City Renewal Authority CEO Craig Gillman says the city is changing, for the better. Photo: ACT Government.
The City Renewal Authority is planning a new family festival for 2026 to exploit a seasonal gap in the market, as it reviews its events calendar.
CRA chief executive Craig Gillman flagged the new autumn festival in a speech to the Canberra Region Tourism Advisory Forum at the National Convention Centre on Thursday, in which he challenged negative narratives about the city centre and pitched it as a place that was modernising and diversifying.
Mr Gillman said the two-week festival would be based in Garema Place and be a collaboration with local businesses.
“There is a space in the national festival market – we’re not going to compete with Dark Mofo that’s in winter, out of Hobart – but there is a gap and we’re looking to grow it,” he said.
Mr Gillman said there would not be a festival footprint but a hub in the new-look Garema Place, working with local businesses to provide events and experiences.
“The one I like to reference is, think of taking your family to a daytime rave at Fiction nightclub,” he said.
The new festival was part of a reappraisal of events as the city changed and grew.
“We’re not waiting to activate the city and encourage people to come in, we’re doing this now, and we are reconsidering our program of events,” he said.
The proposed autumn festival would add to the range of CRA events such as the Summernats Braddon Fringe and Winter in the City.
These made a real difference, Mr Gillman said, with research showing visitation bumps had flow-on effects as people returned to the city after reacquainting themselves with old haunts or rediscovered new venues.
He said the Fringe generated $1.1 million of extra spend, while Winter in the City attracted 41,000 visitors and had an economic impact worth $4.4 million.
He also said a new website was launching this month to promote what was happening in the city and local businesses.
It would be branded within the CBR website nest.
“This will profile local businesses, it’ll put event programs together, it will give you programs if you’re in Canberra for 24 hours and you want to experience the city, where should you go?” Mr Gillman said.
He urged businesses to get their products and offerings on that website.
“Promote it to your guests, get involved and register,” Mr Gillman said.
The CBD is being transformed and light rail is just one of the projects. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Mr Gillman said that contrary to media reports, the city was not in decline but increasing its share of visitors and residents.
He blasted outdated and inaccurate media narratives, such as Canberra being an ageing city.
“Surprisingly, and against some of this narrative, Canberra is the second-youngest demographic of any capital in Australia,” Mr Gillman said.
He said data showed that time and attendance in the city between 2023 and 2024 had risen 45 per cent – from 11 million hours in 2023 to 16 million in 2024, and the trend was later in the day.
There were 39,000 jobs in the CBD, or 15 per cent of the ACT’s workforce, and the city was worth $7.4 billion in gross value added.
“So the city centre is really important to economic value, the cultural value, to cohesion and to celebration,” Mr Gillman said.
But he acknowledged that it faced disruption as it modernised and became more connected and sustainable.
“The transformation is underway, and the evidence of that is playing out right, there’s construction fencing, there’s construction sites, whether they be private or public, the light rail, the Canberra Theatre will start shortly with its works,” he said.
Mr Gillman said delays were due to legacy issues and the number of undocumented services but also the need to work around the businesses that operate through the construction program.
Among projects on the to-do list was transforming City Hill, drawing on last year’s ideas competition.
“It’s not very accessible, it’s not an engaging place to be, it’s not an engaging place to dwell, it’s not an engaging place to walk through,” Mr Gillman said.
“Now we’re moving on to the next stage of master planning, and that will be a heavily engaged process.”
Mr Gillman urged the audience to get the story about the CBD right.
“Tell the story that is based on the facts, and engage with the narrative and sell the city to your competitors,” he said. “It’s a great product. Everything people love about the city, whether it’s the bars, whether it’s the restaurants, they’re still there and it’s all open for business.”
