Events not to miss in 2024 and 2025

Runners will enjoy The Canberra Times Fun Run's (3 November) fast and flat course which takes you past some of Canberra’s most iconic landmarks including the Parliamentary Triangle and Lake Burley Griffin.

Commemorate Remembrance Day (11 November) at the Australian War Memorial by paying your respects during the National Ceremony or placing a poppy on the Roll of Honour.

Be inspired at the Craft + Design Canberra Festival (1 - 10 November), where regeneration-themed events will imagine a sustainable future at various venues across Canberra. 

Continue the celebration with the SpringOUT festival (2 - 30 November) which will be marking its 25^th anniversary in 2024, filling the streets with pride flags, love, and joy, alongside the LGBTQIA+ community.

Feast at The Forage (9 November) when the region's best food trucks and street food fans come together to celebrate good food with good tunes.

Challenge yourself on the wide-open trails of Stromlo Running Festival (16-17 November). Soak in the views of Canberra and the Brindabella Ranges as you compete. Various race lengths are on offer from a 2.5-kilometre kids cross country course up to a 42.2-kilometre marathon. 

Swim, bike and run at Challenge Canberra (16 November), Canberra's biggest triathlon event. Choose between middle, aqua bike, Olympic, sprint, and super sprint distance events.

Cricket fans, don’t miss your chance to catch the Prime Minister's XI take on India (30 Nov - 1 Dec).

Gift yourself an evening of laughter at A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas (6 December). This two-hour comedy gala showcases the best acts from the upcoming festival in one massive show.

Explore the lives and artistic legacies of important female artists and innovators in the Australian art world at the National Gallery of Australia's Ethel Carrick  and Anne Dangar retrospectives (7 December 2024 – 27 April 2025).

Discover what life was like in the ancient city of Pompeii  before the fateful eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. See remarkable artefacts including frescoes, jewellery, and sculptures at this exhibition at the National Museum of Australia (7 December 2024 - 4 May 2025).

Find the perfect gifts at the Handmade Market (13 December). Showcasing 260+ Australian designers and producers, meet the creatives and discover amazing fashion, ceramics, handcrafted furniture, art and more.

See the Big Bash action in Canberra at Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers (17 Dec) and Melbourne Stars v Sydney Thunder (28 Dec).

See the stars up close and personal as many of the world’s top 100 tennis players compete at the Workday Canberra International (29 December - 4 January) for a total prize pool of USD320,000.

See everything from supped up streetcars to the finals of the National Burnout Master for the year at Summernats(2 - 5 January), a unique celebration of the modified car community. As evening falls, watch the hot rods roll along Braddon’s glittering streets.

Get up close to the world's rarest motorsport vehicles at the Canberra Festival of Speed (25-26 January). Enjoy an immersive AV experience, exhibitors, music and a European food village.

The action continues at Manuka Oval with the CommBank Women’s Ashes T20 International as Australia play England(23 January).

Taste food from around the globe at the National Multicultural Festival (7 - 9 February) which brings together more than 170 unique nationalities from the Canberra community. Beloved by locals for the food stalls, the festival stages will be filled with cultural performances so you can enjoy dinner and a show.

Featuring over 350 unique and limited-edition beers, ciders, seltzers, wine, cocktails and local street eats, Canberra Beerfest (15 February) also has tunes, games, and entertainment to keep the good times going.

Experience the magic of the Royal Canberra Show (21-23 February) with over 150 captivating attractions, award-winning animals, and competitions galore.

Be part of the opening weekend of the Enlighten Illuminations (28 February - 10 March) where Canberra's national museums and galleries become canvases for stunning digital artworks.

Experience the oldest city marathon in Australia at The Canberra Times Marathon Festival (11-13 April). This prestigious event offers five different distances that each incorporate amazing sites in the capital.

See the moments of contact and exchange between groundbreaking European artists and their Australian counterparts at Cézanne to Giacometti: Highlights from Museum Berggruen / Neue Nationalgalerie (31 May - 21 Dec). This exhibition marks the first time works from this internationally significant collection will be seen in Australia.

Spend your Anzac Day paying your respects to those who have served, at the Australian War Memorial's  Anzac Day Dawn Service (25 April) or by attending a daily Last Post Ceremony.

The winter in Canberra does not mean hibernation for most, with a wide array of things to do across the cooler months. Sample the delights of the Canberra region’s truffle growers from June through August. The prized black Perigord truffle is on the menu at restaurants, cafes, and wineries across the capital thanks to the region’s cool climate growing conditions. Enjoy a paddock-to-plate experience or join a truffle hunt at one of the newest jewels in Canberra’s culinary experience crown, Beltana Farm.

The British and Irish Lions will take on the ACT Brumbies at GIO Stadium (9 July). Don't miss this match as the teams' next tour to Australia won't be for another twelve years.