Wondering what’s on this weekend? Here are 40+ things to do
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It’s another cracking weekend in Canberra with the Royal Canberra Show, markets, a gin-tasting cruise, and more filling up the days.
How will you be spending Saturday and Sunday? Read on for some inspiration!
Special Events and Festivals
Royal Canberra Show
Experience the magic of the award-winning Royal Canberra Show from dawn ’til dusk this February. With over 150 captivating attractions, 5,000 fascinating animals, 450 diverse trade displays, and 1,500 talented competitors, there will be plenty to see and do. Don’t miss your chance to grab your favorite show bags!
Friday 23 until Sunday 25 February | Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), Flemington Road, Mitchell | Book here.
Yass Picnic Races
Want to get out of town this weekend? Grab your friends and family for a day at the Yass Picnic Races! From jumping castles for the kids, plenty of ice-cream to eat and (of course) horses, the day will be packed full of fun. Buses will be available in and out of town for those not wanting to drive and you can book a marquee (tables and chairs also available for hire) via the website.
Saturday 24 February | Marchmont, 120 Gums Lane, Marchmont | More information here.
Adelaide Ferriere
Snow Concert Hall is hosting the Australian debut of French percussionist Adélaïde. The winner of several international prizes, she will captivates audiences with her magnetic stage presence and virtuosic dynamism.
Friday 23 February | Snow Concert Hall, Canberra Grammar School, 40 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill | Book here.
New Orleans Jazz Concert In The Courtyard
Be transported to New Orleans this summer. Canberra’s five-piece jazz band, Key Grip, taking centre stage on a raised walkway high above the Courtyard Gardens in the Mercure. There will be performances from Kokoloco Dance in the gardens below as well as New Orleans-inspired food specials and a bar!
Saturday 24 February | The Courtyard Gardens at Mercure Canberra, 39 Limestone Avenue, Braddon | Book here.
Chinese Lantern Festival
Head along to the Beijing Garden this Saturday night for a beautiful night held by 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. Bringing a picnic and make a night of it!
Saturday 24 February | Beijing Garden, Flynn Drive, Yarralumla | More information here.
Colour in Canberra
Highlighting the women* of colour in trade, business, and social enterprises, this one-day business expo will see business leaders, social entrepreneurs, professionals, and policymakers discuss ways of improving outcomes for women in Canberra, especially for women* of colour. Registrants will get to display their business, meet face-to-face with leaders, network with key exhibitors, and discover new business opportunities and products right at their fingertips
(*This is an inclusive definition of ‘women’, including transgender, gender diverse and non-binary individuals.)
Sunday 25 February | Auditorium, ANU Research School of Physics, 60 Mills Road, Acton | Book here.
Memory Walk & Jog
Walk, jog or run, at Barrine Drive to beat dementia across that finish line! Canberra Memory Walk and Jog is a fun day out to fundraise for Dementia Australia. As well as getting active and raising money you can take in some of the city’s most iconic sites along the route.
Sunday 25 February | Barrine Drive, Lake Burley Griffin, Acton | More information here.
Markets
Little Burley Markets
Offering a diverse array of multicultural foods, much-loved beverages and brunchables, beautiful blooms, locally made art, fashion, photography and homewares, artisanal bread, delectable pastries, seafood, smoked charcuterie, truffles, meats, puppy treats, and much more, you’ll be able to find plenty of goodies at this bespoke lakeside market
8 am – 1 pm Saturday | 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.
8:30 am – 2 pm Sunday | Haig Park, Girrahween Street, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.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
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
Food and Wine
Gin Tasting Cruise
A two hour cruise on Lake Burley Griffin where you can try gin? Sip away while learning about the history and production of some exceptional gins, and nibble on a delicious grazing box! Don’t miss out on this gin-tastic adventure, there’s only 24 places are available.
Friday 23 February | Canberra Cruises and Parties, 8 Trevillian Quay, Jetty 4, Kingston | Book here.
Luna Saturdays
Have you been to Luna yet? On Saturdays watch the bar transform for an evening where intrigue and luxury intertwine. There will be Cabaret Dancers, DJs and more! Book online or walk in.
Saturday 24 February | Luna, 99 London Circuit, City | More information here
Bottomless High Tea at Parlour Restaurant
Freshly made finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries with all the trimmings. This is Parlour’s refreshing twist on a traditional High Tea. Bringing the fun and the vibes, add a bottomless drinks option, to keep your cocktail and wine glasses brimming with summer.
Saturday 24 February | Parlour, 16 Kendall Lane, Acton| Book here.
Tipsy Sundaze
A Sunday sesh with vino and live music? Yes please. Grab some friends and elevate your Sunday at Amici. Unwind, sip, and savor while experiencing the very best Canberra’s music scene has to offer!
Sunday 25 February | Amici Wine Bar & Deli, 59 Northbourne Avenue, City | Book here.
Sunday Soirée
Live music, a Bentspoke pop-up bar and gourmet food and drink offers…what’s not to love? Head along to the Hyatt Hotel for a relaxing Sunday afternoon that will have something for the whole family. Perfect for friends, families and couples looking for a chilled Sunday afternoon catch-up, book ahead or walk in on the day!
Sunday 25 February | Hyatt Hotel Canberra, 120 Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla | Book here.
Stage and Screen
Josh Thomas – Let’s Tidy Up
Written with award winning playwright, Lally Katz, this is a show where Josh Thomas…well…tidies up. Because while Josh’s brain has managed to make him the creator and star of hit TV shows (Please Like Me, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay), in this show he tries to work out how to do the small stuff.
Friday 23 February | Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
The Favourite
Black comedy The Favourite is hitting the screen at the NFSA. Available as a double feature with Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006), with the option to add a charcuterie board and beverage between screenings, don’t miss this absurd, queer riot of historical filmmaking.
Sunday 24 February | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, McCoy Circuit, Acton | Book here.
A Sun Dance
This is a new performance commission by artist Rochelle Haley. At the core of the work is a relationship between dancer, sunlight and architecture, conceived in relation to the architecture of the original National Gallery building. The performance, developed over different seasons, draws influence from the feel of sun on skin and architect Col Madigan’s observation of light ‘dancing’ through the gallery.
Sunday 24 February | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | Book here.
Sunset Cinema
The Sunset Cinema is back with with their signature movie mix of hot new releases, all-time classics and family favourites. Located at the stunning Australian National Botanic Gardens, grab yourself a bottomless popcorn bucket, and a choc-top and head to the Sunset Bar for a refreshing drink. Whether its date night, family night or catching up with your mates Sunset Cinema is this summer’s ‘must do’ experience!
Until Sunday 24 February | The Australian National Botanic Gardens, Clunies Ross Street, Acton | Book here.
Queers
Curated by Mark Gatiss and directed by Steph Roberts and Jarrad West, the critically acclaimed production Queers is coming to ACT Hub this summer. Celebrating a century of evolving social attitudes and political milestones in gay history, Queers is deeply personal, poignant, funny, tragic, and riotous – telling seven stories through the eyes of seven individuals as they relive major events.
Until Saturday 24 February | ACT Hub, 14 Spinifex Street, Kingston | Book here.
BLANK by Nassim Soleimanpour
Reversing the typical theatre experience, in this unique show the audience will help the performers to fill gaps in the script to reveal a story that celebrates the human imagination.
Each night, a different performer in BLANK will involve a new audience member to fill in the blanks and complete the story. Known for creating plays without directors, sets and rehearsals, you can expect this show by Soleimanpour to be both fun and empowering.
Until Saturday 24 February | Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, Building 3.3/1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick | Book here.
Music
Lakeside At 5: Live Jazz By Lake Tuggeranong
Vocalist Liam Budget returns to the Tuggeranong Arts Centre for the first Lakeside at 5 event of the year! Having performed on many of New York’s finest and storied stages (including Blue Note Jazz Club, Madison Square Garden, Jazz at the Lincoln Center, The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall), don’t miss this jazzy lakeside experience.
Friday 23 February | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Reed Street North, Greenway | Book here.
Avalanche; Hell’s Getting Hotter
One of the country’s hottest live rock bands is bringing their explosive new single on tour! Avalanche are a 4 piece hard rock band from Western Sydney, playing short, fast and loud, no-bull Aussie rock ‘n roll for a new generation and attracting massive attention on a global scale. Are you ready for the heat?
Friday 23 February | The Pot Belly, 26 Weedon Close, Belconnen | Book here.
Transients – Wilson/Anning/Keller
Transients (born from the brilliance of Andrea Keller in 2016) are ever-evolving trios. For this concert, Join Andrea Keller on piano, Julien Wilson on saxophone, and Sam Anning on double bass in an enchanting night of original compositions. Guided by one of Australia’s greatest musical minds, don’t miss your chance to see Transients live.
Friday 23 February | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, Canberra City | Book here.
Speed – Restricted
Say hello to Fiction Club’s new monthly night where they set up the DJ booth in the middle of the dance floor with a 360 design! Tailored to the lovers of faster, harder and more driving music in the range of 130bpm-150bpm, if you love techno, trance and anything in the faster realm, this is for you.
Friday 23 February | Fiction Club, 50 Bunda Street, Canberra City | More information here.
Sionnach Rua’s great Irish Songbook
With a brand-new show, new songs and stories, don’t miss this. An assured crowd pleaser, head along to hear some of the greatest songs Ireland has ever produced, performed by virtuoso musicians. This is a toe tapping, hand clapping and singalong show that will have to belly laughing, crying and raising your voice in a celebration of all things Irish.
Saturday 24 February | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, Canberra City | Book here.
Gia Ransome Live At Dickson Taphouse
Described as a marriage between Nick Cave and Lana Del Rey, this free concert of suave, bluesy rock will impress everyone. See you there?
Saturday 24 February | The Dickson Taphouse, 30 Woolley Street, Dickson | More information here.
Sunset Soirée
Watch the sunset at the Terroux Peace Garden in Wallaroo as French Australian duo Isabelle Faure and Denis Marotte entertain you with ballads and blues. The best part? All proceeds from Terroux soirées will be donated to BIGhART, of which Barbara Baikie is Chair.
Saturday 24 February | Terroux Peace Garden, 88 Rochford Road, Wallaroo | Book here.
Exhibitions
New Work
This exhibition by Martin Paull showcases finalists from the Blake Prize and Mission to Seafarers prize, such as ‘Assassination of a Saint’ and ‘The Drowned and the Saved.’ Exploring everything from allegorical themes, to bushfires, and haunting urban scenes of Canberra at night, this collection of miniature paintings are a unique artistic experience.
Thursday 22 February until Sunday 17 March | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | Book here.
Absurd Frontier
In this exhbition by Nathan Hughes, he navigates the poignant absurdity of human folly and hydrocarbon hubris using mixed media to create a showcase that deals with loss, regeneration, and socio-ecological anxiety. Head along and get ready to question the moral implications of perception.
Thursday 22 February until Sunday 17 March | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | Book here.
Captcha
Directed by Mathew Francis, this film is a hypnotic journey through a mysterious facility, where a test subject undergoes a series of strange stimulus and response evaluations, inciting uncertainty about his own humanity. Originally conceived as a graduate project at the University of Canberra, the film has received recognition at the prestigious Academy Award-qualifying 39th St Kilda Film Festival, securing the Best Sound accolade at the 28th Canberra Short Film Festival. Additionally, it stood as a finalist in the 2023 Melbourne Cineverse Film Festival.
Thursday 22 February until Sunday 17 March| M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | Book here.
Cold Collations
This is a solo exhibition by Susan Chancellor where she explores how abstract paintings and small ceramic sculptures arranged in playful groupings (collations) can energise a space and tantalise the viewer with contrasting colours, scales, surface textures, positive and negative spaces and gestural marks. Don’t miss the opening of this fantastic exhibition!
Thursday 22 February until Sunday 17 March | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith | Book here.
Alchemy
Alchemy is an exhibition which captures the ‘golden’ moments of the journey of 15 artist’s as they heal hearts and weave magic through a network of arts-based projects in response to the Black Summer Fires. Working on a series of cross disciplinary projects to build community connection across south-east Australia, their projects were creative and diverse with a focus on bringing about increased hopefulness and enhancing community spirit. The official opening will be a chance to meet some of the artists who will be performing dance, music and poetry readings.
Thursday 22 February until Sunday 17 March | The Queanbeyan Hive Gallery, 274 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan | Book here.
Nicholas Burridge Solo Exhibition
Head along to the Canberra Glassworks to see a unique exhbition featuring intriguing rock-glass hybrids inspired by the concept of terraforming. Created by Nicholas Burridge, the works touch on themes of geology, time, and industrialisation – serving as a poignant reminder of the immense geological forces that have shaped our planet over millennia.
Until Sunday 25 February | Canberra Glassworks, 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | More information here.
Valda Johnson; Meandering Around the Murry
At Strathnairn Arts this exhibition presents a new body of work by contemporary painter Valda Johnson, depicting scenes from the Murray River and focusing on the patterns and shapes that emerge from the landscape. It’s a beautiful exploration of the differences in landscape and seasons between the Murray from Mildura near Tintaldra, NSW, down to Yarrawonga in Victoria.
Wednesday 28 February until Sunday 24 March | Strathnairn Arts Association, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt | More information here.
Bonsai Exhibition 2024
This is an exhibition of over 30 Australian native bonsai, including some by artists with bonsai in the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection at the Arboretum. This year’s theme is “The Australian landscape in the palm of your hand”. Head along to vote for your favourite bonsai and view demonstrations at 11 am and 2 pm daily. Club members will be available to explain the cultivation and styling of bonsai!
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 February | Australian National Botanic Gardens, Crosbie Morrison Building, Clunies Ross Street, Acton | Tickets at the door only.
Sport
Capital2Kozi
This is a Charity mountain bike ride starting from the steps of Parliament House Canberra, riding through the remote and scenic Australian High Country, and ending at the top of Mount Kosciusko. Covering over 400 kilometres, in five days, the ride is open to anyone who has a spirit of adventure, with no restriction on age or ability.
Tuesday 20 until Sunday 25 February | Parliament House Canberra, Parliament Drive, Capital Hill | Book here.
UC Capitals v Melbourne Boomers
Join the UC Capitals for their last game of the regular season, up against the Melbourne Boomers. Support the Caps as they round out the regular season of the Women’s National Basketball League at home!
Sunday 24 February | National Convention Centre Canberra, 31 Constitution Avenue, Canberra City | Book here.
Sri Chinmoy Canberra 100km Relays and Solo Run
Get ready to run. The Sri Chinmoy 100km Road Race for Relay Teams and Solo Runners, will be staged in and around Commonwealth Park. The course is a certified 5km loop on shared pathways alongside Lake Burley Griffin. See you there?
Sunday 24 February | Commonwealth Park, Rond Terrace West, Canberra | Book here.
Workshops, webinars and more
Artists In The Archives; Rochelle Haley On A Sun Dance
Rochelle Haley will talk about the development of A Sun Dance, a new performance commission that explores the relationship between dancer, sunlight and architecture. In this free talk, Haley will share how the papers of architect Col Madigan, held in the National Gallery’s archives, inspired painterly and choreographic responses in the development of A Sun Dance.
Friday 23 February | National Gallery, Parkes Place East, Parkes ACT, Parkes | Book here.
Gallery Floor Talk with Nicholas Burridge
This gallery floor talk will be held in the Canberra Glassworks foyer and will be an opportunity to engage with artist, Nicholas Burridge about his current exhibition. Inspired by the concept of terraforming 9a concept which literally translates to “Earth-shaping”), everyone is welcome and there are absolutely no silly questions!
Saturday 24 February | Canberra Glassworks, 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | Book here.
Performance In Dialogue: A Sun Dance
Join artist Rochelle Haley, choreographers and dancers Angela Goh and Ivey Wawn, Louise Lawson (Head of Conservation, Tate) and Deirdre Cannon (Assistant Curator, Australian Art) in conversation to celebrate the premiere of the new performance commission, A Sun Dance. This event is free, but bookings are essential.
Sunday 25 February | National Gallery, Parkes Place East, Parkes | Book here.
Preserving and Pickles Workshop
Dive into the world of pickling in this hands-on workshop. You’ll master basic pickling techniques and explore creative methods to elevate the senses and create depth of flavour in your seasonal pickles. You’ll take home a generous jar of colourful, freshly pickled seasonal vegetables with guidance on storage, time, serving and eating!
Sunday 25 February | Mandala Studio, 253 Northbourne Avenue, Ground Floor Unit 6, Lyneham | Book here.
Play Day
Sundays at Dairy Road, one of Canberra’s coolest precincts, just got cuter. Play Day is a free weekly event for kids and their adults, that offers theatrical performances, live bands, water play and activities for open-learning play in Dairy Road’s purpose built LESS Garden. Blending education and fun, don’t miss out on this free event!
Sunday 25 February | Dairy Road, 1 Dairy Road, LESS Garden, Fyshwick | More information here.
A Year in the Garden at Terroux 2024
Garden tour anyone? The Terroux Peace Garden will open to the public this weekend so you can see it for yourself. Co-owner, designer and head gardener Peter Fletcher will conduct guided tours on these weekends and there will be musical soirées on the Saturdays late afternoon and evenings.
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 February | 88 Rochford Road, Wallaroo | More information here.
