Things to do in Canberra this week (15 – 21 August)

There’s a lot to get excited about in Canberra this week – and we’ve got the receipts to prove it!

Canberra’s Cypher Brewing Company celebrates dark beer across a three-day festival, inviting the public to enjoy some of their brews over the weekend.

One-off talent Claire Edwardes comes to the Tuggeranong Arts Centre to show off her incredible percussive skills in a very special show.

On Saturday, the AFLW Giants take to the field and take on the Bombers in an evening contest with kids’ entertainment on the side.

All this and much more, across the capital this week.

Multiple Days

The Chosen Vessel at the Street Theatre

When: Performances daily from 15 August to 21 August
Where: The Street Theatre, 15 Childers St, Canberra
Cost: Tickets from $42 to $52 | Book online.

From award-winning Palawa playwright Dylan Van Berg, The Chosen Vessel tells the Australian Gothic tale of an Indigenous mother living in the bush. Though she’s surrounded by the country she loves, she has no idea how she came to be there. One day, a swagman arrives, seeking food and water, and she begins to see the realisation of fears about white ghosts coming to occupy the land.

Chaos Realm Volume II – Dark Beer Festival

When: 15 August, 16 August and 17 August
Where: Cypher Brewing Co, Unit 3/35 Hinder St, Gungahlin
Cost: General admission free | Passport $65 | Book online.

Celebrate the darkest, murkiest, most delicious beer at the Cypher Brewing Company, over a three-day festival all about dark beer. Canberra’s own Cypher Brewing is offering a special passport, providing access to 10 dark beers from eight breweries. There’ll be a beer garden to sit and enjoy them too, inviting the crowd to soak up the winter sun and savour the taste of dark brews.

Friday

Truffle degustation dinner at Parliament House

When: 15 August, 6 pm to 10 pm
Where: Members and Guests Dining Room, Parliament House
Cost: Dinner only $190 | Dinner with wine pairing $240 | Book online.

A six-course truffle dinner awaits at Parliament House, inviting guests into Canberra’s political heart to enjoy truffle season. Enjoy the rich, earthy flavours of truffles from Macenmist Black Truffles infused into a curated menu by executive chef David Learnmonth. Each course is a blend of uniquely Australian ingredients and the international symbol of luxury that is the black truffle.

If you’re looking for the next level, the wine pairing fits each dish with a perfect counterpart of Hunter Valley wine, combining Australian food and wine culture.

Taste of Mediterranean at Canberra Southern Cross Club, Jamison

When: 15 August, 6:30 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club Jamison, Cnr Catchpole & Bowman St, Macquarie
Cost: $75 per person, matched wines available for $40. Tickets available via Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Prepare for a night of international cuisine at the Canberra Southern Cross Club as they take you on a tour around the Mediterranean. This four-course dinner takes you from the Nile Delta to the shores of Spain and Italy, all the way to the high hills of Lebanon.

Transport yourself somewhere warmer this Friday at the Southern Cross Club, with the tastes, aromas and textures of the Mediterranean.

Saturday

Claire Edwardes at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre

When: 16 August, concert 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, afternoon tea from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Where: Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed St N, Greenway
Cost: Tickets from $28.90 to $32.90 | Book online.

Percussionist and musical virtuoso Claire Edwardes inspires audiences with her solo program showcasing a one-of-a-kind command of the vibraphone, waterphone and marimba. Her performance will include Bach to Australian composers, creating Joyful Melodies.

A celebrated performer, Edwardes is the only Australian to win the APRA Art Music Luminary Award four times and her OAM recognises her contribution to Australian music. Her skill in her chosen field of music is matched only by her on-stage enthusiasm for bringing new music to her audience.

AFLW – Giants v Essendon Bombers

When: 16 August, 5:35 pm to 8:35 pm
Where: Corroboree Group Oval, Manuka
Cost: Tickets are $15 | Book online.

The AFLW comes back to Canberra for season 10 as the Giants take on the Bombers in a Saturday evening game at Corroboree Group Oval. Fun for the whole family, this Saturday’s game’s fan zone will feature giveaways, face painting and inflatables.

Hottest Hot August Night – Hits of Diamond & Olivia Newton-John

When: 16 August, 7 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra
Cost: $79.90 to 99.90, plus transaction fee. Tickets available from Canberra Theatre Centre.

The premiere performance of this fantastic show sold out in Melbourne weeks before it opened. – and no wonder.

Hot August Night is one of the biggest concert events and albums in music history (it sat atop the ARIA chart for 29 weeks), and this tribute is the best there is – honouring the legend of Neil Diamond and the memory of the late (equally great) Olivia Newton-John.

This is a night of pure magic that will have audiences singing and dancing from start to finish, even the ‘tree people’ down the back (IYKYK).

Sunday

Young Rangers Program – Bushtucker Walk and Hut Building

When: 17 August, 10 am to 12 pm
Where: Jerrabomberra Wetlands office, 2 Dairy Road, Fyshwick
Cost: Tickets are $20.65 | Book online.

Young explorers and outdoorsy kids will love this week’s young ranger program, which invites kids out to the Jerrabombera Wetlands to gain a greater understanding of land and culture through practical bush plant and traditional hut building with Richie Allan, the director of the Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

It’s a great way to get out and about in the sun while also learning about Indigenous culture and the land.

Please bring a hat, closed shoes, long pants, warm clothes, a snack and a water bottle.

Jamala Open Day Tours 2025

When: 17 August, three 50min tours running each on the hour from 1 pm to 3 pm
Where: Jamala Wildlife Lodge, National Zoo & Aquarium, Scrivener Dam, Yarralumla
Cost: $15 per person / $10 per adult and $5 per child for National Zoo & Aquarium Members. Bookings essential via National Zoo and Aquarium.

Ever wondered what it’s like to stay at Australia’s most luxurious wildlife lodge? Don’t miss this rare opportunity to step behind the scenes at Jamala Wildlife Lodge during the zoo’s exclusive Open Days.

Join a guided tour through the spectacular Jamala Wildlife Lodge, including two stunning uShaka lodge suites, a Giraffe Treehouse and a Jungle Bungalow, and preview the award-winning Cave Restaurant. Hear firsthand what makes a stay at Jamala a genuinely unforgettable experience.

Bring your questions, meet the team, and discover how close you can get to some of the world’s most exotic animals – all from the comfort of five-star luxury.

ARC presents Pink Floyd

When: 17 August, 7:30 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra
Cost: $81.85 to 123.30, plus transaction fee. Tickets available from Canberra Theatre Centre.

Supergroup Australian Rock Collective (ARC) have announced a new tour, performing Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon in theatres and concert halls across the country this August.

Comprised of four living legends in Australian rock music – Kram (Spiderbait), Darren Middleton (Powderfinger), Mark Wilson (Jet) and Davey Lane (You Am I) – ARC bring the rabid enthusiasm of friends who grew up as diehard rock music fans combined with the legacy, skills and experience of musicians who have directly contributed to it.

With a combined 33 ARIA Awards and 16 Top Ten ARIA albums among them, ARC is a true supergroup – this is a performance you’ll hate to miss.

Upcoming events

• New NFSA Installation Inferno by Mikaela Stafford – 22 August
• Bell Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet – 29 August to 7 September.

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