The Church return with their most ambitious and expansive live show yet – A Psychedelic Symphony with The George Ellis Orchestra.
A Psychedelic Symphony will see The Church together with the 30 Piece George Ellis Orchestra perform an epic orchestral set as they reimagine and enhance their classics including 'Under the Milky Way', 'The Unguarded Moment', 'Metropolis', 'Reptile', 'Almost With You'.
A lush violin sweep here, a 12-string guitar flourish there. This is The Church in ultra luxe mode.
A Psychedelic Symphony is a chance to experience the songs you already know and love, added to by suitably grand orchestral arrangements.
Nightwalks with Teenagers is a walking performance created in collaboration with young people, who plan, design and lead public walks through the city at night, sharing their favourite parts of the neighbourhood with members of the community. The performance brings together teens and adults who might not otherwise meet, to have experiences related to a shared place and time; it offers an opportunity for adults to socialise with young people in a safe social space, where everyone can let loose, and silences offer moments for contemplation.
Coming to Canberra for the first time, Nightwalks with Teenagers will mark the inaugural collaboration with acclaimed international performance company, Mammalian Diving Reflex, and Canberra Youth Theatre.
Taking the audience through the streets and paths of Canberra, this walking performance will uncover undiscovered sights and untapped talents. Expect to dance, laugh, run, walk and parkour your way through our urban playground as we follow shared paths and connected futures.
Within these innovative social experiences, walking together at night becomes a subtle yet powerful act of resistance by reclaiming public space for intergenerational connection, questioning perceptions of risk and belonging, and highlighting the urgent youth voices that shape urban experience.
Boom! The Fijian sound is coming your way...
This November, Fiji's very own INSIDEOUT hits Australia and New Zealand with live music, island rhythms and the energy you've been waiting for all year long!
And that's not all…expect surprise performances from some special guest artists along the way! Australia and New Zealand, pull up! Get your tickets now ~ Vaka io ga mai!
The ANU Community Music Centre Chamber and Vocal Ensembles will be presenting two chamber music concerts to showcase the efforts of their students in semester 2, 2026. Featuring a wide variety of groups and instrumental combinations, experience chamber music from our wonderful CMC students.
They offer two same-day concerts. Attend one or both free concerts!
A wordless blend of clown and drag to celebrate queer joy.
"A work of art, a queer delight." – Binge Fringe
In a twist of fate, an ordinary man is thrust into the spotlight to become the Queen of the Carnival. With advanced age, abundant body hair, and limited talents, he is an unlikely candidate.
A Drag Is Born is a seven-time award-winning, wordless solo performance blending clown, drag, and magical realism into a joyful, moving celebration of queer identity, resilience and self-acceptance. Through humour, music and visual storytelling, the show speaks across languages and cultures, inviting audiences of all backgrounds into a universal story of transformation.
Created and performed by Edu Díaz, a theatre-maker from the Canary Islands (Spain) based in New York City, A Drag Is Born has received multiple awards and critical acclaim in New York, Orlando, Los Angeles, Tenerife, and at the Edinburgh Fringe. Presented as part of SpringOUT Festival 2026, with the support of the Embassy of Spain in Australia.
The Nutcracker is a timeless, world-famous classical ballet and a cherished highlight of the festive season—adventurous, magical, enchanting and utterly delightful for audiences of all ages.
Join Clara at her Christmas party as her enchanted Nutcracker transforms into a prince and whisks her away to a wondrous magical land. Be captivated by the iconic 'Sugar Plum Fairy' pas de deux, breathtaking snow scenes, a magnificent Christmas tree, and charming party surprises that fill the stage with wonder and joy.
This much-loved ballet continues to enchant children and adults alike, brought to life through a rich display of superb classical technique and expressive storytelling. Performed by the stars of the Victorian State Ballet, The Nutcracker is a feast of outstanding artistry and elegance. The story unfolds beautifully to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's breathtaking and instantly recognisable musical score, adding warmth, magic, and emotion to every moment.
Don't miss the Victorian State Ballet's enchanting production of this festive classic—a joyful theatrical experience that has delighted audiences for generations.
Seductive drag, film geekery and cult classics for an electric night out.
Each event features a pre-screening live performance by drag artist Venus Mantrap in our beautiful art deco Arc Cinema.
The 2026 program spans eleven Friday nights starting from February through to December, featuring Susan Seidelman's punk-infused comedies, Coen brothers' noir thrillers and Kathryn Bigelow's dystopian visions.
Each screening is carefully selected to celebrate cult cinema in all its daring and stylish glory.
Sixties British Legends The Animals – The House Of The Rising Sun Tour 2026
The Animals were a major force in the British Invasion of the 1960s, blending blues, R&B, and rock into a sound that has inspired generations. Their music remains as relevant and powerful today as it was back then!
Britannia ruled the airwaves in the 60's. In the front ranks, marching in formation behind The Beatles, were The Animals, who became the second British band to top the American charts after The Beatles. Featuring original member John Steel alongside Danny Handley, Barney Williams and Norman Helm, music fans can expect a fantastic concert of the Best of The Animals.
Still on the prowl, The Animals remain a seminal rhythm & blues band. Commanding great respect amongst their peers as well as from fans of all ages – crowds still adore their timeless classics, 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place', 'Boom Boom', 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood', 'It's My Life', 'Bring it on Home to Me' and the bands' iconic multi-million selling, and Number One worldwide, hit – 'House of The Rising Sun'
After all these years, the legend still grows…
Great Songs. Great Memories. Join The Animals this October as they perform all their Greatest hits on The House of the Rising Sun Tour
As part of Quietly Seething: Fate, Fury and Transmutation' a major new solo exhibition by feminist artist and craftivist Dr Tal Fitzpatrick, the artist has invited an artist and a dancer to develop performances that respond to the theme of feminine rage.
Kamberri/Canberra based artist Sophie Dumaresq and internationally renowned dancer and choreographer Juliet Burnett present two new performance works that embody the transmutation of rage and fury. Each performance uniquely responds to Tal Fitzpatrick's installation and the Canberra Contemporary site.
Quietly Seething: Fate, Fury and Transmutation will be presented at Canberra Contemporary during Craft + Design Canberra Festival. Central to the exhibition is a socially engaged artwork that makes space for a conversation about the power and pain of feminine rage using the gentle and familiar textures of cloth. Gathered within this installation are the anonymous stories of 60 female identifying and AFAB people who shared with the artist the quiet seething they carry.
Join them in the courtyard of the National Film and Sound Archive to close the 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Festival with an evening of dance, design and celebration under the Canberra sky.
Curated by acclaimed dance artist Liz Lea, Dance of Dissent brings the Festival theme to life through the most immediate medium of all: the human body. A series of solo performances by leading female dancers open the evening, each a distinct act of creative resistance through movement, costume, and presence. We are thrilled to present Yolanda Lowatta's acclaimed solo performance in partnership with Australian Dance Party.
The night closes with an ensemble work by the Chamaeleon Collective, Canberra's first inclusive dance company of dancers with disability.
Dance is the Festival's closing argument: bodies in motion, in space, and in community, dissenting against expectation, against exclusion, and against the limits of who is seen.
Summer Courtyard Concerts are back in November with Funk & Soul Under the Stars. Experience one of Canberra's most unique live music events as the stunning Courtyard Gardens at Mercure Canberra transform into an intimate outdoor concert venue for an unforgettable evening of funk, soul, rhythm and good vibes.
Set against the backdrop of the hotel's heritage gardens, the Funk & Soul Courtyard Concert brings together great music, delicious food and refreshing drinks from the Garden Bar, and the vibrant atmosphere of a summer evening in the heart of Braddon.
Headlining the evening is local favourite The Bad Habits, bringing an energetic mix of classic soul, funk grooves and crowd favourites to one of Canberra's most unique outdoor events. Known for their deep, funky grooves and blistering solos, The Bad Habits are set to deliver a night of soulful sounds and feel-good energy.
For those who love cruisy funk and blues, with influences from Steely Dan, Renee Geyer, Tower of Power, The Meters, Jon Cleary and the Neville Brothers, this is a night not to be missed.
Whether you're a local music lover, planning a special night out or looking for a unique Canberra accommodation and entertainment experience, this is a concert not to be missed.
Visit the website for prices and to book.
The Latvian Radio Choir is not just a choir: it is a sound laboratory, and its members are always ready to explore new work and new ways of singing. Its repertoire encompasses music from the Renaissance to now.
Genevieve Lacey is a fearless artist who challenges you to rethink the recorder, the classical music concert experience and, indeed, how you listen.
Together, these pioneering musicians present a program of music which looks to the sky in search of beauty, wonder and things with wings.
Get a glimpse of the sublime with a psalm, a prayer and a song of songs; catch the call of the nightingale, the swallow and the sparrow; and explore the intimate poetry of bird names with Pēteris Vasks.
Then, to celebrate the return of this ensemble of musical pioneers, get ready to experience two new commissions that meld human and avian voices. Bird on Byrd is an interspecies collaboration where curiosity and humour meet, created by Australian composers Hollis Taylor and Jon Rose. Finally, Ceremony of Swans is a world premiere from internationally revered Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds, with a text by celebrated Australian author Alexis Wright.
