Warm up this week with Winter Festivals, cultural events and film showings. Photo: Visit Canberra.
Whatever you’re in the mood for this week, we’ve found something across the capital for you and your family to get up to, from pop-culture festivals, community festivals, film marathons, charity concerts, comedy, scientific talks at the museum and more.
Fired Up Winter Festival is all about ceramic-making, creativity and fun, with plenty of live pottery-making and firing demonstrations from local artists, as well as plenty of food, drinks and live entertainment.
The National Museum hosts a special talk by scientist and explorer Professor John Priscu, as he presents amazing new findings from beneath the Antarctic ice sheet that may provide clues to the origins of life on Earth.
And Oz Comic-Con comes to the Exhibition Centre with two full days of pop culture, art, content creator talks, gaming and more.
All this and more in our weekly guide to the best events to see and do across the capital in the days to come.
Multiple Days
Sci-fi classics and experimental films are on this week at the NFSA. Image: NFSA.
This Week at the NFSA
When: 14 August and 15 August
Where: Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive, 1 McCoy Cct, Acton
Cost: Tickets from $10 | Book online.
If you’re looking to kick back and watch some classic flicks on the big screen, the NFSA has you covered with a great schedule of movies that you’ve been dying to see in the cinema.
A technically daring film tells the story of intersecting lives in real time in Mike Figgis’s experimental film Timecode, starring Stellan Skarsgård.
A prisoner is sent back in time to prevent the outbreak of an apocalyptic disease in 1995’s Twelve Monkeys, starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
Then on Saturday, strap yourself in for a movie marathon with the first three films in the Alien franchise. It kicks off at 4 pm with the original 1979 Ridley Scott classic Alien, the seminal horror film that started it all. Then, at 6:30, James Cameron’s more action-oriented sequel, Aliens, changes the pace. Finally, David Fincher finishes off the trilogy with Alien³, which takes the series back to its horror roots.
Two days of excitement await at the Exhibition Centre. Photo: Events Canberra.
Oz Comic-Con Canberra
When: 15 August and 16 August, 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), Lyneham
Cost: Tickets from $23 | Book online.
Exhibition Park in Canberra is hosting two full days of pop culture, comics, film and more, with plenty of excitement to get behind no matter what you’re into.
There will be plenty of cosplay competitions, trading posts where you can hunt down rare collectibles, tabletop gaming spaces, gaming stations, content creator talks and plenty of opportunities to buy from artists and pick up plenty of comics, pop culture artefacts and more.
Friday
Head to the Tuggeranong Arts Centre for Life Drawing this Friday. Photo: Tuggeranong Arts Centre.
Life Drawing at Tuggeranong Arts Centre
When: 14 August, 6 pm to 8 pm
Where: Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street
Cost: Tickets $30 | Or $130 for a 5-session bundle | Book online.
While the focus of Tuggeranong Arts Centre’s monthly life drawing class is on drawing the human figure, there are lots of social moments too and a casual, relaxed vibe.
This monthly Friday evening class offers a low-pressure, stress-free, fun environment and a culture of relaxation and creative expression over technical ability.
Attracting both experienced drawers who rock up with a full watercolour kit, right through to people who are drawing for the first time, this life drawing class is for everyone, regardless of skill.
Hit the dance floor for a good cause this Friday. Image: Trybooking.
2026 Chamberlain Foundation Gala Ball – Larger than Life
When: 14 August, 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Where: Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton
Cost: Tickets $300 | Book online.
Head to the Hotel Realm for an unforgettable charity event that raises money for local mental health initiatives. This year’s gala theme is “Larger than Life” and includes a live tribute to the 90s and 2000s boy-band era; attendees are encouraged to come and let loose on the dance floor, get nostalgic and enjoy an unforgettable era in pop music.
The night will be all about music and the power of the community to effect real change, raising money for mental health initiatives, specifically the Chamberlain Foundation.
Catch Fletch & Hindy at the Hellenic Club this Friday. Image: Hellenic Club.
An Evening with Fletch & Hindy
When: 14 August, 7 pm
Where: Olympus Room, Hellenic Club, Woden
Cost: Tickets $59 per person | Book online.
Fletch & Hindy – Live on Stage … if you’re a league fan, Fletch and Hindy need no introduction. You know ’em, you love ’em – and you’ve already got your tickets!
If you haven’t, you better be quick. A night with these legends is sure to sell out fast.
They’ll be live on stage, sharing their favourite moments on and off the field, along with topical chat about the current state of rugby league.
Saturday
A ceramic-centred festival to start the weekend. Photo: Visit Canberra.
Fired Up Winter Festival
When: 15 August, 3 pm to 8 pm
Where: Watson Arts Centre, 1 Aspinall Street, Watson
Cost: Tickets from $5 to $15 | Book online.
Immerse yourself in the world of ceramics and community as the Canberra Potters hold a mini-festival this winter. There will be live pottery-making and firing demonstrations by Canberra artists as well as opportunities to have a go on a wheel or create something by hand. Visitors will also get to shop at the ceramic artist markets in the Potters’ Gallery, chatting with resident artists about their pieces.
In addition to the pottery-related attractions, the night’s offering will include food, drinks and live entertainment, culminating in the spectacular opening of the wood-fired Petal Kiln.
An uplifting concert from Woden’s Youth Choir. Photo: Woden Valley Youth Choir.
Touch the Sky – Annual Woden Valley Youth Choir Concert
When: 15 August, 4:30 pm to 6:15 pm
Where: Wesley Uniting Church, 20-22 National Circuit, Forrest
Cost: Tickets from $22 | Book online.
This year’s Woden Valley Youth Choir Concert is all about music that looks up, with an uplifting program of songs drawing on folk traditions, contemporary choral works, and familiar stories reimagined through sound.
Touch the Sky is about bringing people together and connecting them in a community greater than the sum of its parts. The talented young artists of the Youth Choir will explore this uplifting theme.
Tuesday
Exciting revelations from Antarctica may just provide insight into how we got here. Photo: Visit Canberra.
Searching for Life Beyond Earth: Lessons from Antarctica
When: 18 August, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm
Where: National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula
Cost: Free | Book online.
Pioneering scientist and explorer Professor John Priscu is giving a fascinating talk at the National Museum about how biologically rich ecosystems beneath the polar ice are inspiring new ideas about the possibilities of life beyond Earth.
The inhospitability of the world beneath the ice is making scientists wonder whether life may be thriving beneath the surface ice of distant moons, including Jupiter’s Europa.
Recent discoveries may even have implications for the origin of life on Earth, providing context for the theory that life arrived on Earth on a meteor.
Thursday
Treat yourself to a long lunch at the Southern Cross Club this week. Photo: Canberra Southern Cross Club.
Ladies Day Luncheon August
When: 20 August at 12 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden, 92-96 Corinna St, Phillip
Cost: Tickets $40 per person | Book online.
Head to the Southern Cross Club in Woden for the Ladies Day Luncheon, offering a two-course lunch from midday and running into the early afternoon, with plenty of tea and coffee, as well as prizes and entertainment. So get the girls and head out this Thursday for a special long lunch at the Southern Cross Club.
Dr Joy McCann is presenting her Fellowship research at the National Library of Australia on 20 August. Photo: National Library of Australia.
Dr Isobel Bennett and the secrets of Australia’s seashores
When: 20 August, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Where: National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Canberra
Cost: Free | Registrations essential.
Dr Joy McCann presents her recent Fellowship research, focusing on Dr Isobel Bennett’s experiences as a trailblazing female scientist in the mid-20th century.
Dr Joy McCann has focused on Dr Isobel Bennett’s experiences and achievements within the context of Australia’s role in the international postwar expansion of ocean and marine sciences.
In recognition of the UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030) and as the international community marks 50 years of women in Antarctica in 2026, this project celebrates the progress made in shaping attitudes toward women’s participation in Australia’s marine and Antarctic research programs.
This research explores Dr Bennett’s scientific insights, and her motivations for dedicating her life to the study and conservation of our seashores.
Upcoming Events
- National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 – 22 August
- Making of a medieval manuscript: from cover to cover – 27 August
- Wines of Western Australia Dinner at Jamison – 28 August.
Submit your event here to be considered for our weekly What’s On guide.
