Amphibious art, giant splashes, and pure glory: Canberra’s Kinetic Sculpture Race is back for round two!

Posted on 16 October, 2026

Engineering, art, theatrics, pageantry, and speed – everything that makes a Kinetic Sculpture Race beautiful, strange, and magical. Held as part of the Craft + Design Canberra Festival, this whimsical and chaotic event brings community and public joy in a post-COVID world.

We don’t get to see large human-powered amphibious art vehicles perform and travel along the foreshores of Kings Park and Queen Elizabeth II Island into Lake Burley Griffin every day, but on Saturday 7 November, you can get a front-row seat to what is known as the triathlon of the art world.

Expect large works of art of all shapes and sizes, forged from the imagination into vehicles fit for land and water; the kinetic sculptures stop at nothing until they reach the finish line.

Kinetic sculpture racing began in California, after sculptor Hobart Brown altered his son’s tricycle and raced his friend in 1969. He described it as “Adults having fun, so kids want to grow up”

This is the energy that organiser Travis Bullock hopes to bring back this year. After participating in over 17 races throughout his life, he brought this lifelong passion and hobby from California to Canberra in 2022. The race was successful, with participants coming in from cities across Australia.

“I think Canberra is the perfect place for it. Not only environmentally and geographically, with this lake in the heart of the city, but with Canberra’s creative style, artistic scene, the public art that we love, high-functioning mechanic groups, Men’s Sheds, She Sheds, and maker spaces. It’s all here in Canberra!” says Travis.

This year’s theme for the Craft + Design Canberra Festival is Dissent, which perfectly represents Travis’s mission for Canberra’s Kinetic Sculpture Race.

“It is a form of dissenting from our general ways of interacting with capitalism, where you need to pay to have a good time, where you need to buy something to fit in. This is none of that; it’s embracing your silly side, making sure to have a smile on, helping each other out, and doing tough things for the fun of it. There’s no award money, and there’s no reason to do it; it’s simply for the glory,” he says.

The sculptures will be scored based on art, engineering, speed, and pageantry. But don’t worry; there are a plethora of awards for both participants and spectators, such as Biggest Splash, Best Volunteer, Racer’s Choice, They Came From Out Of Town (for non-Canberran teams!), Item of Psychological Reassurance (best spectator), Diprotodon (first team to break down after the race starts), and Golden Flipper (any machine that tips into the water).

Credit: Georgia Arndell.

Travis describes Kinetic Sculpture Racing as accessible art; he encourages everyone to get involved, even if you have no prior experience.

“It can be as simple as decorating your bike and trying to get some sealed containers to float you, figuring out how to put it on a trailer, and making up a song and dance. Everyone is welcome from every walk of life,” he says.

If building a larger-than-life kinetic thrill is not up your alley, you can get involved by volunteering or even becoming a judge yourself! Reach out to travb93@gmail.com for enquiries.

Even just spectating is a fun excuse to get outside with the family.

“There’s an entertainment value where you can just sit back, have a beer, and watch these giant sculptures flip over in the water, sing and dance, and compete across the sand.”

Feature image: Georgia Arndell.