Your guide to the 2026 National Multicultural Festival

Posted on 6 February, 2026

Canberra’s biggest cultural festival is back, celebrating diversity in Australia.

Get excited, because the National Multicultural Festival is back for another year, and it’s happening this weekend.

We’ve summed up all the details, including what’s happening and the best way to get to the festival.

What is it?

The National Multicultural Festival is an event where 170 multicultural communities come together to celebrate their diverse heritages. The festival has been paying tribute to the beauty and diversity of Australia’s heritage for over 28 years. It’s the perfect event to learn history and share culture and heritage through food, song, arts and dance, with lots more happening.

The free event includes a parade featuring performances with vibrant costumes, along with live music. Taking place across multiple stages and venues in both the CBD and Glebe Park, there will be workshops and demonstrations – including cooking classes, children’s specific activities, performances and more. The festival welcomes all visitors from across the country to the vibrant festival, seeing thousands interact and engage with the activities throughout the weekend.

When is it happening?

This is a three-day event, taking place from Friday 6 until Sunday 9 February, with diverse cultural workshops, live music, dance performances and more.

Starting from 5 pm on Friday night and continuing from 10 am on Saturday and Sunday, the program is jam-packed with events taking place every day, from parades to tequila testing. Guess what? All of this for free of charge.

There’s no entry fee, just good vibes, leaving you with a budget to spend on good food, handmade crafts and culturally inspired products featuring clothing, jewellery, and more.

What’s happening?

Well, the list is long with 260 food and cultural stalls and more than 250 performances and activities across the three-day program, six main stages and various locations. Beyond just food stalls, the festival stalls will also showcase artisan products inspired by their culture and heritage.

Food from around the world is always a highlight of the festival, including Persian charcoal skewers, Greek souvlakia, American low-and-slow brisket and many more. No festival is complete without a sweet treat (think Japanese taiyaki ice cream) and performances from some of the country’s top artists, including country music artist Troy Cassar-Daley, hip hop artist L-FRESH the Lion and Solomon Islands singer Charles Maimarosia.

With so much happening, here are some of the highlights:

Friday 6 February

• Opening ceremony featuring the Ngunnawal Dance Academy at Petrie Plaza Stage (5 pm-5:30 pm)
• Samba, Tango and Dragon Dance (6:30 pm-7:30 pm)
• L-Fresh the Lion 10 pm-11 pm

Saturday 7 February

• Canberra Raiders and ACT Brumbies, 10 am -11 am
• ACT Maori Performing Arts 12.30 pm-1.15 pm
• Dance Performances: 10.45 am – 7 pm
• Festival Parade 4 pm-5.30 pm

And there will also be lots of fun activities for parents and bubs at the Canberra  Museum and Gallery from 10 am until 3 pm, including face painting!

Sunday 8 February

• Cooking demonstration from 10 am until 4.45 pm
• Dance performances from 10 am-3.45 pm
• Kung Fu Wushu Workshop from 10 am-3.10 pm

How can I get there?

Free public transport will be available to and from the event. Extra shuttles will be running to support a smooth transportation to the event on all three days.  Starting on Friday until the end of the event, make sure to tap on and off with your MyWay+ card.

Due to light rail Stage 2A works on Commonwealth Avenue, there will be limited parking available near the festival. Park and ride is also recommended, and plan your journey using your MyWay+ app.

Rideshare and drop-off zones near the festival are listed here:

• The Corner of Rabaul Land and Akuna Street.
• On Binara Street, near Crowne Plaza.
• In Ainslie Plaza, on the Cooyong Street side of the Canberra Centre.

For those driving, parking is limited near the city centre, especially with the road closure. Paid parking spaces in the city are listed below (and all are within walking distance).

• Canberra Centre
• Canberra Olympic Pool (Constitutional Avenue)
• City Hill Car Park: corner of London Circuit and Constitution Avenue.
• City West Car Park: Located on Knowles Place.

Accessible parking close to the festival:

• Constitution Place (Via Constitution Avenue at the end of Theatre Lane)
• Canberra Centre: Cooyong Street and Genge Street outdoor carpark.

More information about how road closures affect these drop-offs is available on City Services – Road closures.

Looking for more? Visit multiculturalfestival.com.au for the full program.