What's on in spring
Updated 21 Aug 2026
Explore Floriade and beyond as you unveil the delights of Canberra’s many spring activities
In a city that hosts Australia’s largest flower festival every spring, it’s little wonder that here, the smallest things loom large. Connection with community, harvesting, and feasting bloom throughout the season, unfolding with Floriade (12 September – 12 October) and sprouting across the city beyond its gates.
For visitors, the small moments are given priority. It’s a cheers over a locally grown drop. An exhibition celebrating forgotten objects via the plastic medium preferred by the Danes and children for decades. A miniature steam train that’s hosted smiles for generations. A kite been flown over a carpet of greenery.
A Feast of Flowers
Every September, Canberra comes alive in a way that stops people in their tracks. The galleries and the food scene continue to impress but for one month Commonwealth Park transforms into something that draws visitors into the capital. That’s Floriade, Australia’s Biggest Celebration of Spring.
This year’s theme, Feast of Flowers, introduces a focus on seasonal food, edible gardens, and shared experiences, complementing Floriade’s iconic floral displays, which remain at the heart of the festival. More than one million blooms will again reach peak brilliance across the month, in 2026 complemented by programming that reflects the connection between gardens, growing, and the table.
This isn’t just a walk-through spring colour. It’s a month-long experience shaped by the season itself, moving from first bloom through to harvest and offering visitors different ways to experience it depending on when they arrive.
How the season unfolds
• Growing and Blooming 12–17 September: The season begins with Floriade in full bloom and a program built around inspiration — garden planning, workshops, and First Nations voices that invite visitors into the story of how spring comes to life. Those who know Floriade know the pleasure of being first.
• Harvesting and Feasting 18 September – 1 October: Colour takes over. One million blooms at peak brilliance, installations, demonstrations, and pop-ups from local nurseries. Communal dining, pop-up producers, and guest chefs make the case that Floriade tastes as good as it looks.
• Return to Soil 2–12 October: The program turns toward the story behind the garden: who grew this, how, and what it means. Workshops, markets, and programming with a focus on composting, sustainability, and what comes next bring the season full circle.
Experience Floriade in a whole new light as NightFest returns for four spectacular nights from 1–4 October. From 6:30pm to 10:30pm, Commonwealth Park transforms into an after-dark wonderland filled with vibrant horticultural illuminations, fantastic food stalls, and a packed program of live entertainment.
See the park come to life with interactive displays and immersive installations, creating a magical backdrop for an unforgettable evening.
An event calendar brimming with purpose
Dive into Canberra’s vibrant multicultural scene at the Canberra Moon Festival (4-6 September) over dates reserved in the lunar calendar as a celebration of harvest and reunion for many Asian cultures.
The Spring Sustainability Market (27 September) is a special edition of the much-loved Haig Park Village Markets, which will be bursting with workshops, activities, and stalls focused on conservation, waste reduction, sustainable living and more. From organic produce to slow fashion, recycling workshops and meeting native animals, it’s a celebration of all things sustainability.
This event also highlights the diverse community of sustainability-minded stallholders who are the heart of Haig Park Village Markets. Visitors can meet their organic growers, discover beautifully made low-waste lifestyle products, explore sustainable fashion, and connect with not-for-profits doing incredible work. Canberra Snake Rescue, a local small business run by herpetologist and ecologist Emma Carlson, will return with an interactive native reptile display where you can get up close and learn about our local reptile fauna, and be empowered with knowledge to appreciate even our “scary” snakes. Catherine Jewell from Braidwood Botanicals will also be providing a live demonstration on how to make natural cleaning products such as ‘toilet bombs’ from simple pantry items. Haig Park Village Markets is also teaming up with SEE Change WasteLess Group to roll out a fun and practical waste and reuse initiative. Friendly volunteers will be stationed at colourful bin hubs to help everyone sort waste correctly into landfill, recycling, and compost. To cut down on single-use items, hot food stalls and coffee vans will be stocked with reusable bowls, cutlery, and mugs, which can then be returned to SEE Change’s Wash station.
Get ready, book lovers, the Canberra Writers Festival (15-18 October) returns, celebrating its 10th anniversary with 110 events and 200 artists celebrating books and storytelling across four exciting days. The Festival brings together acclaimed Australian and international authors, bestselling novelists, political thinkers, comedians, journalists, children's writers, illustrators, cartoonists, and some of the most exciting new voices in Australian writing and journalism.
The Canberra Nara Candle Festival (24 October) is a celebration of the Canberra Nara Sister City relationship and promotes the values of peace and goodwill. See the Nara Peace Park at Lennox Gardens light up with thousands of candles and experience Japanese cuisine, music, dance and demonstrations.
The 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Festival (5-15 November) celebrates Canberra as a creative capital and showcases the work of over 500 creatives, connecting them with the Canberra community. The 2026 Festival responds to the theme of Dissent and advocates for creativity as a powerful tool for questioning, challenging and reshaping societal norms. The program explores design for environmental and social impact, sustainability and accessibility in creative practice, and the future of Canberra as a city. Woven through the program is the value of the handmade and the locally made, which builds skill and wellbeing, keeps material knowledge moving between generations, and has proven environmental sustainability.
Immerse yourself in art and culture
Running until October 18, the National Gallery presents the monumental tapestries series by renowned Australian artist Arthur Boyd in their Arthur Boyd: Tapestries exhibition. An exploration of the life of Saint Francis, the works were produced by tapestry workshop Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre. Each tapestry contains between 4 and 8.5 million stitches in Australian wool and cotton.
RELICS: A New World Rises is an immersive exhibition where vintage objects become homes for intricate miniature worlds built from LEGO® bricks. A refrigerator becomes a cryogenic wellness resort. A Volkswagen Beetle powers an underground energy revolution. A grandfather clock becomes a time machine. Across more than 15 large-scale installations, tiny civilisations have adapted to the objects left behind by humanity, each one filled with hidden details, layered narratives and unexpected humour.
To learn about Ngunnawal culture, join in with Dhawura Tours or Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to see and learn about the land from the eyes of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. An experienced guide and Traditional Custodian will interpret various sites of significance and explore a variety of landscapes, wildlife, and natural bush around Canberra.
Or why not explore the hidden history of Canberra and take a tour with She Shapes History? Their knowledgeable guides are dedicated to sharing all Canberra has to offer, so bring your camera and your questions for an enlightening walk in the sunshine.
Combine sunshine, sips, and savoury treats
Canberrans are lucky to combine their love of good food and good views together on a regular basis, with more outdoor dining spots for lunch and dinner than you can shake a stick at. After you’ve finished having a picnic alongside Lake Burley Griffin, why not head to an outdoor bar for a sunset and a nightcap? Try Margot Bar, or The Jetty for a waterside tipple.
Venture further out to explore the Canberra District Wine Region and enjoy the spring air in your hair as you cycle from one cellar door to the next, on a bike tour of Murrumbateman’s off-road winery trail.
Take dining to the next level while enjoying a feast in one of Waters Edge's unique dining domes on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Or sail the water yourself in a private, electric GoBoat or Love Boat, complete with sips, dips, and views of some of Canberra’s most iconic attractions on the shoreline.
Embrace the outdoors
Canberra is often described as a nature park with iconic national attractions tucked into its lush corners, making it the perfect spot to enjoy the great outdoors.
Make the most of the warming weather with Canberra’s newest adventure hotspot. Just a short drive from the city centre, Treetops Adventure Canberra offers an exhilarating experience for the whole family, starting from age 3. Challenge yourself with 90 thrilling aerial obstacles and glide across 16 ziplines, suspended 2 to 15 meters above the ground.
Heights not your thing? Why not try a locals’ favourite nature hike, like making it to the top of Mount Ainslie or Black Mountain? Or give a go at trig-pointing if you’re ticking a few local peaks off your list.
When the sun is shining, follow the locals’ lead and relax by the water with a good book or take a refreshing dip. Local favourites include Casuarina Sands or Uriarra Crossing, both with shady spots and swimming holes, on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. Or explore Cotter Avenue Recreation Area, which is the ideal venue for picnics, swimming, fishing, or bushwalking year round.
If you’re a self-guided explorer, check out some of the lesser-known history of Australia’s capital with Canberra Tracks, and enjoy the scenery along the way. Or walk your way through a game of disc golf at Weston Park, for some fun in the sun. For a guided experience, why not join in with a Burnlee Excursions on Horseback adventure for a viewpoint of the Canberra region unlike any other.
Entertain the little ones
For even more fun in the sun, explore the Australian National Botanic Gardens, which is home to the world’s most comprehensive display of living Australian plants as well as walking trails, educational activities, lawns for running and playing, numerous picnic tables, a café, and a bookshop.
Of course, you can’t beat the National Zoo & Aquarium for an experience that’s sure to excite and delight the whole family. You can even pat a cheetah, feed a bear, or become acquainted with a meerkat during some of the most amazing hands-on animal experiences in Australia.
Once a month, The Little Burley Market set along the serene shores of Lake Burley Griffin makes for a delightful Saturday morning by the water. This thoughtfully curated gourmet food and artisan market offers a feast for the senses, allowing you to savour delicious treats while taking in the sunshine and stunning lake views. With live and local music, kids activities, and sports activiations, it's the perfect activity for the whole family.
Keep exploring in spring...
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