244 Kambah Pool Road, Kambah (opposite golf club) | commsatwork.org
Pandoras Recycled Fashions O’Connor – Everything Half Price Sale
Pandoras recycles high-end designer clothes, shoes, handbags, hats & jewellery. Top quality fashions at reasonable prices Everything you need to refresh your wardrobe from casual, work, evening or wedding. As the season changes Pandoras is having a half price sale to make room for all the fabulous Winter clothes we have ready to go.
Pandoras is based at St Philip’s Church in O’Connor and proceeds support local Canberra charities.
Half price sale dates are for three weeks on Saturday 18 and 25 April and 2 May. This is followed by the Winter launch on Saturday 9 May.
Pandoras is open every Saturday, 10 am–1 pm | Lamerton Centre, St Philips Church, Cnr Moorhouse and Macpherson Streets | facebook.com
Blundells Cottage Heritage Market Day
One of Canberra’s most charming heritage sites opens its gates for a living history day this Sunday, with workshops, music, heritage crafts, market stalls, and historical performances offering a vivid glimpse into more than a century of life at the cottage. Blundells Cottage, nestled along the lakeshore in Parkes, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the ACT, and Heritage Market Day brings its history to life in the most engaging way imaginable. A lovely outing for families and history lovers alike.
Sunday, 19 April, 10 am–2 pm | Blundells Cottage, Wendouree Drive, Parkes | nca.gov.au
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
Parrilla masterclass
Fire, flavour, and serious technique come together in this immersive hands-on masterclass led by Executive Chef Bradley Howden at the Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong. Designed for anyone fascinated by the art of authentic parrilla cooking–from seasoned grill enthusiasts to the genuinely curious–the session takes participants beyond the barbecue and into the heart of traditional South American fire cooking, from bone to plate. It’s a relaxed, social, and thoroughly delicious way to spend a Saturday morning.
Saturday, 18 April, 11 am–2 pm | Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong, Greenway | cscc.com.au
Flow and Food Ayurveda Cooking Autumn Workshop
A full day of seasonal Ayurvedic cooking awaits at Flow and Food in Lyneham, guided by founder and Ayurveda Health Advisor Tracey Murray. This intimate, hands-on workshop brings a small group together to plan, prepare, and share a nourishing balanced meal–dal, spiced rice, fritters, aromatic vegetables, stovetop bread, chutney, and dips–while learning the principles of Ayurveda, the role of herbs and spices for healing, and how to manage energy in the kitchen. All recipes are included in a take-home handbook. Bring an apron and a notebook.
Sunday, 19 April, 10 am–3 pm | Flow and Food, Northbourne Avenue, Lyneham | flowandfood.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
ACT Brumbies vs Fijian Drua – Super Rugby Pacific Round 10
A family-friendly night of rugby as the Brumbies face the Fijian Drua at home.
Saturday, 18 April, 7.15 pm–9.35 pm | GIO Stadium, Bruce | brumbies.rugby
Breathwork and Sound Healing Journey
Join a transcendental healing journey melting away tension, stress and fatigue. The session starts with 15 minutes of relaxing breathwork using ancient and modern techniques, followed by a sound healing journey using native and meditative instruments including didgeridoo, crystal bowls, RavVast, Heaven & Earth Flute, shamanic drum, Tibetan bowls, crystal pyramid, harmonic healing chimes and Koshi chimes. Benefits include deep relaxation, boosted immune system, balanced nervous system, release of physical and emotional tension, improved focus and memory, improved sleep quality, aligned energy centres, pain reduction and activated limitless potential. Bring your mat, blanket, pillow and anything needed for comfort during the session.
Sunday, 19 April, 6 pm–7.15 pm | Soma Women’s Wellbeing, Dickson | lawenhealingrituals.com
Ayurveda Seasonal Sound Healing: Sharad
Flow and Food’s seasonal sound healing series continues with Sharad–the Ayurvedic autumn ritual centred on the themes of shedding, surrendering, and creating. Aligned with the April new moon as a natural reset point, the 75-minute session weaves effortless meditation techniques, seven-chakra Tibetan singing bowls, beeji mantras, and gentle breathwork into a deeply restorative experience designed to support the body and mind through seasonal transition. No experience is necessary and all are welcome for what promises to be a genuinely grounding Sunday evening.
Sunday, 19 April, 5.30 pm–6.45 pm | Flow and Food, Northbourne Avenue, Lyneham | flowandfood.com.au
Poetry of Autumn–Long Forest Walk
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – and the National Arboretum in autumn is perhaps the most beautiful place in Canberra to experience exactly that. This guided 2.5-hour walk through the Arboretum’s colourful forest tapestry weaves together poetry and landscape, encouraging walkers to appreciate the season’s splendour through a poetic lens. Suitable for ages 12 and over with adult supervision, the walk follows unsealed and hilly tracks, so sturdy shoes and moderate fitness are required. Meet at the Information Desk in the Village Centre.
Sunday, 19 April, 12.30 pm–3 pm | National Arboretum Canberra, Forest Drive, Molonglo | nationalarboretum.act.gov.au
WALK-W-ME
A relaxed, social walking experience designed to build connection through movement and conversation.
Sunday 19 April | Lake Burley Griffin, Parkes | with-me.co
Penrite ProMX Championship Round 2
The ProMX Championship returns to the ACT Motorcycle Club at Fairbairn Park this April for Round 2, following a successful return to the nation’s capital last year. The 1.45km hard-pack track–featuring 15 turns, an 80-metre start straight, and the iconic Three Sisters table-top jumps–hosts the Kawasaki MX1, Pirelli MX2, Maxxis MX3, and Fox Racing MX85 classes across a full day of practice, qualifying, and racing. Riders average around 60km/h on this technical circuit, with Australia’s finest motocross competitors competing for honours.
Sunday, 19 April, 8 am–4 pm | ACT Motorcycle Club, Pialligo Avenue, Majura | auspromx.com.au
Canberra Kids Triathlon
The Australian Institute of Sport in Bruce plays host to a morning of swim-bike-run fun designed specifically for young athletes of all ages and abilities. The Canberra Kids Triathlon is built around giving it a go in a safe, well-organised, and genuinely supportive environment–perfect for first-timers discovering the sport and returning young competitors alike. Whether it’s a child’s first triathlon or their fifth, the atmosphere is encouraging and the experience confidence-building from start to finish. Registration through the ACT Triathlon website.
Sunday, 19 April, 7 am–11 am | Australian Institute of Sport, Leverrier Street, Bruce | acttriathlon.com.au
Twilight Flow and Live Music
Just 15 minutes from Canberra’s inner north, a 90-minute immersive experience unfolds at golden hour in the Australian bush at Goolabri, Sutton. Twilight Flow and Live Music fuses guided yoga-inspired movement with live music from keyboards, slide guitar, didgeridoo, and vocals, alongside crystal bowl soundscapes and atmospheric lighting. The session moves from a Yin Yang flow through to a deep sound bath as the sun sets, before closing with a live performance from the musicians. Guests are invited to stay afterwards for herbal tea, fresh fruit, and connection under the night sky.
Sunday, 19 April, arrival 4.30 pm | Goolabri, Sutton | movementmusicmedicine.com
Music
Guy Sebastian 100 Times Around The Sun Tour
Guy Sebastian returns with a live show blending new music with well-known hits, showcasing his signature vocals and stage presence.
Saturday, 18 April | AIS Arena, Bruce | guysebastian.com
Canberra Bach Ensemble: Bach’s Easter Oratorio
The Canberra Bach Ensemble brings two of Bach’s most radiant and triumphant works to St Christopher’s Cathedral this April in a concert that promises to be one of the musical highlights of the season. The Easter Oratorio BWV 249 and the jubilant cantata Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret BWV 31 are performed by the CBE Choir and Orchestra alongside soloists Greta Claringbould, Maartje Sevenster, Timothy Reynolds, and Andrew Fysh, led by director Andrew Koll. Rich, celebratory, and full of Baroque splendour in one of Canberra’s most beautiful acoustic spaces.
Saturday 18 and Sunday, 19 April | St Christopher’s Cathedral, Franklin Street, Forrest | canberrabachensemble.com
Stage and Screen
No Exit
Hell is other people, and Sartre’s chilling, darkly funny proof of that thesis is coming to Belconnen Arts Centre this April. Mockingbird Too, the acclaimed theatre company in residence at Belco Arts, presents No Exit in a strictly limited season directed by Céline Oudin. Three strangers arrive in a room expecting physical torment, only to discover something far more unsettling: each other. In this razor-sharp one-act, the weapons are words and the horror lies in being truly seen. Starring Phoebe Chua, Victoria Tyrrell Dixon, Eli Narev, and Peter Fock, this intimate production promises a pressure-cooker of shifting power, desire, and self-deception. Suitable for ages 15+.
Until Saturday, 18 April, 7.30 pm | The Studio, Belconnen Arts Centre, Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Velveteen Rabbit
A playful, interactive theatre experience reimagining a classic children’s story through performance and projection.
Until Saturday, 18 April, Various times | Canberra Theatre Centre, City | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
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.
Until Saturday, 18 April | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, City | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
The Sound of Music (Sing-Along)
Join in with this interactive screening of a beloved musical, where audiences are encouraged to sing along to every classic song.
Sunday 19 April, 2 pm–4 pm | National Film and Sound Archive, Acton | tickets.nfsa.gov.au
Thom Pain (based on nothing) by Will Eno
A 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, Will Eno’s celebrated solo monologue comes to The Mill Theatre at Dairy Road this April in a production that is both a significant creative milestone and genuinely unmissable theatre. Canberra local Joey Minogue takes the stage in a deeply personal performance directed by Maddie Lee, exploring the fragile, absurd beauty of the human condition through Eno’s razor-sharp, darkly comic text. Presented as part of The Mill Theatre Co-Production Series, this intimate production is described as “dazzling” and “heartbreakingly honest”–a rare opportunity to see a world-class work in an intimate Canberra setting.
Until Saturday, 25 April, 7.30 pm–8.30 pm | Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, Fyshwick | milltheatreatdairyroad.com
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 &Workshops
Intro to Beadmaking class at Canberra Glassworks
Thread molten glass over a hot torch and make your own handcrafted glass beads in this three-hour flameworking class at Canberra Glassworks in Kingston. Led by expert beadmaker Sarah Murphy–who has been working with glass since 2000 and creates her own unique jewellery from her Canberra studio–participants learn how to use specialist tools and master techniques including glass thread-making, pattern application, and annealing. A wonderfully tactile, creative, and genuinely satisfying way to spend a Saturday morning. All equipment provided.
Saturday, 18 April, 10.30 am–1.30 pm | Canberra Glassworks, Kingston | canberraglassworks.com
A deep dive into visual storytelling workshop
Belco Arts’ free Infuse Workshop series continues with a three-hour introduction to graphic storytelling led by Lee Evatt, founder of Sticky Beaks Comic Magazine. Open to adults 18 and over, the session sparks ideas for comics and zines, with participants leaving with a bound zine or the materials to finish one at home. All materials are supplied and the workshop is free, with three sessions available across different Canberra locations–Gungaderra Homestead in Gungahlin, the SLA Display Village in Whitlam, and Belco Arts itself. Places are strictly limited, so book early.
Saturday, 18 April, 12.30 pm–3.30 pm | SLA Display Village, Whitlam | belcoarts.com.au
Acrylic painting workshop with Sophie Ryan
There’s something deeply satisfying about spending a whole afternoon with paint, a canvas, and the guidance of someone who genuinely believes that everyone is an artist. Sophie Ryan’s acrylic painting workshop at Q Gallery in Ainslie takes participants through composition, colour theory, light and shadow, underpainting, and the full arc of creating a landscape on canvas–all with materials provided and no experience whatsoever required. Set within the gallery’s beautiful surrounds in one of Canberra’s most charming inner suburbs, this four-hour session is equal parts skill-building and genuine creative pleasure. A wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Saturday, 18 April, 1 pm–5 pm | Q Gallery, Ainslie | eventbrite.com.au
Exhibitions
Illustra: 50 Women for 50 Years
Illustra: 50 Women for 50 Years is a permanent portrait exhibition celebrating 50 years of women as residents at John XXIII College. Featuring fifty alumni, the exhibition pairs portraiture with personal reflections to capture the evolving experience of women across five decades. Photographed by ANU School of Art graduate Bronte Morel across Australia and internationally, each work is set in a location of personal significance. Together, the collection forms an intergenerational narrative of leadership, identity and community, recognising the enduring contribution of women to the College and beyond.
Permanent exhibition, open 9 am–5 pm daily | Front foyer, John XXIII College, 51 Daley Road, Australian National University, Canberra | johnxxiii.anu.edu.au
Hop In! an immersive world of play
Canberra Museum and Gallery launches one of its most delightful exhibitions this April–and it’s designed for the youngest visitors. Hop In! turns the familiar family home inside out, shifting rooms in scale and perspective to invite children aged 3–12 to move, build, crawl, splash, and imagine in surprising new ways. Stretch out beneath a sky of clouds, create secret worlds under oversized furniture, or wander through reimagined kitchens and backyards where creativity has completely taken over. At the heart of the experience is Bunny Dearest, a gentle guiding companion created by artist Beci Orpin.
Saturday, 18 April until Sunday, 11 October | Canberra Museum and Gallery, London Circuit, Canberra | cmag.com.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
Sentient | Elliott Fox
Following a spectacular debut exhibition on greyhound advocacy that raised over $8,000 for charity, emerging Canberra artist Elliott Fox returns to M16 Artspace with Sentient–a powerful new body of work examining the sentience of all non-human animals as deserving of the same care and protection as any family member. Working across impasto paintings, screen prints, and installation, Fox creates work that is as visually striking as it is ethically urgent. Opening alongside three other new exhibitions at M16: Shorelines, Bloom by Eggpicnic, and Partial Index by Dörte Conroy.
Until Sunday, 10 May | M16 Artspace, Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | m16artspace.com.au
Bloom | Eggpicnic
In a world shaped by colonisation, conflict, and climate change, what does it mean for life to persist? Bloom, a new exhibition by Eggpicnic at M16 Artspace, brings together works centred on animals that survive within fragile and changing environments–honouring their lives while holding space for hope and examining the profound responsibility humans carry to protect the conditions for life to flourish. Rich, considered, and quietly urgent, Bloom opens alongside Sentient by Elliott Fox, Shorelines, and Partial Index by Dörte Conroy. Visit the M16 website for opening details.
Until Sunday, 10 May | M16 Artspace, Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | m16artspace.com.au
Partial Index | Dörte Conroy
Dörte Conroy’s new body of work at M16 Artspace draws on a personal collection of documentary photography spanning the late nineteenth century through to the 1990s, removing images from their original contexts and combining them with vivid blocks of colour in large paper collages. The result is a layered surface where past and present, image and pigment coexist in quiet dialogue–historical fragments softened and interrupted by saturated colour, creating a subtle physical texture that invites slow looking. Opening alongside Sentient, Bloom, and Shorelines as part of M16’s April program.
Until Sunday, 10 May | M16 Artspace, Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | m16artspace.com.au
Shorelines | Helen Brancatisano, Miriam Cullen, Trish Yates
Three artists. Two years. One stretch of NSW Central Coast coastline, observed across all its changing moods. Shorelines at M16 Artspace brings together works on paper by Helen Brancatisano, Miriam Cullen, and Trish Yates–linocuts, Mokuhanga, monotypes, ink drawings, artist books, and paper sculptures developed from preparatory drawings made on site. Three very different artistic responses to the same landscape, united by a shared attentiveness to what can be seen, heard, touched, and smelled at the shoreline. Opening alongside Sentient, Bloom, and Partial Index.
Until Sunday, 10 May | M16 Artspace, Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | m16artspace.com.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
Ngura Puḻka–Epic Country
One of the most ambitious exhibitions to open at the National Gallery of Australia this year, Ngura Puḻka–Epic Country showcases major works by senior First Nations artists and collectives from the APY Lands, Coober Pedy, and Adelaide. These large-scale paintings depict Country while celebrating the powerful Tjukurpa–the law and cultural stories–that lies within, rendered sometimes in explosions of colour, sometimes in muted, contemplative palettes. From the beginning of the APY art movement, these artists have embraced monumental works as the ultimate expression of cultural freedom. The result is an exhibition that is genuinely epic in both scale and significance.
Until Sunday, 23 August | National Gallery of Australia, 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
Feature image: STOMP Festival. Credit: Tourism Australia.
