Things to do in Canberra this week (12 - 18 September)

There’s a lot to get up to in Canberra now that the weather is finally getting a touch warmer, so we’ve put together a list of all the best events around town to get you out and about.

No spring event guide would be complete without Floriade, which is returning this week with a Nature and Science theme. There is a lot to get excited for at this year’s Floriade, with a full program of events and NightFest, which promises to transform Commonwealth Park once the sun goes down.

The German Markets come to the Harmonie Club, celebrating the culture, food and drink Aus Deutschland, bringing hearty beers, tantalising schnapps and decadent sausages to you.

A cultural, historical celebration comes to the National Archives, National Library and National Gallery with 50 years of Papuan independence, bringing the art and history of PNG to the heart of Canberra’s South.

Don’t miss out on all this and more in this week’s event guide.

Multiple Days

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025

When: 12 September to 18 September, during regular gallery hours
Where: National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Cost: Adult $15 | Concession $12 | Circle of Friends $10 | Under 18 Free | Buy tickets.

Now in its 18th year, the National Photographic Portrait Prize supports and celebrates photographic portraiture in Australia. Each year, the prize attracts thousands of entrants from emerging and established artistic talent across the country. Exhibited artworks provide a powerful visual record of the year, reflecting a particular time in Australian culture, both socially and artistically.

This year, 48 finalists have been selected by the panel of judges: writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law, Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery, Serena Bentley, and Leigh Robb, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Come see the best portrait photography in the country this week.

Tulip Top Gardens in Sutton

When: 13 September to 18 September
Where: 20 Old Federal Highway, Sutton NSW
Cost: Adults $24 | Seniors $22 | Season pass $50 | Children under 16 free. Entry available at Tulip Top Gardens.

Acres of stunning world-class gardens framed by weeping willows, and a thousand blossoms, paint the scene for almost a million tulips, daffodils and other flowers creatively planted. Enjoy free entertainment on selected days. Complimentary tea or instant coffee is available from their garden café along with a range of hot and cold food options.

Tulip Top Gardens pancake parlour set at the base of the lookout in the gardens produces aromatic coffee and sensational Dutch pancakes with a range of toppings.

If spring has you wanting to get out and explore, head to Sutton and enjoy the beauty of flowering plants, tended grounds, great food and local wildlife that is just as excited as you are about the warming weather.

Duck Pond – Dance at the CTC

When: 18 to 20 September
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Cct, Canberra
Cost: Tickets from $25 to $70, plus transaction fee. Tickets available from Canberra Theatre Centre.

Feathers will fly in Circa’s exuberant take on Swan Lake.

The world’s most romantic ballet is re-imagined as a circus spectacular, full of Circa’s signature physicality and shot through with cheeky humour and a thoroughly contemporary energy.

Be swept away by this tale of swans and hapless princes sparkling with quirky touches like the sequinned flipper-wearing duck army and a burlesque black swan. There are sumptuous aerials, jaw-dropping acrobatics and, of course, feathers! Touching, funny and utterly entertaining, Duck Pond is a tale of identity and finding your true self.

Floriade

When: 13 September to 18 September
Where: Commonwealth Park, Commonwealth Ave, Canberra
Cost: Free.

Floriade celebrates 38 years this September, turning Canberra’s Commonwealth Park into a spring wonderland. This year’s Floriade will have millions of blooming flowers, alongside hands-on workshops, talks and activities for the whole family. The theme this spring is Science and Nature, exploring the intersection between the two.

NightFest at this year’s Floriade also brings heaps of after-dark live entertainment, horticultural illuminations, bright lights, delicious food and programs inspired by physics, chemistry, astronomy and botany.

Throughout the entire festival, there will be plenty of programs to get involved in. This week’s offerings include Bollywood dancing, an orchestra performance, a special performance from GDANCE Academy, high teas, fashion events, and numerous cultural experiences. Check out their full program for a breakdown of each week.

Friday

Puffs of Smoke | Live musical performance featuring a program of short silent films at the NFSA

When: 12 September, 1 pm
Where: Arc Cinema, NFSA, 1 McCoy Circuit, Acton
Cost: Tickets $35 Full | $25 Concession ($1.50 booking fee) | Tickets available via NFSA.

Puffs of Smoke is a live musical performance featuring a program of short silent films, mostly from before 1920, accompanied by live music composed and performed by Phillip Johnston. Interspersed with these films are short narratives that together create a fantasia exploring the little-known history of the Australian silent film era.

These films combine a variety of techniques, subjects and styles, including dramatised poems, newsreel footage, fragments of bushranger melodramas, advertisements and short documentaries. The program also includes magic lantern slides from the Salvation Army’s proto-multimedia event Soldiers of the Cross (1900).

This performance includes short films and other excerpts from the NFSA collection.

Saturday

Celebrating 50 years of Papua New Guinea’s Independence at the NAA and NGA

When: 13 September, 9:30 am to 12 pm
Where: National Archives of Australia, National Office, Kings Avenue
Cost: Free.

Celebrate 50 years of the independence of Papua New Guinea at this community day. Beginning with speeches at 10 am, followed by a morning tea, this celebration invites the public to delve into the rich history of our northern neighbour by exploring original records, engaging with talks led by curators and watching demonstrations.

An event in partnership with other national institutions, the National Gallery is holding a huge celebration with Papuan art, a performance of Papuan singers with traditional song and dance, and heaps of art from the young nation.

Just across the way, the National Library’s Living in the Seventies exhibition covers that tumultuous decade in Australian history, which saw everything from the withdrawal from Vietnam, the Whitlam years, Papuan Independence, the women’s liberation movement, the dismissal and the opening of relations with China.

Hammerhead – Jazz Haus at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre

When: 13 September, 7 pm
Where: Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street, Greenway, Tuggeranong
Cost: Tickets from $38 to $45 | Book online.

The Tuggeranong Arts Centre hosts a special night of music this week with Hammerhead, performing nuanced, funk, folk and chamber jazz.

Hammerhead has a reputation for high-energy performances and innovative compositions and has been a prominent force in the Australian jazz scene since 2011.

Led by internationally acclaimed tenor saxophonist Jason Bruer, this powerhouse sextet will perform recent unreleased music composed by Bruer alongside material from their recent acclaimed album I Didn’t Get To Where I Am Today (2023). This album was hailed as their best album yet, receiving a 4.5-star review in The Australian and praise from jazz legend Mike Nock.

Hammerhead draws inspiration from the hard bop era while incorporating urban jazz, funk and chamber jazz influences. The band has established a reputation for high-energy performances and innovative composition.

Sunday

The 2025 Karinya House Walk for Hope

When: Sunday 14 September from 8 am
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club, Mariner Place, Yarralumla

Walk or run to give safety, hope and a home to women facing domestic violence and homelessness while pregnant or parenting.

Karinya House believes no woman should be navigating parenting alone. For almost 28 years, Karinya House have provided safety, accommodation and support to thousands of women in the ACT region impacted by violence, homelessness and disadvantage while pregnant or parenting.

This year, you too can make a difference for women, their babies and children. Join the Walk for Hope and raise funds to help them create a community where every woman can chart a path forward safely for herself and her children.

German Markets at the Harmonie Club

When: 14 September, 9 am to 1 pm
Where: Harmonie German Club, 49 Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah
Cost: Free.

The German Markets are back at the Harmonie Club, bringing heaps of stalls offering everything from cakes to deli goods and, of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration of German culture without heart wine, beer, schnapps and sausages.

As if a smorgasbord of German delicacies wasn’t enough, the markets will also have handmade crafts, a free jumping castle for the kids and entertainment for the whole family.

Sunday Buffet Lunch at Pavilion

When: 14 September, 12 pm to 3 pm
Where: Pavilion on Northbourne
Cost: Tickets are $35 per person | $16 kids (under 12) | Book online.

Gather your family and friends and enjoy a relaxing Sunday surrounded by the lush greenery of Pavilion on Northbourne’s iconic indoor atrium. Pavilion’s Sunday Buffet Lunch is the perfect way to share great food with great company.

Indulge in a generous spread featuring a selection of hot dishes, fresh salads, cold cuts, charcuterie and, of course, a dessert station.

Whether it’s a family outing, a catch-up with friends, or simply treating yourself, the Sunday Buffet offers something for everyone.

Canberra Reclink Community Cup

When: Sunday, 14 September, 12 pm to 6 pm
Where: Alan Ray Oval, Ainslie Football Club
Cost: Adults $15 | Children 12 to 17, $8 | Children 11 and under free.

This much-loved national Aussie rules match sees media and arts personalities squaring up against local musicians and entertainers, all to raise crucial funds for Reclink Australia.

Proceeds from this fundraising event go to Reclink Australia’s life-changing programs. Reclink’s structured sport and recreation programs improve life outcomes for those experiencing mental illness, family violence, homelessness, people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, CALD people, at-risk youth and more.

It’s never been easier to make a difference, just relax and enjoy family entertainment, live music and, of course, the big game at Ainslie Football Club. Bouncedown at 2 pm. It’s sure to be a fun day out where community is the winner!

To learn more about Reclink and to donate, visit reclink.org.

Thursday

Greenway Views Open Day

When: 18 September, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: Greenway Views, 260 Soward Way, Tuggeranong
Cost: Free | Register now.

Discover the LDK model of aged care, an alternative to traditional aged care, at the Greenway Views Open Day. Combining community living, an active social and event calendar and health, LDK seeks to do things differently in the field of aged care. If you are wondering about your own ageing process or that of a loved one, this is an excellent opportunity to get a look into one of the most innovative companies doing aged care differently.

• 10 am – 11 am: Join the information forum and learn about living and care options at Greenway Views
• 11 am – 1 pm: Celebrate spring with Floriade-inspired food, live entertainment and music in the heart of the village
• 1 pm – 2 pm: Take a self-guided tour and explore the village at your own pace.

Archaeology of water with Dr Chris Carter at the National Library

When: 18 September, 6 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: National Library of Australia, Parkes Pl W, Canberra
Cost: Tickets from $11 – $25 | Buy tickets.

Join Dr Chris Carter and the Friends of the National Library for an enlightening talk about how water is essential for human survival.

We need water to live, for health and hygiene, to cultivate crops, to manage livestock, for trade, industry and commerce and for our homes. Across the world and in different ways, from the most arid areas of the world to landscapes that are regularly flooded, humans have adapted their behaviour and settings to occupy the entire globe, and water has been at the heart of this remarkable development.

Archaeologist Dr Chris Carter will describe some of the ways people have managed water for power and pleasure. Travel from the driest deserts in the world, such as the Atacama Desert of Chile (pictured above) and the Arabian Peninsula, to the lush, terraced hillsides that produce prodigious quantities of grain in the Philippines, from the slopes of Andean Peru to Australia’s long history of water management. Uncover how humans gained access to and control of water and how that has impacted on lifeways with both positive and negative results.

For those unable to attend in person, there are options to watch the lecture online.

Upcoming events

• Hops & Hooves is back, bigger and better than ever – 27 September
• The Unofficial Taylor – A Tribute to the Eras – 30 September
• Looking for Alibrandi – 3 October

Submit your event here to be considered for our weekly events guide.