Dancing, comedy, food and more—30+ ways to fill your weekend
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Looking for ways to will your weekend in Canberra? We have 30+ options to choose from.
Think dancing, comedy, food and much, much more!
Special events + festivals
Saturday Night Fever with DJ Sue
Get ready to shake, shimmy, and boogie down this Saturday at The Tradies lounge! They’ve got a wild and funky night planned with the one and only DJ Sue, who will be serving up non-stop beats and contagious energy on the dance floor.
So put on your dancing shoes and get ready to unleash your inner party animal on 11 February at 8.30 pm. No tickets necessary, folks!
All members and their guests are invited to join in on the fun. So, grab your squad and let’s dance the night away to DJ Sue’s electrifying tracks.
Saturday 11 February from 8.30 pm – 11.30 pm at The Tradies, 2 Badham Street Dickson | thetradies.com.au
Lifeline Canberra Bookfair
Looking for something new to read to keep up with your annual “read more” New Year’s resolution? Come along to one of the largest book fair events held in Canberra. Lifeline’s annual bookfair helps raise a major portion of the funding needed to keep the local crisis support service running.
There’s a wide range of choices to pick from, such as fiction and non-fiction, children’s books, textbooks, foreign language books and more. Plus, you may even be able to scoop up some rare books and collectables.
If reading isn’t really up your alley, don’t fret, there are records, CDs, DVDs, games, jigsaws and more! You’re bound to find something for everyone to enjoy a fun day out.
Friday 10, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February | Exhibition Park Canberra (EPIC) Flemington Rd, Mitchell | Entry via gold coin donation or tap and go available | lifelinecanberra.com
Comedy @ The Front
Don’t miss the hilarious comedy stylings of Chelsea Heaney and the magical storytelling of Caitlin Maggs, as they support Canberra’s own Jacqui Richards as she headlines the February Comedy at the Front.
Your MC Suma Iyer will guide you through the evening that will be filled with massive laughs and memorable moments. Grab your tickets fast.
Sunday 12 February (doors open at 7.30 pm for an 8 pm start) | The Front, 1 Wattle Place, Lyneham | Book here.
To Barbra, With Love—An 80th Birthday Celebration
We all know and adore her—a revered female trailblazer whose voice and lyrics have the power to earth-move, culture-shape and transcend. And now, the legacy of Barbra Streisand is coming to life at the Canberra Theatre Centre on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 February.
At the hands of this talented cast and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, To Barbra With Love will take you on a beautiful journey of her expansive career—from her musical theatre hits to the classics we all know and love. And for those too young to know this living legend, think of it as your baptism by Barbra.
Friday 10 and Saturday 11 February | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
Arboretum Kite Fest
Enjoy the sun and sky with a day at the Arboretum dedicated to flying kites! Pack a picnic, join the festivities and soar the day away. There will also be plenty of pop-up food options, Kite Making Workshops, kite demonstrations in the amphitheatre, live entertainment and much more.
Sunday 12 February | National Arboretum Canberra, Forest Drive, Molonglo Valley | Book here.
International Crafts and Food
Head along to this special event to explore all the sensations from the different cultures around the world. From food to clothing, accessories and more, it’ll be a fun and festive day at the markets.
Sunday 12 February | Old Bus Depot Markets, 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston| obdm.com.au
Food and wine
Winederlust Wine Tasting: Belconnen
The perfect Saturday night pre-dinner wine-tasting event. Host of the Winederlust Podcast, Jeanene will be taking you on a tour of wines featured in her podcast. Focussing on sparkling, whites and rosè, book in to enjoy a bite to eat and a sip of something yummy.
Saturday 11 February | Boardwalk Bar, Emu Bank, Belconnen | Book here.
Summer Bottemless Brunch
Pour yourself a cheeky morning mimosa, then head up to check out the brunch stations where you’ll find an dizzying array of your morning favourites (including farm fresh eggs and Australia’s best bacon, freshly baked pastries, and more). No meal hits the spot quite like brunch, and this is the perfect excuse to treat yourself!
Sunday 12 February | Pialligo Estate Glasshouse18 Kallaroo Road, Pialligo | thepialligoestate.com.au
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 and Screen
Catch Jazida
A captivating combination of burlesque and theatre that will have you hooked from the get-go. Become a detective on the case as police track suspected criminal and burlesque performer Jazida through every speakeasy, cabaret club, circus tent and burlesque bar in town.
Catch Jazida is an award-winning and acclaimed show created by renowned Canberra burlesque performer, Jazida herself. This performance is bound to surprise and keep you guessing.
Until Sunday 12 February | The Courtyard, The Canberra Theatre | canberratheatrecentre.com
White Rabbit, Red Rabbit
With no rehearsals, no director, a different actor each night, and a script waiting in a sealed envelope on stage, internationally acclaimed White Rabbit Red Rabbit, by Iranian writer Nassim Soleimanpour, is an audacious theatrical experiment.
You’ll want to watch this potent reminder of the transgressive and transformative power of theatre again and again.
Until Saturday 25 February | Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, 1 Dairy Road, Building 3.3, Fyshwick | Book here.
Sarah Millican: Bobby Dazzler
The hilarious Sarah Millican is back on tour with a Bobby Dazzler* of a new stand-up show where you’ll learn about what happens when your mouth seals shut, how to throw poo over a wall, trying to lose weight but only losing the tip of your finger, a surprisingly funny smear test, and how truly awful a floatation tank can actually be. See you there?
*‘Bobby Dazzler’ is the purest compliment. Imagine a child in red wellies or a woman in a new top. Both are Bobby Dazzlers. It is also the name of a caravan cleaning spray. This show is not about cleaning caravans.
Sunday 12 February | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
Music
High Voltage Rock’n’Roll
Get ready to rock! Paying tribute to one of Australia’s biggest bands ever, and in particular to the AC/DC front man Bon Scott, this special concert is a nod to icons of Australian rock (yes, including the Angels, INXS, Cold Chisel, Choirboys, Screaming Jets, Rose Tattoo, Dragon and many more).
Prepare to have your ears ringing, your feet moving and you leaving this show pondering your own dirty deeds and highway to hell.
Saturday 11 February | The Zeppelin Room, 49 Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah | Book here.
Exhibitions
Karena Keys Wanna Sip
Wanna Sip is a track on the 2017 album, Plunge, by Fever Ray. For Karena Keys, Wanna Sip’s lyrics resonate as an exploration of the dichotomies of self, such as: love vs loathing, vulnerability vs strength and desire vs protection, as well as the anxieties that can accompany the complexity of these emotions.
In this performance she will explore these themes, using material, emotional and spatial tensions that tap into personal histories, memories and experiences.
Saturday 11 February until Friday 20 June | Canberra Museum and Gallery, Cnr London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City| cmag.com.au
We Are One: The First XI
Presenting the work of artist Claire Letitia Reynolds and director Sasha Parlett (Malyangapa/Barkindji), this exhbtiuon celebrates the journey of the all Aboriginal First XI of 1868, through film and photography.
Until Saturday 11 Feburary | PhotoAccess, 30 Manuka Circle, Griffith | gallery.photoaccess.org.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
Solastalgia: Art for the Planet
This joint exhibition showcases three artists whose love of the Australian environment inspires their work.
This powerful visual experience enables artists and viewers to reflect on their experiences of climate change and pay homage to the natural world. It inspires reflection on the special places and forms that shape our memories of and connections to the Australian environment.
Until Sunday 12 February | m16Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | m16artspace.com.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
Net Worth
Showcasing four emerging artists working in glass—Louis Grant (ACT), Jessica Murtagh (SA), Madisyn Zabel (ACT) and Shirley Jianzhen Wu (SA)—this exhibition provides a platform for these artists to explore concepts of identity, societal stereotypes, and technology overlayed with history and craftsmanship engrained in glass making.
Until Sunday 26 February | Canberra Glassworks, 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | canberraglassworks.com
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
Salt: Sammy Hawker Photography Exhibition
Travelling from the East Coast (Yuin, Walbunja, Arakwal, and Bidawal Country) to Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre (Arabana Country), in this exhibition Sammy Hawker explores the quiet magic of the Australian country. To make it even more interesting (if that’s even possible) many of the photographs in this show have been processed in the location they were captured and exposed to traces of salt found within the site (ocean water, salt crust).
Until Saturday 25 March | The Mixing Room Gallery, Thor’s Hammer, 10 Mildura Street, Griffith | thors.com.au
Mycelium Sky
This is an exploration of fantastical interconnected worlds, botanical biomes and surreal dreamscapes. Head along to enjoy the work of Paul Summerfield, a digital artist, who blends traditional painting and drawing techniques with digital mediums as he takes viewers on journeys into vivid worlds.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Wrack and Salvage
Provoking questions in the face of the climate crisis—What do we value? What do we stand to lose? What will we see destroyed? What are we willing to sacrifice? What are we prepared to save?—this sculptural installation resembles the flying forms of flood debris. A reflection on how we have responded to climate change, artist Jacqui Malins explores themes of loss, hope and resoultion.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
earth unframed
This open exhibition uses the work of several artists to explore the concept of ‘earth’; our home, the environment, soil, land, fragility, strength or purpose. The result is a mix of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, and mixed media that uses imagination with a sense of play, political activism, boldness, experimentation, thoughtfulness, or contemplation.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
ground whisper softly
A celebrative dance of the abundance found on the ground, in the garden, along the water, at the rocky outcrop in the pocket of remnant bush, Belco Arts describes these works by emerging artist Valerie Schönjahn as meditative in process. Intrigued? See you there.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
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
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
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
Sport
Canberra United Home Game vs Sydney FC
Canberra United welcome the defending premiers Sydney FC to McKellar Park for what is sure to be an exciting encounter. Get down to support the squad in the run home!
Saturday 11 February | McKellar Park, Walkley Pl, Mckellar | Book here.
Workshops, Webinars and More
Trivia, Actually
Feeling romantic? The National Film and Sound Archive is hosting a trivia night focusing our questions on all things love and cinema – from rom-coms, to love gone wrong, famous couples and iconic soundtrack hits. Featuring movie clips, interactive games, and of course prizes to be won, so get your best film buffs and most serious cinephiles together for a night of film nerd fun!
Saturday 11 February | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, McCoy Circuit, Acton | Book here.
Markets
The Little Burley Market
Say hello to Canberra’s lakeside market. Head along to enjoy multicultural foods, much-loved beverages and brunchables, beautiful blooms, locally made art, fashion, photography and homewares, artisan bread, delectable pastries, seafood, smoked charcuterie, truffles, meats, puppy treats and much more. See you there?
Every Saturday, 9am – 1.30pm | Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | thelittleburleymarket.com.au
Haig Park Markets
Moments away from Lonsdale street’s boutiques and cafes, the Haig Park Village Markets will delight your senses with delicious cuisines, tasty treats, beautiful blooms, fresh produce, delectable charcuterie and artisan products. It’s a lovely place to enjoy a picnic whilst feasting your senses on the culinary delights on offer or to browse the fabulous local handmade design stalls.
Every Sunday, 8:30 am – 2 pm | Haig Park, Girrahween Street, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
Old Bus Depot Markets
With more than 100 stalls (including your old favourites), you’ll have the chance to shop for a brilliant variety of Australian-made, handcrafted and premium products. Sneak a walk around the foreshore while you’re down there.
9.30 am – 2.30 pm Sunday | Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | obdm.com.au
Capital Region Farmers Markets
With more than 100 stallholders each week, the Capital Region Farmers Market at EPIC Park has endless options when it comes to freshly picked, grown and handcrafted produce.
Fill the garden using their great selection of native and landscape plants, fruit trees, seedlings and shrubs or fill your stomach with freshly baked bread, cakes, macarons and croissants.
7 am–11.30 am Saturday | GIO Stadium | capitalregionfarmersmarket.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 and pet treats.
8 am–11.30 am Sunday | 2 Launceston Street, Phillip | facebook.com
