Things to do in Canberra this week (18 - 24 September)

As warmer weather settles in, Canberra comes alive with plenty of exciting things to see and do. We’ve found all the best across a packed week and put it all in our event guide, featuring iconic staples of the Canberra calendar, live music across genres, sport, cultural days and exhibitions.

Tennis ACT is bringing Tennis Week to a court near you, offering free court hire with no catches across Canberra. So bring your racquet and make the jump into your next weekend hobby.

Floriade is in its second week, with an exciting program of live music, entertainment, great food and, of course, blooming flowers as far as the eye can see.

And it’s a big week for live music, with Latin American concerts exploring culture and connections, traditional Turkish instrumentals, tribute acts to the best bands of the 60s and more.

Read on for all this and so much more in the capital in the days to come.

Multiple Days

Floriade 2026

When: 18 September to 24 September
Where: Commonwealth Park, Canberra
Cost: Free.

Floriade enters week two!

This year’s theme is Feast of Flowers, celebrating the connection between the garden, the table and the broader community. More than one million flowers are blooming, with garden beds inspired by seasonal harvests.

As always, there will be a very exciting program, featuring entertainment, music, food, wine, market stalls, interactive exhibits, family-friendly activities, workshops and more.

Satellite events will also take place at the Lanyon Homestead, with local restaurants, cafes, bars, retailers, hotels and institutions participating through Floriade About Town.

ACT Play Tennis Week 2026

When: 19 September to 25 September
Where: Participating clubs around Canberra
Cost: One free 60-minute tennis court booking per person | Promo code TBA – check Tennis ACT for details.

For one week only, Tennis ACT is offering free court hire at participating clubs across Canberra and the surrounding region.

Whether you’re looking to get back on court, reconnect with friends, spend time with family, or simply enjoy some spring sunshine, Play Tennis Week is the perfect excuse to pick up a racquet and play.

No membership. No catch. Just free court hire and a great reason to hit the local with your mates.

RELICS: A New World Rises

When: 19 September to 24 September
Where: Canberra Museum and Gallery, Corner London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City
Cost: Tickets from $15 to $23 | More information online.

Part nostalgia trip, part immersive art experience, RELICS: A New World Rises transforms forgotten objects into extraordinary Lego worlds. Created by Lego Masters winners Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler.

A refrigerator becomes a cryogenic wellness resort. A Volkswagen Beetle powers an underground energy revolution. A grandfather clock becomes a time machine. Across more than 15 large-scale installations, tiny civilisations have adapted to the objects left behind by humanity, each one filled with hidden details, layered narratives and unexpected humour.

RELICS combines sculpture, design, storytelling and nostalgia into an experience unlike a traditional museum exhibition or typical Lego display. The deeper you look, the more you discover.

Set in an imagined future where humans have abandoned Earth, the exhibition playfully explores creativity, consumer culture, sustainability and the objects we leave behind.

Exhibition – Regional Rivalries: Sport, spectacle and community in regional Australia

When: 22 September to 24 September
Where: Treasures Gallery, National Library of Australia
Cost: Free | Find out more.

Lawn mower racing, rock climbing, dry river-bed boating, mountain biking, disc golf and pickleball are some of the unique and emerging sports played across Australia.

Regional Rivalries celebrates the diversity of Australian sporting culture through unique and unexpected competitions and events. With more than 10 million people living in regional and remote areas, sport and competitive events play an important role in bringing the community together.

Many of these events are specific to particular regional locations and are based on long-term traditions. Some are new and just gaining popularity. Others are creative takes on mainstream sports and events.

Between 2024 and 2026, the National Library of Australia commissioned the Regional Sport and Competitive Events Photography Project aiming to document sports and competitive events not already represented in the Library’s collections. This exhibition showcases highlights from this collection.

ACT Seniors and Better Ageing Expo

When: 23 and 24 September
Where: Old Bus Depot Building, Kingston
Cost: Free | Find out more.

Held at the Old Bus Depot Building in Kingston, the Expo promises to inform and entertain, with more than 150 exhibitors providing valuable information on products and services for seniors. This is a highly anticipated event you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re looking for aged care information, help in your home or you’re curious about Canberra’s retirement villages like Goodwin, you’ll find everything from legal and financial help to health and wellness activities, community organisations and social and hobby groups. This year’s Expo has something for everyone.

Enjoy local food vendors, coffee vans, interactive demonstrations, presentations and performances on the Community Stage.

Friday

Coexistence at Tuggeranong Arts Centre

When: 18 September, 7 pm to 9 pm
Where: Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North
Tickets: $40 to $45 | Book online.

Coexistence is a percussive feast for the eyes, ears and the curious mind. No action without reaction – Coexistence is a compelling showcase of contemporary percussion performance. Sound artists Alexander Meagher and Jesse Vivante present an expansive visual and sonic odyssey: arty, bold, and memorable.

Coexistence is a full-length double-bill concert. It features Meagher’s A Brilliant Seagull, a lush exploration of musical storytelling through traditional percussion practice, paired with Vivante’s Omni-Omni, an avant-garde journey with percussion, electronics, and movement.

Raices & Rhythms: Latin America in Australia – SONIDO

When: 18 September, 7 pm
Where: The Street, 15 Childers St, City West
Cost: Tickets from $35 to $40 | Book online.

Raíces & Rhythms: SONIDO blends Latin American music with storytelling for a unique concert this Friday.

SONIDO was founded in 1977 in Sydney by a generation of Latin American musicians who used music to keep their cultural connections. Now, almost 50 years later, the group’s music has transformed from its Andean and Chilean roots through a variety of genres including candombe, joropo, ranchera, Cuban son, Colombian cumbia, rock and jazz.

This concert shares stories of migration, culture and community, celebrating nearly five decades of music.

Saturday

Korea Day 2026 at the Korean Association of Canberra

When: 19 September, 11 am to 3 pm
Where: Glebe Park, Canberra
Cost: Free entry.

The Korean Association of Canberra is inviting you to experience the colours, flavours and sounds of Korea, with a great schedule of exciting events throughout Saturday.

Enjoy K-Pop music and dancing, traditional folk performances, Taekwondo demonstrations, cultural showcases, Korean games, plenty of street food and info on an ANU Korean Studies Program.

There will also be lucky raffle prizes, with the first prize being a return flight from Sydney to South Korea.

Muharrem Aslan Sounds of Anatolia – at Smith’s Alternative

When: 19 September, 4 pm to 6 pm
Where: Smith’s Alternative, McGregor Hall, 76 Alinga Street, Melbourne Building
Cost: Tickets from $25 to $30 | Book online.

Turkish Musician Muharrem Aslan presents Sounds of Anatolia, an exploration of a unique instrument, one of the world’s oldest long-necked lutes.

This concert will combine traditional melodies, original compositions and spontaneous creative sessions with intricate, rich rhythms.

Central to the performance is a technique Aslan developed called Fourtemolo, which lets two independent melodic lines be performed at the same time.

Creedence and Friends

When: 19 September, 8 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden, 92-96 Corinna Street, Phillip
Cost: Tickets $39.95 Show Only | $84.95 Dinner & Show | Book online.

Come on a musical adventure through the sights and sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty. Creedence and Friends takes you to places no other Creedence tribute show has gone, covering John Fogerty’s musical journey. The Creedence and Friends show chronicles the music of John Fogerty’s Clearwater Revival Band, and the driving force behind a successful solo career. Fogerty’s catchy melodies, dance-floor sound, and simple, down-to-earth lyrics proved a popular formula with fans across a wide range of tastes.

Sunday

AFLW Round 6: GWS Giants v Richmond Tigers

When: 20 September, 12:35 pm
Where: Corroboree Group Oval, Manuka
Cost: Tickets $5 | Book online.

The excitement is building towards the 2026 NAB AFLW Premiership Season, and this year, the GIANTS are celebrating their 11th season in the AFLW competition. With some exciting recruits and returning stars, the orange tsunami is as strong as ever. It’s the perfect time to get in on the action and ride the wave in 2026 as the GIANTS chase glory and their maiden premiership.

Upcoming Events

• Tilba Festival 2026 – 26 September
• School holiday activity: Connecting to Country through art – 30 September
• The Magical World of Crazy Science – 2 October.
• Archduke Trio – 11 October.

Submit your event here to be considered for our weekly What’s On guide.