Mother’s Day, SIX and Taste Local: 50+ things to do this week in Canberra

Posted on 2 May, 2022

Mother’s Day, a killer-queen musical, a festival of all things delicious at Canberra Centre and plenty of markets. Here’s how to spend this week in Canberra.

10+ Not To Miss

Discover local produce and enjoy unique experiences of tasting adventures and masterclasses at Canberra Centre’s Taste Local Festival – a month-long celebration of local producers and talents.

Consider yourself a master gin drinker? On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May, join the Canberra Distillery in a gin tasting masterclass.

Taste through six different gins and discover how to build the perfect gin and tonic. Experiment with garnishes and ask the distillers any burning questions you have about the gin process and learn about the history of gin and tonic. You’ll also be provided with some delicious snacks supplied by The Lazy Grazer!

Invite a friend to join you and bring your Mum to the Mother’s Day workshops on 8 May to have a chance to win a lucky door prize.

7–8 May | Sessions start at 10.30 am, 1 pm and 3 pm | Located inside the doors of City Walk, Canberra Centre | Each session runs for 60 minutes | Tickets: $20pp. Bookings are essential | Tickets: Buy online from eventbrite.com

Treat mum like a queen this Mother’s Day with a high tea in Members’ Hall. Indulge in savoury and sweet treats created just for Mum, plus your choice of sparkling wine or tea and coffee.

Executive Chef David Learmonth has curated an exquisite high tea offering using flavours of the season and Indigenous ingredients, a mix of savoury and sweet items presented beautifully on a three-tier high tea stand.

High tea is served with a welcome cocktail, sparkling wine or non-alcoholic mocktail. Available for purchase at the event are wines by the glass/bottle, as well as a range of non-alcoholic beverages.

Enjoy the rarified atmosphere of Members’ Hall—an area of Parliament House that isn’t usually open to the public—with portraits from throughout Australia’s political history on display. Make a day of it and book a tour of the architecture or exhibitions.

Sunday 8 May – arrivals from 11.30 am for 12 pm service – allow two hours | Australian Parliament House, Members’ Hall | Tickets $80 from events.humanitix.com

Mother’s Day at Haig Park Village Markets

Haig Park Village Markets will be treating Canberra’s mums, grandmothers and all those special women in our lives to a celebration market event for Mother’s Day on Sunday 8 May from 8.30 am to 2 pm.

Live music, cooking demonstrations, pop-up bar, roving entertainment, high tea picnic, art workshops, Mother’s Day card making for kids and face painting, as well as the vibrant atmosphere of the Sunday market will provide Canberrans with the perfect opportunity to spoil those special women with a delightful day in the park.

Sunday 8 May | 8.30 am – 2 pm | Haig Park, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au

Australian Cocktail Month

Australian Cocktail Month is back in May 2022 with discounts on delicious cocktails at six Canberra bars – supporting bars, bartenders and spirit makers along the way.

Your Australian Cocktail Month ticket lasts for the duration of May, allowing you access to a special menu of cocktails created exclusively for the month. So grab your ticket, gather your friends, support the bar industry and discover what your city has to offer at the following participating bars throughout May: Bar Rochford, High Jinks, Miss Van’s, Molly, Volstead Repeal and Zaab

Like cocktails? Love good times? Australian Cocktail Month is for you.

Until 30 May | Various locations | australiancocktailmonth.com.au

Mother’s Day @ Hotel Realm

Come and experience a decadent High Tea in the luxe National Ballroom of Hotel Realm. Enjoy sparkling wine on arrival, (with the option to upgrade to a free-flowing Champagne package!), a High Tea buffet and live music.

There will also be a Piper Heidsieck Pop-Up Bar with beverage specials and prizes.

Sunday 8 May | Hotel Realm National Ballroom (located on the Conference Floor of Hotel Realm) | Price: $95 pp: includes sparkling wine on arrival, TWG fine teas, freshly brewed coffee and access to the buffet

Roger Beale AO: The Magic of Light, a Solo Exhibition

Entranced by the way light, especially warm slanting light, brings flowers, landscapes and people to life, Beale’s Solo Exhibition of over sixty works include large-scale oil paintings of flowers amongst powerful and nostalgic landscapes, portrait sketches and detailed pen and ink drawings.

Subjects include Paris’s famous Luxembourg Gardens in Spring, café portraits of the characters of the 6th arrondissement in the heart of Paris’s left bank (Rive Gauche), through vertiginous vineyards in Piedmont to moody memories of Sicily. And, of course, a revel of glorious blooms from our spring and summer.

Online catalogue available via the website.

Until Sunday 29 May | Humble House gallery, 93 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick | humblehouse.com.au

SIX

International smash-hit pop musical SIX lands in Canberra tomorrow night! What can you expect? A modern take on the tale of the six wives of Henry VIII and an electrifying, high-octane journey as these Tudor Queens turned Pop Princesses take to the mic to reclaim their story.

The six Queens are set against the theatrical backdrop of a pop concert, and battle it out to be the lead singer in their band. Each having their moment in the stoplight, it’s a catchy way to brush up on history while also keeping “girl power” at the fore—where it should be.

Until 15 May | Canberra Theatre Centre | canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Mother’s Day Tuscan Lunch

This Mother’s Day, give your mum a taste of la dolce vita and celebrate the art of Jeffrey Smart with a Tuscan-style lunch in the National Gallery’s dining room overlooking the Sculpture Garden.

Returning by popular demand, the Tuscan lunch is back for the final two weekends of the Jeffrey Smart exhibition, which closes on 15 May 2022.

Inspired by the great Italian trattorias, the seasonal menu showcases locally sourced and fresh produce with Primi, Secondi and Dolce courses.

Guests are invited to choose 2 courses: Primi and Secondi or Secondi and Dolce. Guests will be able to select their courses from the menu on the day.

One glass of white or red wine is included in the adult per person price and one glass of juice or soft drink is included in the children per person price. A third course is not included in the per person ticket price but can be ordered on the day for an additional cost.

A Tuscan Lunch ticket does not include exhibition entry to Jeffrey Smart. If you wish to visit the exhibition, please purchase your exhibition ticket separately.

7- 8 May and 14 – 15 May | National Gallery of Australia | Adult: $55 per person,  National Gallery Members: $49.50, Child (up to 12 years): $25 | National Gallery Member Child: $22.50 | Tickets are available here

Ausdance ACT 2022 Australian Dance Week

Ausdance ACT curates an annual umbrella festival of events for Australian Dance Week, highlighting a thriving and diverse local dance scene from studio classes, workshops, and activities for all ages with loads of free classes and showings.

Many local studios, dance artists and arts centres offer free, trial and taster dance classes during Australian Dance Week. This is the time to get out and try a new dance experience, see a show, take a class, and celebrate dance. Plan your week by checking out the program.

Until Sunday 8 May | various venues | ausdanceact.org.au/adw-2022

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Yass, that’s right, the drag queens of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, have taken their magical bus all the way to The Q. Rally your fellow queens for a magic show of love, friendship, dazzling costumes, and a lot of laughs.

Until 22 May | The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre | theq.net.au

Super Sunday for Mother’s Day at Bus Depot Markets

It’s a Super Sunday for Mother’s Day. Take mum out for a day at the Markets. Enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and see some of the best handcrafts and high-quality items on offer. Get along to see some of the best stalls from our Multicultural, Designer and Collectable markets. Taste a wide selection of delicious food, see an array of fine jewellery, try on the latest styles from your local designers and much more. It’s a celebration of the best the markets have to offer—you don’t wanna miss it. 

Sunday 8 May | Old Bus Depot Markets, Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | obdm.com.au

Made for Mum: Celebrate Mother’s Day at Marketplace

Say thank you to all the Mother figures out there!

Spend $25 or more from Thursday 28 April–Sunday 8 May 2022 at Marketplace Gungahlin to redeem a FREE ticket to the Made for Mum event on Mother’s Day weekend.

Be treated to a session hosted by local Canberran Mums—with tips and tricks on how they make the most out of their day-to-day routine as a Mum.

You will be spoilt with small edibles and drinks from retailers. Snap a pick at our photobooth and upload with #MadeforMum to enter our MAJOR PRIZE—a Pamper Pack from Marketplace.

You will also walk away with a Marketplace Goodie bag including a gift card.

See marketplacegungahlin.com.au/whats-on/made-for-mum for how to enter.

Saturday 7 May–Sunday 9 May, Session 1: 11.30 pm – 12.15 pm, Session 2: 12.30 pm – 1.15 pm | Outside BIG W | marketplacegungahlin.com.au/whats-on/made-for-mum

Festivals

Canberra International Music Festival

Intimate performances, exceptional musicianship, in some of the capital’s most iconic settings. It’s classical music, and more. The program includes early music, contemporary music, world music and occasionally a hint of jazz.

Until 8 May | Various locations | cimf.org.au

Music and more

Haiku Hands at UC Hub

Haiku Hands brought their singular, rebellious, and outright fun sound across multiple continents over the past four years. On the heel of their breakthrough performances at the UK’s Great Escape, Haiku Hands has been touted by NME as “Australia’s most electrifying pop prospect” and “a thrilling pop hybrid” who combine the pure pop attitude of Charli XCX with the energy and swagger of The Beastie Boys.

The Trio have announced that Haiku Hand will be releasing limited edition classic black vinyl on Friday, February 4, 2022 to be followed by a national tour, aptly named the “We Got Vinyl” tour.

Saturday 7 May | UC Hub | Tickets via Moshtix

INXS Show: Live Babe Live!

Live Baby Live! The INXS Tribute Show is Australia’s premier rendition of one of the most iconic bands in Australian history.

Live Baby Live! deliver a stunning replication of all the classic INXS tracks, performing songs from their first album all the way through to their latest hits.

Front man Simon Kennedy is a natural born performer and brings the late great Michael Hutchence to life on stage, bearing a striking resemblance to Michael Hutchence in sound. Simon will have audiences engaged from the first song with his charm and charisma.

Saturday 7 May | 8 pm | The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre | theq.net.au/whats-on/productions/inxs-show-live-baby-live

Bach to Bolling

Black Tulip Jazz Trio with virtuosic cellist Teije Hylkema play Bach and a bubbly jazz suite by Bolling.

Bach to Bolling is the fusion of a Bach Suite for cello solo juxtaposed against a movement from Claude Bolling‘s Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio.

The Bach cello suites are considered to be among the most profound of all classical music works. They are one of the pillars of Bach’s musical achievements. Internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Caude Bolling’s suite for Cello and Jazz piano trio is a refreshing mix of the noble and lyrical side of the cello mixed with boogie-woogie and ragtime amidst some Bachian counterpoint.

Thursday 5 May | 8 pm | The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre | theq.net.au/whats-on/productions/bach-to-bolling

Ivy Lore at UC Hub

Join Ivy Lore and special guests for the celebration and debut of their forthcoming new single, Almost Gone, to be released on the same day!

Ivy Lore is a dynamic alt-rock group of eclectic, passionate odd-balls whose raw, anthemic tunes are fused with high energy and heartfelt performances.

Friday 6 May | UC Hub | Tickets via Moshtix

All the gigs at Smith’s Alternative

From poetry to jazz, open mic to origami, Smith’s Alternative has an incredible range of live performances every week. Check out the calendar, grab your friends, and support Canberra’s arts scene.

All month | Smith’s Alternative, 76 Alinga Street, Canberra City | smithsalternative.com

The Band of the Royal Military College: Masterworks for Winds.

The Band will be joined by music students from ANU and all proceeds from the performance will go to support Legacy.

Entry: A gold coin donation supporting Legacy.

Friday 6 May 2022 | 7 pm | Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music | Bookings essential via Eventbrite

Food & Drink

Australian Cocktail Month

Australian Cocktail Month is back in May 2022 with discounts on delicious cocktails at six Canberra bars – supporting bars, bartenders and spirit makers along the way.

Your Australian Cocktail Month ticket lasts for the duration of May, allowing you access to a special menu of cocktails created exclusively for the month. So grab your ticket, gather your friends, support the bar industry and discover what your city has to offer at the following participating bars throughout May: Bar Rochford, High Jinks, Miss Van’s, Molly, Volstead Repeal and Zaab

Like cocktails? Love good times? Australian Cocktail Month is for you.

Until 30 May | Various locations | australiancocktailmonth.com.au

TYPICA Nights

Starting with one night in May, just ahead of Mother’s Day, Typica hopes to activate the businesses around Manuka and bring the hospitality and creative industries together after two tough years.

Known for coffee and brunch, the menu will start with jazz, pop and wine. May 7 artists include Leisa Keen, John Mackey and Canberra’s own star of The Voice, Lucy Sugarman. Joanne Flowers of Manuka will also be open for late night trading.

Each evening of Typica NIGHTS is uniquely themed for an extraordinary and intimate night of entertainment. Musicians are in amongst the audience and the night is masterfully MC’d by radio host, Ryan Banks AKA ‘Banksy’.

Saturday 7 May | 7 pm – 9 pm | Typica Cafe Manuka, The Lawns, 4 Palmerston Ln, Griffith | Bookings: events.humanitix.com

Stage

The Mission

Family secrets are revealed in a spellbinding theatre show coming to Tuggeranong Arts Centre in Mya. Featuring a powerful yet forgotten story from Australia’s past, audiences will meet an ordinary individual, whose extraordinary life still reverberates to this day.

The Mission was a labour of love as well as a truth-telling exercise for Molyneux, and was created in collaboration with other Gunditjmara community members, dramaturg James Jackson, and also features striking original music by Nadje Noordhuis.

Directed by Green Room Award-nominated director Daniel Lammin, The Mission will bring to life lingering memories and lessons from the past, as told by two Australian storytellers at the top of their game. This performance is part of their 2022 national tour to all corners of Australia.

4–5 May | Tuggeranong Arts Centre | tuggeranongarts.com

Hotel Sorrento

An Australian modern classic, Canberra REP Theatre’s Hotel Sorrento takes a family drama laced with love, secrets and betrayals, and overlays it with broader questions about cultural and national identity. Three sisters reunite in their sleepy hometown of Sorrento after 10 years apart and old tensions start bubbling to the surface. These are fuelled by a novel written by Meg, which has been nominated for the Booker, and which contains details that are uncomfortably familiar to her sisters.

See the Preview 8 pm 28 April, followed by a Q&A with the director and cast.

Until 14 May | Canberra REP Theatre, (Theatre 3), 3 Repertory Lane, Acton | canberrarep.org.au

Valley of the Molls

Drag performer Venus Mantrap navigates humour and horror in a coming-of-age tale set deep in the Tuggeranong Valley.

Valley of the Molls is a one-hour show that uses lip-syncing and storytelling to make sense of the fraught landscape of adolescents — journeying back to the 90s in a nostalgic trip that dives deep into the people and places that shape us, for better or worse.

With comedic observation and cabaret stylings, Venus presses play on a back catalogue of music by female artists from the decade — an angsty and cathartic mix-tape that ruminates on origin and our capacity to transcend.

6-7 May | Tuggeranong Arts Centre | tuggeranongarts.com

Ahn Do: The Happiest Refugee (Live)

Anh Do’s bestselling book The Happiest Refugee has made readers laugh and cry, and was described by Russell Crowe as “the most surprising and inspiring read I have had in years.”

Anh’s stage show takes it a step further, combining stand-up comedy with real life stories, photos and filmed pieces to retell his amazing story.

When one of Australia’s most talented comedians delves deep into his own life’s joys and sorrows, the result is an unforgettable night at the theatre that leaves an audience uplifted and quite simply experiencing… happiness.

Tuesday 3 May | 8 pm | The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre |theq.net.au/whats-on/productions/6124

Stir-Fried Science at Smith’s Alternative

Michele Conyngham, Phil Dooley and Patrick Trumper are serving up a cornucopia of science, comedy, music, and even a smidgeon of philosophy.

Featuring real live scientists: Dr Ed Simpson, Nuclear Physicist ANU;  Dr* Meena Sritharan, Plant Ecologist ANU; and Dr* Kyle Hemming, Forest Ecologist, Uni Canberra.

*nearly!

Want to debate the news-worthiness of black holes? Or apply Schrodinger’s theory to ringing doorbells? Perhaps you would like to see how a plant biologist might serve you in a florist, or philosophise about the nomenclature used on your cafe menu?

Saturday 7 May | 7–9 pm | Smith’s Alternative | smithsalternative.com/events/stir-fried-science

My Cousin Vlad: People Have Lost It Tour

Following up his SOLD OUT National ‘People Are Gonna Lose It’ Tour of 2021, My Cousin Vlad has taken a year to prepare something even bigger and even more shredded.

In 2022, Vlad takes to the road around Australia for the ‘People Have Lost It’ Tour!

With the catastrophic year it has been, Vlad has not stopped documenting and writing what is going to be the most immaculate show to date! Coming off recent shows alongside Dave Hughes, Luke Heggie, Aaron Chen & Tahir, My Cousin Vlad isn’t playing games anymore.

Friday 6 May | 8 pm | Canberra Theatre Centre | canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/my-cousin-vlad

Aunty Donna: The Magical Dead Cat Tour

Join funny threesome Aunty Donna from Netflix’s Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun for a live show at Canberra Theatre Centre.

3-4 May | Canberra Theatre Centre | canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/aunty-donna-magical-dead-cat-tour

The Party Room: Live

The 2022 federal election campaign may be a marathon, but Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have set a cracking pace since day one, doling out the promises, seizing on gaffes and ramping up the scares.

To cut through the campaign noise, join Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas—hosts of the much-loved ABC podcast The Party Room—as they wrap up the campaign so far.

Is Scott Morrison headed for a second miracle? Or can Labor win government from the opposition benches for only the fourth time since the Second World War?

At the midway point in this six-week race to polling day, Fran, PK and their special guests will decipher the politics and pork barrelling, analyse the promises and policies and explain what it means for you.

Monday 2 May | 7 pm | Canberra Theatre Centre | canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Workshops, lectures, walks + more

The third event will be held on Friday 6 May from 6-9 pm at Proximity, Level 2/55 Blackall St, Barton and will delve into a rich and intimate discussion surrounding the impacts of housing and homelessness insecurity, financial factors, and tools and resources that are available.

During this illuminating event, attendees will first listen to two keynote speeches outlining tools to understand factors affecting housing security, and the services available to women, presented by prominent leaders in our community. This will be followed by an interactive panel discussion. At the conclusion of these more formal dialogues, event attendees can join speakers for CBRGals-style nibbles and networking.

Tickets are still available at cbrgals.com at a recommended price of $29, which includes alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, food, workshop materials, and the networking event. Any funds collected in excess will be donated to Common Ground Canberra to support those in need.

Friday 6 May | 6-9 pm | Proximity, Level 2/55 Blackall Street, Barton | cbrgals.com

Guided Walks at the Botanic Gardens

Fancy a trip to the botanical gardens? Get the most out of your trip with a free guided walk. Led by knowledgeable guides, these walks allow you to appreciate the beauty and clever adaptations of Australian plants and the research and effort involved in creating and maintaining the Gardens.

Until August 2022| Australian National Botanic Gardens | parksaustralia.gov.au

Film

Moro Spanish Film Festival

The Moro Spanish Film Festival presented by Palace will return in 2022 with a curated selection of dramas, thrillers and major box-office hit comedies from across Spain, plus a selection of gems from Latin America. Rediscover the big screen with this unforgettable celebration of Hispanic culture.

Until 15 May | Palace Electric Cinemas, 2 Phillip Law Street, NewActon | palacecinemas.com.au

Exhibitions

DECODED: 75 years of the Australian Signals Directorate

Find out if you have what it takes to be a cyber security operative at DECODED: 75 years of the Australian Signals Directorate, a free exhibition at the National Museum of Australia.

Explore objects, hear inside stories, and scan code words to reveal the hidden history of Australia’s oldest national intelligence organisation kept secret until 1977.

Until 24 July 2022 | National Museum of Australia | nma.gov.au

Home Grown

In this exhibition, Canberra-based furniture and object designer/maker Jeremy Brown will celebrate the beautiful street trees of Canberra.

Combining his two main threads of practice; furniture making and botanical illustration, Brown will create a juxtaposition between the natural and built environments and to bridge the disconnect between the origins of raw materials and the final product (i.e., a piece of furniture). Combining design-by-nature and design-by-human, this exhibition will also promote the use of local materials, which is integral to maintaining a smaller environmental footprint.

Until 14 May | Craft ACT, 180 London Circuit, Level 1, North Building, Canberra City | craftact.org.au

Growing in the Gardens

Is there anything more delightful than an Australian Native? The exhibition of botanical art by members of the Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens’ Art Group, latest exhibition is, representing the diverse flora Australia has to offer, and rightly so.

Their artworks beautifully depict these national treasures that you could very well incorrupt within your own garden, should the autumn sunshine inspire your green thumb.

Until 8 May | Australian National Botanic Gardens | parksaustralia.gov.au

Three new exhibitions at PhotoAccess

PhotoAccess is delighted to present the opening of their next suite of Huw Davies Gallery exhibitions: Between Hope and Despair, by Natasha Fijn, Eating Wild Weeds by Alex Flannery, and Archive Apparitions by Elisa deCourcy.

In this intriguing suite of exhibitions the artists transverse time and place, exploring the possibilities of cross-cultural and/or intergenerational communication through the photographic medium.

Until 21 May | PhotoAccess, 30 Manuka Circle, Griffith | photoaccess.org.au

Lake Ginninderra: Nine ways

Often unfairly overlooked in favour of Lake Burley Griffin, it’s only fair that Belconnen’s iconic lake has a moment of humble adoration.

The exhibition will combine local artists, beautiful local landscapes and the synergy of the revitalised new facilities at Belo Arts.

Lake Ginninderra: Nine Ways is a body of work from artists who have captured and interpreted the Lake Ginninderra vista through their own medium and viewpoint. Interested in seeing the lake from a different perspective? Give the link below a gander.

Until 15 May | Belconnen Arts Centre | belcoarts.com.au/lake-ginninderra

Kaleidoscope: An exhibition celebrating LGBTQI+ pride

The LGBTQI+ community is so much more than six colours. Diversity and inclusion are the glue that binds the community; the common thread that makes connections and provokes dialogue. Everyone has their own ideas about what it means to be part of this diverse rainbow community.

Belco Arts is celebrating the LGBTQI+ community, and all that makes up its diversity of perspectives, lived experiences and shared ambitions by inviting LGBTQI+ artists in Canberra and throughout Australia – at any level of artistic experience – to create and share what being queer and being part of the LGBTQI+ means to them.

Until 15 May | Belco Arts | belcoarts.com.au

Upending Expectations

As the title Upending Expectations: Contemporary Glass implies, the focus of this exhibition is on artists whose experimental, innovative and at times cross-disciplinary practice, utilises glass and its properties of light, transparency and reflection, through a diverse range of approaches.

Until 15 June | Canberra Glassworks | canberraglassworks.com

Tipping Point

Tipping Point is a continuation of Jenny Blake’s commitment to the subject of climate change. This body of work is a departure from larger works, presenting an intimate look at the subject through 15 smaller works framed in oak.

Until 1 May | Homestead Gallery, Strathnairn Arts Association, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt | strathnairn.com.au

Australians & Hollywood

Australians & Hollywood: A Tale of Craft, Talent and Ambition is a Canberra-exclusive exhibition celebrating iconic moments in contemporary Australian film.

This blockbuster exhibition by the NFSA features beloved cinema moments, rare behind-the-scenes footage and costumes and props from the NFSA collection on display for the first time. Discover the creativity and craft that goes into making a classic and get up close with personal treasures from Eric Bana, Paul Hogan, Baz Luhrmann and more.

Until 17 July | National Sound and Film Archive of Australia | nfsa.gov.au

Jeffrey Smart

The year 2021 marks one hundred years since the birth of acclaimed Australian artist Jeffrey Smart. This major exhibition celebrates and commemorates this significant centenary.

One of Australia’s most celebrated artists, Smart sought inspiration from the world around him – looking to the environment of urban and industrial modernity – which he transformed through his imaginative sense of theatre and intimate understanding of geometry and composition. These potent and intriguing images have become emblematic of 20th and 21st-century urban experience.

Want to take your experience to the next level? Why not book a private tour?

Until 15 May | National Gallery of Australia | nga.gov.au

Shakespeare to Winehouse: Icons from the National Portrait Gallery, London

From Shakespeare to Winehouse, Darwin to Dickens, the Beatles, Brontë sisters and Beckham, the National Portrait Gallery London holds the world’s most extensive collection of portraits. While they undergo the largest renovation of their building in 125 years, more than 80 treasures from their collection are on show in Canberra for this exclusive exhibition.

Until 17 July | National Portrait Gallery | portrait.gov.au

Fourth National Indigenous Art Triennial: Ceremony

Ceremony remains central to the creative practice of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. From the intimate and personal to the collective and collaborative, ceremonies manifest through visual art, film, music and dance. This immersive exhibition and program of events will challenge and unsettle; animate and heal.

Through the work of 35 artists from around Australia, Ceremony reveals how the practice of ceremony is at the nexus of Country, culture and community.

Until 31 July | National Gallery of Australia | nga.gov.au

On Stage: Spotlight On our Performing Arts

This exhibition brings Australia’s performing arts history into the limelight, also providing a backstage pass to the action behind the scenes, showcasing perspectives on stage direction, costume design, scripts, contracts and musical scores used by performers.

Presented together for the first time and drawing exclusively from the collections of the National Library, the exhibition features items that have never before been on display. Other highlights include the earliest surviving Australian printed document, selections from the JC Williamson theatre archives, and other contemporary live music and theatre posters.

Until 7 August | National Library of Australia | nla.gov.au

Markets

Haig Park Village Markets

Taking place every Sunday rain, hail or shine, the Haig Park Village Markets has fresh produce, beautiful flowers, artisan breads, meats, treats and more. You can even enjoy a picnic in the park before grabbing your essentials for the week!

9 am–2 pm Sunday | Haig Park, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.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 natives 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 | Exhibition Park in Canberra | 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

Sport

NRL: Raiders vs Bulldogs

The Raiders take on a new look Bulldogs team in 2022, with the boys from Canterbury playing their first match in Canberra since 2020. The match will also be used to help recognise the Raiders history, with the annual Forever Green match to hold special significance due to the 40th anniversary of the club.

Be there for the family-friendly kick-off time of 6pm and get the weekend started with a high quality game of rugby league at GIO Stadium.

Friday 6 May | GIO Stadium | raiders.com.au