Step into the Enchanted Forest: Canberra Star Ball returns to the Arboretum

Posted on 18 August, 2026

For one night a year, Canberra gets dressed up in glitz and glam all in support of brightening the lives of seriously ill children and their families.

The Canberra Star Ball on Saturday 17 October is a night of decadent food, drinks, entertainment and dancing – with community spirit central to making the night a success. And you’re invited to come along.

When a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, life changes. Instead of playing in the garden or hanging out with friends, their days can become consumed by hospital and treatment. It’s scary and overwhelming.

Starlight Children’s Foundation exists for exactly that moment, bringing a bit of joy in these tough moments through play, creativity and social connection. Starlight’s built on the simple but powerful belief that happiness matters.

While doctors treat illness, Captain Starlight turns up on the Canberra Hospital ward with the fun, joy and laughter that’s essential to a child’s wellbeing.

Meanwhile, the Starlight Express Room is a medical-free haven for sick kids and their families seeking a welcome break from the relentless cycle of medical treatments and procedures. It’s where kids, families and the Captains get down to the serious business of having fun!

That’s the cause Canberra Star Ball exists to fund – and this October, Canberrans are encouraged to put on the black tie or don that ball gown for an Enchanted Forest-themed evening. Your support is needed to help bring happiness to seriously ill children right here in the region.

Last year, in one night, the community raised close to $220,000 for Starlight.

This locally made event is run by a Canberra-based volunteer committee, with generous local businesses chipping in with sponsorships and prizes, raising funds for Starlight’s Canberra programs. Jewellery, holidays, nice dinners, event tickets and other exciting experiences are on offer on the night, among a three-course dinner, drinks and dancing.

That money raised stays close to home. It funds Starlight’s programs right here in the ACT – Captain Starlight visits in the local children’s hospital, wishes granted for local kids, support for local families doing it tough. Guests who buy a wish table are funding a wish for a child who might live three suburbs away.

Now in its 19th year, Canberra Star Ball just keeps getting bigger, and this year it’s heading back to the stunning setting of the National Arboretum, hosted by Canberra auctioneer extraordinaire Jason Roses and featuring live music from Hit Parade.

Canberra Star Ball has a habit of selling out. So, if you’ve been meaning to get a group together for a fun night out for a good cause – staff, clients, mates, the school-run parents you actually like – this is your nudge to lock it in early. Tickets are on sale now.

Get dressed up. Have a bid on the live or silent auctions. Dance like no one’s watching. And know that somewhere, a Canberra kid gets to be a kid a little more often because you did.