A giant water fight, live music, whisky tasting and more: what’s on this week in Canberra
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Get ready for a jam-packed week that includes a giant water fight, live music, whisky tasting, and more!
Here are all the things we recommend you put in your diary (yes, you can thank us later).
Special events + festivals
Whisky Capital
Some of Australia’s best whisky distilleries are coming to the capital for a very special whisky festival.
Pouring whiskies across two sessions (an afternoon session kicking off at 1 pm, and an evening session kicking off at 5 pm) head along to enjoy food provided by First Edition, exclusive whisky gelato by Jasper+Myrtle, a Glencairn whisky glass, the event booklet, and access to distiller’s masterclasses!
Saturday 4 February | Novotel Canberra, 65 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra City | Book here.
The Great Haig Park Water Fight
A great water fight is brewing… are you ready to get soaked?
Head along to Haig Park for the ultimate water Olympics! This epic battle will see water warriors battle it out to capture the flag, and win the sea sponge battle (or hide in sprinkle city). Live music and a very well-trained marine crew will keep the party going.
Saturday 4 February | Haig Park, Braddon | facebook.com
Googfest
Following a five-year hiatus, Googfest is back! And you better be excited, the regional music event will be headlined by Australian blues and rock band Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows. Known for their electric live shows, the ARIA Award-winning band will be supported by Australian artists Chloe Kay and the Crusade, Smooth Ops, and The Faumuis.
Want to know the best part? It’s free.
Saturday 4 February | Rockley Oval, Googong, NSW | googong.net
Music by the River
Get ready Tiny Dancers for a night where live music will flow along the Queanbeyan River with local artists bringing Elton John’s music to life.
The Canberra Symphony Orchestra (alongside Darren Percival & Band) have joined Icon Water and the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council for the seventh edition of Music by the River. Expect entertainment from local Canberra groups Harmony Chorus, Duralla Street Dudes and Woodface, food and more.
Saturday 4 February | Queen Elizabeth II Park, 55 Collett St, Queanbeyan | Book here.
Chinese Lantern Festival
It’s time to visit the Beijing Garden for a beautiful Chinese lantern festival thanks to the Australia China Friendship Society. There will be performances of music, folk dancing, lion dance, and martial arts, followed by the lantern parade along the shores of Lake Burley Griffin (and yes, lanterns will be avalible for purchase).
Make sure to pack a picnic to enjoy an evening by the lake!
Saturday 4 February | Beijing Garden, Flynn Drive, Yarralumla | acfs.org.au
Cosentino: A decade of magic
Join Cosentino—Australia’s world-renowned entertainer and International Magician of the Year—as he performs his most death-defying escapes that will thrill your senses, his greatest ever mind-boggling stage illusions and cutting-edge street magic that twists your view of reality.
In this 90-minute live show, enjoy his trademark blend of dance and magic as he explores his greatest hits!
Saturday 4 February | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra | Book here.
Culture Cruise boat and walking tours
Hop aboard the Culture Cruise for the ultimate multi-sensory adventure.
Explore the National Museum of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery from the water and gain a different perspective in witnessing local, national, and international artists amidst the natural and built beauty of the environment (Psst! You’ll be wined and dined as well).
Saturday 4 February | Various locations | Book here.
Round 13: UC Capitals vs. Adelaide Lightning
No plans? Why not come and watch the UC Capitals take on the Adelaide Lightning at the National Convention Centre Canberra? Tip off is at 7 pm, be there or be square!
Thursday 2 February | National Convention Centre Canberra, Constitution Avenue, Campbell | Book here.
Ginger Catering Wedding Open Night
Recently engaged or know someone who is? Come and see what a wedding at the Arboretum looks like and meet some of Canberra’s best wedding suppliers.
Thursday 2 February from 5.30–8 pm | National Arboretum Canberra | Free event | thegingergroup.com.au/wedding-open-night
Food + wine
Tasting with Adam Shipp
Join Adam Shipp (Wiradjuri) of Yurbay for a walk through the National Museum of Australia’s Christina and Trevor Kennedy Garden where you’ll experience sights and scents of the seasons as he shares his knowledge of native plants. And that’s not even the best part.
Tours are followed by morning tea in the garden (weather permitting), featuring ingredients found in and around Canberra!
Thursday 2 and Saturday 4 February | National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton | Book here.
Feast w/ Henry Saiz (Natura Sonoris – ES), presented by Escape Ferocity
Say hello to textured techno in a sexy restaurant, a six-course dinner, your own table and an intimate dance floor.
INKA is hosting a wonderful culinary and sonic journey where you can enjoy fine dining and red hot music in a stunning venue with only 100 like-minded people. Think Natura Sonoris DJing during entrée and into mains with Henry Saiz bringing up the tempo at the end of the six-course meal. See you there?
Friday 3 and Saturday 4 February | 148 Bunda Street, Canberra City | Book here.
Unplugged Sundays
Head along to the Gungahlin Lakes Club beer garden to enjoy local Canberran talent, food and drink specials and an atmosphere to soothe you into the tail end of the weekend.
Sunday 5 February | 110 Gundaroo Drive, Gungahlin Lakes Golf & Community Club, Nicholls | Book here.
Cressida Campbell: Grazing by the Garden
Inspired by Cressida Campbell’s love of gardens and shared food between friends, the National Gallery is hosting Grazing by the Garden. Design your own grazing experience and choose from a selection of delicious scones with ribbon sandwiches, local grazing boards or a rustic pizza flatbread prepared daily. Espresso coffee, specialty tea or wine and beer will also be available, perfect for a light lunch in the Gallery’s dining room with scenic views of the Sculpture Garden and Lake Burley Griffin.
Until Sunday 19 February | National Gallery of Australia | nga.gov.au
The Dancing Queen Dining Experience
Ever been raging with jealousy whilst watching Donna and the gang sing and dance on stunning Greek islands? Well, rage no more. Grab your dancing queens, because a Mamma Mia-inspired Restaurant is landing in Canberra in January.
Until 31 March | Saint Malo, 19 London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
Stage + screen
Sunset Cinema
Cozy up under the stars with a picnic and some popcorn to catch some old favourites and new releases at the Sunset Cinema. This week head along for I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Blueback, and A Man Called Otto. Make sure you check the weather before you head along!
Wednesday 1 until Saturday 4 February | Australian National Botanic Gardens, Acton | Book here.
Music
M.Ward: Celebrating 20 Years of Transfiguration of Vincent
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, prolific singer-songwriter and guitarist M.Ward is coming to Canberra to celebrate 20 years since the release of his critically acclaimed album Transfiguration of Vincent.
An infusion of folk and blues, dripping with deft guitar picking and bar room piano, the extraordinary album of gritty stories and melody-drenched music is a tribute to Ward’s close friend Vincent O’Brien. Don’t miss out!
Friday 3 February | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
Ainslie Salon presents Bree van Reyk and Mick Turner
Join drummer and composer Bree van Reyk in a special live performance of her album ‘superclusters’ alongside guitarist Mick Turner.
This special live performance features tracks from the album in exploded form, exploring the connections and counterpoints between the rich and sonorous landscapes of Turner’s unique guitar playing, and the avant-Classical/sound-art textures of van Reyk’s percussion-led compositions.
Friday 3 February | Ainslie Arts Centre, 30 Elouera Street, Braddon | Book here.
Ainslie Salon presents Potential
Meet weirdo dark-pop synthwave group Potential. Launching their 2023 album ‘Normal’ with a tour of Australia and Aotearoa, expect a brooding, danceable six-track record, with layers of synth, baritone sax, guitars, bass and homestyled beats.
Saturday 4 February | Ainslie Arts Centre, 30 Elouera Street, Braddon | Book here.
Exhibitions
Disrupt, persist, invent
Australia, home of the ‘fair go’. But is it really the free and fair place you’d hope for? What can we change? From noisy protest to quiet persistence, Disrupt, persist, invent explores the many ways people have achieved social change in Australia.
Pop into the National Archives of Australia to discover powerful stories of people and their actions, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Until Monday 12 June | National Archives of Australia | naa.gov.au
Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages
Celebrating the power and diversity of female spiritual beings in cultural traditions and beliefs across the globe, this exhibition explores how goddesses, demons, witches, spirits and saints have shaped our understanding of the world.
Featuring more than 160 objects from the British Museum’s exceptional collection, this is a timely exhibition that explores and questions feminine power, authority and identity.
Until Sunday 27 August | National Museum of Australia | nma.gov.au
Moments in the Australian bush
This exhibition explores beautiful moments experienced in the unique and special local environments of Namadgi, the Snowy Mountains, the Brindabellas, Tidbinbilla, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Enjoy functional art with ceramics by Amy Beggs-French, designed using a simple, elegant forms with a colour palette inspired by the natural world. She has been working as a ceramicist for the past four years, teaching as well as making for markets, restaurants and cafes.
There will also be work from Penny Deacon—an artist who paints local wildlife and landscapes in watercolours and oils.
Until Sunday 26 February | Visitor Centre Gallery, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Clunies Ross Street, Acton | parksaustralia.gov.au
Pictures of You
Have you ever tried to explain it is to be YOU? To a friend, a partner, your family, a professional – even to yourself? Now imagine having a disability; of the prejudices that come with that, and the challenges of engaging people to look beyond the disability to the whole of your personality. This is the focus of the Pictures of You exhibition, which explores a unique approach to self-portrayals of people with lived experience of physical and mental health disabilities – collaborating as equals with a professional photographer to produce a portrait honestly reflecting the whole person.
Until Sunday 5 February | Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now
Featuring 125 images from the last 50 years, all uniquely captured by celebrated documentary photographers, Viewfinder is an exhibition that provides a fascinating glimpse into the changing face of Australia.
Walk through the exhibition and you’ll see the faces and stories of migrants, shearers, dancers, miners, gardeners, surfers, and bronzed bodies at the beach—but it also reveals how much photography has evolved over the years, from black and white captures to the vibrant high-definition images of today.
This is a reflective exhibition that can be enjoyed by all ages. Read more here.
Until Sunday 30 April | National Library of Australia | nla.gov.au
Blueprint
A ballot box designed to be carried 500km on the back of a camel. A ball gown hand-sewn to celebrate the peaceful achievement of Federation. A boomerang-shaped petition calling for constitutional recognition in 2013. These objects speak to what makes Australia’s democracy so, well… Australian.
Blueprint at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) is a new exhibition that shares the blueprint upon which our distinctive democracy has been built. Head along today!
Running until late 2023 | 18 King George Terrace, Parkes | moadoph.gov.au
Belonging: Stories from Far North Queensland
The first in a three-part series, this exhibition captures generations of cultural knowledge shaped by the diverse First Nations peoples who live there and their connection to Country. Enjoy the established and emerging artists from across Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait as they explore art using new materials and techniques as they share what it means to belong.
Until Sunday 12 February | National Museum of Australia | nma.gov.au
Cressida Campbell
From her molasses-rich colour palette to her ability to re-imagine kitchen scraps with the deceptive ease of a film dissolve, it’s easy to get lost within Cressida Campbell’s world.
Her latest exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia is intimately soaked in her identity, the beautiful details of painted wood blocks and a ‘hard to pinpoint’ temporal energy that will disarm and transport audiences along the way. Featuring more than 140 works of art from the renowned artist, including new acquisitions and key works from private and public collections it will offer new insights into her life and work, featuring research and writing from a range of curators, artists, poets and other voices.
Until Saturday 19 February | The National Gallery of Australia | nga.gov.au
Changemakers
Celebrating the female torchbearers who have played a pivotal role in shaping Australian society, who rallied against limitations, forging new paths, and changing policy, laws, and opinions, Changemakers will focus on 54 Australian women and shine a light on how the politicians, artists, activists, and sportswomen have shifted the national conversation and changed the future.
From Ash Barty and Chanel Contos to Rosie Batty, Barbara Cummings, and Louisa Lawsone, Changemakers will give a voice to the women via a series of images, objects, and videos while leading visitors through themes of equality, financial independence, birth and care roles, the challenges of gender and race, and more.
Now showing | 18 King George Terrace, Parkes | moadoph.gov.au
Workshops, webinars + more
CBS Jam Workshop
Consider yourself a budding blues player? This workshop might be right up your alley.
re not intended to show you how to play your instrument, but they may give you a better understanding about how blues music is structured and how you can communicate this to the other members of your band.
Aiming to to create a comfortable, non-threatening environment where less confident musicians and singers can perform in a band situation, simply bring your instrument and get ready to jam.
Wednesday 1 February | The Zeppelin Room, 49 Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah | Book here.
An Evening with David Sedaris
Following the success of his brand new best-selling book Happy-Go-Lucky, critically acclaimed author and humourist David Sedaris is coming to Canberra. Get ready for an evening filled with storytelling, observations, unpublished tales, audience Q&A’s and book signings.
Sunday 5 February | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
