They've pulled together the best of the best for a late-night Chicago-style pro jazz jam series that is going to knock your music-loving socks off. Con Campbell's band will take the stage each week and curate a level of improv jazz never before seen in Canberra. Professional instrumentalists, vocalists, supporters, and bar guests are all welcome.
Come along for a roaring good time and all that jazz every Wednesday evening.
Free entry. Bookings recommended, walk-ins welcome.
Stay after Trivia for ChiChiz Karaoke, hosted by DJ Dennis and Elvis. Expect great vibes, and a welcoming crowd ready to cheer you on. The perfect way to round out your Wednesday night.
Catherine Dwyer presents her recent Fellowship into the life of women's liberationist, artist and scholar Suzanne Bellamy.
Suzanne Bellamy (1948 – 2022) was an Australian feminist, artist, writer and teacher whose work advanced women's rights and inspired social change. Before her death, Suzanne expressed the wish that:
'…the filmmaker/historian Catherine Dwyer undertake a creative, possibly multi-media project using my archives…to continue my work in documenting the story of our women's movement.' -Suzanne Bellamy
This research continues that vision and reflects Suzanne's commitment to documenting the women's movement. Reflecting on the importance of this work, Catherine states:
'As we grapple with the unfinished business of those turbulent years, this project will help to understand the cultural moment we are in today and show how everyday people do in fact change the world.' -Catherine Dwyer
Catherine Dwyer is a 2026 National Library Fellow, supported by the Stokes Family.
Catherine Dwyer is a filmmaker and researcher. She is best known for writing and directing the widely acclaimed documentary Brazen Hussies (2020), an entertaining and detailed investigation of the Australian women's liberation movement in the 1970s.
Catherine is also an archive producer and has recently worked on Trailblazers (2024), Her Name is Nanny Nellie (SBS/NITV, 2024), Queerstralia (ABC, 2023), Who The Bloody Hell Are We? (SBS, 2023), and The People's Republic of Mallacoota (ABC, 2022).
'The Canberra Times' presents Geoff Pryor and David Pope, with Sally Pryor, as they compare experiences, debate the impact of changing tools, and explore what remains at the heart of political cartooning.
Geoff Pryor created political cartoons in black-and-white on cardboard, often with ink on his fingers. His successor, David Pope, works with sophisticated software and a digital tablet.
Geoff Pryor was The Canberra Times editorial cartoonist for 30 years, before retiring in 2008. During his three decades in the role, he generally drew seven cartoons per week, which piled up in his office and home until he donated the full collection to the National Library of Australia in 2017.
David Pope has been the editorial cartoonist for The Canberra Times since 2008. During that time, he has won multiple awards, including three Walkleys, and has twice been voted Cartoonist of the Year by the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Sally Pryor is a journalist at The Canberra Times, where she has worked for 18 years, beginning in the same week her dad retired. During that time she has covered courts, arts, entertainment and city news, but almost never politics.
This event is delivered in partnership between the National Library of Australia and The Canberra Times.
The Golden Oar is Canberra's premier regatta festival, bringing elite international and Australian rowers to the iconic waters of Lake Burley Griffin.
Across three action-packed days at Black Mountain Peninsula, mixed sculling crews from Australia and around the world race for glory and serious prize money. Olympic champions and world record holders line up alongside masters, club, junior and para rowers, with racing over sprint, middle-distance and time trial courses.
Onshore, the peninsula becomes a lakeside celebration of sport, music, food and fun. Spectators get the best seat in the house, with racing right in front of them and a vibrant festival atmosphere featuring live music and local flavours.
Presented by Red Shed and Canberra Airport, with support from Rowing Australia and Rowing ACT, The Golden Oar is Canberra's biggest weekend on the water. Whether visitors come for the world-class racing or the festival atmosphere, there is something for everyone.
Friday Art Talks are a free weekly program. Hear from artists, curators and experts on the works in the collection and exhibition program.
Friday Art Talks are held every Friday lunchtime at 12–12.45pm from February to November.
The National Gallery is committed to reducing barriers to participation in their programs. Friday Art Talks are wheelchair accessible and four assistive listening devices will be available for attendees who are hard of hearing. Please email them for more information or to discuss your access needs.
Your Friday night plans just got easier.
Garema Sessions brings live music and variety performances from local artists to Garema Place every Friday evening.
Drop by after work or school, meet up with friends, or, if you're visiting Canberra, come and grab something to eat and enjoy free live entertainment in the heart of the city.
With a rotating lineup of local performers, there's something different to catch each week.
Life's better with a soundtrack, and PJs kicks off every Friday and Saturday night. A rotating cast of solos, duos and the special guest serving up classics, pop, rock, folk, R&B, reggae, hip hop, soul, country and acoustic — basically whatever pairs best with a cold one. No two weekends sound the same, so don't get too comfy with a favourite.
Check out the website to see who's on this weekend, then come down and let PJs do the rest.
PJs in the City — where everyone's a Local.
Every Friday night, Molly turns the lights down and lets the band take over at Straight, No Chaser. Expect a soundtrack of high-energy jazz including hard bop, soul-jazz, latin jazz, gritty fusion, and even some cheeky jazzed up pop covers to keep the room buzzing while the drinks are flowing.
With free entry, world-class cocktails, and cheese and charcuterie platters to fuel the night, Straight, No Chaser is all about smoky vibes, strong drinks, and a little late-night debauchery.
Canberra welcomes back its very own Brick Show in 2026! For LEGO fans of all ages, featuring some of Australia's best builders exhibiting more than 300 tables of awesome creations.
There will be a massive train layout, dozens of vehicles, a great ball contraption, Technic displays, mosaics, Star Wars displays, historic collections and custom-designed My Own Creations (MOCs). Come along and check out the displays, interactive activities, LEGO retailers of new and rare sets and great food!
For their 5th anniversary, they'll be celebrating some of the biggest themes in LEGO with some awesome activations:
60 years of LEGO Trains
30 years ok Pokemon
15 years of Ninjago
Drop in every Saturday and Sunday for free screenings of Australian documentaries in the NFSA Theatrette.
Their Spring Drop-in Docos program brings together powerful Australian stories shaped by the elemental forces that define our landscapes, communities and history.
From the drought-stricken heart of rural Australia in Remembering Rain to the threatened ecosystems explored in Muddy Waters: Life and Death on the Great Barrier Reef, these films reveal the vital and often precarious relationship between people and the natural world. Themes of land, identity and custodianship emerge in On Sacred Ground, which chronicles the Noonkanbah dispute of mining in the Kimberley, and Lake Pedder, documenting the environmental battle sparked by the flooding of one of Tasmania's natural treasures.
The devastation caused by natural disaster is captured in When Will the Birds Return, an account of Darwin's recovery following Cyclone Tracy, while Nancy Bird Walton celebrates Australia's pioneering aviator and the spirit of exploration embodied by the skies above.
Together, these documentaries offer a compelling journey through Earth, Water, Fire and Air, illuminating the forces that continue to shape Australia's environment, culture and future.
Celebrate life, memory and Mexican culture at the Day of the Dead Fiesta 2026, a free, family-friendly cultural festival at Poppyfield Commons in Dickson, Canberra.
Held over a weekend, this colourful community celebration brings the traditions of Día de los Muertos to life through music, dance, art, food and storytelling.
At the heart of the festival is a traditional community ofrenda (altar), where visitors are invited to remember loved ones by contributing photographs and offerings.
Saturday features live Latin folk and world music from Jorge & Cici and Zambezi Sounds, energetic samba percussion from Raio de Sol, and traditional Mexican dance by México Lindo. Don't miss the vibrant street parade through Dickson, theatrical La Catrina performances and a costume competition.
Families can enjoy sugar skull painting, creative workshops, face painting, Mexican food and market stalls featuring handmade crafts and jewellery.
Sunday offers a relaxed family program featuring shadow puppetry performances, a screening of Disney Pixar's Coco, market stalls and opportunities to explore the community ofrenda.
Celebrating more than a decade of Day of the Dead events in Canberra, the festival welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to experience this beautiful Mexican tradition.
Free entry. Everyone is welcome!
