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Young couple dances in the coloured lights of a live music performance at Smith's Alternative.

Events not to miss in 2024 and 2025

Updated 29 Oct 2024

What's on in Canberra

Canberra is putting on a show with blockbuster exhibitions, festivals, weekend markets, and sport all year long.

All your favourite events are returning including Enlighten Festival in autumn, truffle festivities in winter, Floriade in spring, Summernats in summer, plus live music and celebrations covering the calendar year.

2000 candles shimmering around a sculpture and trees

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2024

Australia’s biggest celebration of spring, Floriade (14 September—13 October), returns to Commonwealth Park. Featuring more than one million blooms, this flower festival is also renowned for its marketplace, food stalls, live music, and workshops. And when the sun goes down, NightFest (3 - 6 October) transforms the floral displays with artistic illuminations, and hosts evenings filled with entertainers, fantastic food, and Insta-worthy photo opportunities.

Meet the makers at over 250 stalls within the Handmade Canberra food and design market (21 - 22 September) to grab the next gift on the wish list for yourself or someone special.

Across five days hear from over 100 brilliant speakers at the Canberra Writers Festival (23 - 27 October). Why not join a workshop with award-winning literary creatives like Charlotte Wood and Markus Zusak?

Be amongst the first to see Lindy Lee’s immersive sculpture, Ouroboros, set to be unveiled at the National Gallery of Australia on 25 October.

Celebrate peace, goodwill, and the sister city relationship between Canberra and Nara at the Nara Candle Festival (26 October). This popular festival features thousands of shimmering candles, delicious street food, and cultural performances.

NOVEMBER 2024

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 25th 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).

Cricketers playing on a green oval in front of a crowd at sunset.

DECEMBER 2024

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.

 

JANUARY 2025

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).

Three boys wearing a cultural costume

FEBRUARY 2025

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.

 

Boat moving across lake with hot air balloons above

MARCH 2025

Canberra’s galleries and museums will host an array of events during the day and become artworks at night during the Enlighten Illuminations (28 February - 10 March). Feast on tasty treats, enjoy live music and exclusive experiences as you explore the National Triangle, transformed by thought-provoking architectural projections and artistic installations.

Cheer on your favourite dogs at the National Sheep Dog Trial Championships (10 - 16 March) or wake up to surreal scenes as dozens of hot air balloons float across the capital each morning during the Canberra Balloon Spectacular (15 - 23 March). Grab breakfast from a local food truck or take to the lake to watch the balloons inflate and float into the sky.

Head to the Canberra Craft Beer and Cider Festival (15 March) to learn about Australia's incredible craft beer evolution and taste the brews for yourself.

For four days of music, folk dance, and community, head to the National Folk Festival (17 - 21 April). With multiple stages, workshops, dance spaces, markets, food stalls, and even on-site camping, this festival has your long weekend sorted. Be warned though, the saying goes that once you’ve gone to the festival just once, you’ll want to come back year after year.

APRIL & MAY

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.

JUNE, JULY, & AUGUST

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.

All year long

Be sure to check out the performance calendar at the Canberra Theatre CentreThe Street Theatre, and music venues around Canberra. During your stay, why not explore the myriad of markets and foodie festivals, including everything from weekly farmers markets to speciality wine festivals?

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