Things to do in Canberra this week (21 - 27 August)

Canberra is nice and busy this week, with special film screenings, plant giveaways, footy, science events for kids, exhibition openings, dance festivals, and so much more. Check out all the best in our weekly guide.

Sixth Position hosts Dance Canberra, bringing dancers from interstate to teach classes open to all levels in just about every style of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz, Broadway jazz, lyrical, commercial and so much more.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 closes at the National Portrait Gallery this week, celebrating Aussie photographers’ talent in capturing the human form. Don’t miss out on the final days this week.

All this and much more in the capital this week.

Multiple Days

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026

When: 22 August to 27 August
Where: National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Cost: Free entry.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 marks the end of one of the Gallery’s longest-running exhibitions.

Since 2007, the prize has celebrated the vitality and diversity of contemporary portrait photography from across the nation. From the joyful and playful to the strong, intimate and vulnerable, it has showcased the stories, people and moments that mattered.

To celebrate the remarkable photography and thank the community of artists, supporters and visitors who have cherished this prize over the years, the Gallery will present a curated retrospective exhibition alongside the 2026 finalists’ exhibition.

This Week at the NFSA

When: 22 August to 27 August
Where: NFSA, 1 McCoy Circuit, Acton
Cost: Tickets $18 Full | $15 Concession (+ $1.50 booking fee) | Book online.

The NFSA is bringing a great schedule of movies this week, with a focus on sci-fi and high-concept imagination.

In Andrei Tarkovsky’s seminal science fiction film Solaris, psychologist Kris Kelvin is sent to a failing space station, where the crew reports a sentient ocean on the surface of a planet which manifests all-too-real memories drawn from the guilt of unfortunate space-fairers.

Sunday’s event is a special screening of the Australian classic The Dish, in which Australian scientists working in rural NSW help relay information about the first moon landing to the world at large. This screening includes a post-screening Q&A with radio astronomer Mark Price, who worked at the Parkes Radio Telescope during the Apollo 11 moon landing.

And on Thursday, head to the NFSA for more sci-fi with Event Horizon, a space thriller starring the late Sam Neill in which a rescue crew investigates what they believe to be a life-support vessel, before finding something still lives on board.

Dance Canberra 2026

When: 22 August and 23 August, various times
Where: 6th Position, Level 1, 54 Northbourne Ave, Canberra
Cost: Tickets from $60 | Book online.

Dance Canberra is a two-day festival celebrating all things dance, with a great lineup of local and interstate talent coming to 6th Position’s Northbourne studio. Visiting dancers include Stephen Tannos, JW Murray, Matthew & Annelies Bindley, Demi Jenkins, Dylan Bull, Jasmin Durham and Halimah Kyrgios.

There are plenty of classes across a wide variety of dance disciplines, including ballet, tap, jazz, Broadway jazz, lyrical, commercial, and so much more.

While these classes are open to dancers of all experience levels, they are intended for those over the age of 16.

Friday

Exhibitions Opening at Tuggeranong Arts Centre

When: 21 August, 6 pm
Where: Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street North
Cost: Free, all welcome.

Join the artists at the official opening of three new exhibitions at Tuggeranong Arts Centre: Weaving the Coast, Toxix and Chaos and Order. Have a glass of wine with the artists, their friends and people from Canberra’s local arts scene. Hear from guest speakers and enjoy the celebratory atmosphere as you browse the artwork in three new exhibitions. Official speeches and drinks from 6 pm on Friday 21 August. Free, all welcome.

Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos

When: 21 August, 6 pm
Where: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Cost: Tickets from $40 to $70 | Book online.

Let’s not sugarcoat it – this hasn’t been a great year for the Raiders, but it’ll be hard to find a seat at GIO this Friday. Why? Because it’s Papa’s House, for one night only, to celebrate the extraordinary career of Josh Papali’i. So let’s give the Big Fella the farewell he deserves!

The Green Machine will be taking on the Broncos – and it hasn’t been a great year for last year’s premiers either (and that’s putting it mildly!) After a humiliating 2026, they’ll be eager to rack up a win to avoid swapping a premiership trophy for a wooden spoon. Can they do it? Get out to Papa’s House and see it live!

St Hugo Wine Dinner at the Yacht Club

When: 21 August, 6:30 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club, Lotus Bay, 1 Mariner Place, Yarralumla
Cost: $120 Members | $145 Non-Members | Book online.

An evening of exceptional wine and food, right on the lake. Executive Chef Trung Pham has crafted a four-course menu around a curated selection of St Hugo wines, pairing the bold, elegant character of the Barossa with a menu built to match.

It’s a night to slow down, savour and drink well.

Saturday

AFP x Questacon for National Science Week 2026

When: 22 August, 9 am to 5 pm
Where: Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre, King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Cost: Free with general admission ticket or Questacon membership.

Celebrate National Science Week at Questacon with the AFP, as they inspire kids with the amazing ways police use science to solve crimes. Curious kids will try fingerprint matching, explore forensic science, uncover hidden messages and solve geospatial challenges. Young cops-for-a-day will even receive a Junior Scientist Report Card, collecting stamps as they finish activities around Questacon.

They’ll even get to check out a real police car and motorbike up close. Whether your kid is interested in science or law enforcement, Questacon, in partnership with the AFP, is here to show them the ropes.

Spilt Wine

When: 22 August from 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Farrah’s Liquor Collective, Shop 1/8 Townsville Street, Fyshwick
Cost: 20% off members only | Find out more.

Welcome to Spilt Wine – Farrah’s one-day wine festival where the stars aren’t musicians … they’re bottles! From bold Barossa reds to crisp summer whites, they’ve assembled a lineup of incredible wines from some of Australia’s most exciting producers. For one day only, you can discover them all.

Head in-store on 22 August to try any wine you like, on the house.

Bin Chicken Drag Bingo

When: 22 August from 7 pm
Where: Olympus Room, Hellenic Club, Woden
Cost: $30.

Get ready for a night of absolute chaos, questionable decisions, and bogan energy — this is Bin Chicken Bingo, where the numbers are loose, the vibes are cooked, and the queens are as wild as a late-night servo run.

Forget everything you know about bingo … the Hellenic Club has taken it, thrown it in a wheelie bin, and lit it on fire.

Tuesday

Australian Academy of Science – Bright Minds Bold Voices

When: 25 August from 5:30 pm
Where: The Shine Dome, Canberra, and online livestream
Cost: Tickets from $17 to $22 | Book online.

Discover the science behind why we eat the way we do, and how the invisible forces of messaging influence our wellbeing and the choices we make every day.

In conversation with ABC Canberra’s Lish Fejer, join cook, broadcaster and MasterChef winner Adam Liaw, and food and nutrition scientist Dr Emma Beckett.

Adam Liaw is a cook, writer and broadcaster who has been bringing his passion for food and nutrition to a global audience since his MasterChef Australia victory in 2010. With a Bachelor of Science, nine cookbooks and countless television programs under his belt, Adam’s life is dedicated to promoting good nutrition.

Dr Emma Beckett is “the Ms Frizzle of food and nutrition science”. A senior lecturer at Australian Catholic University, she dedicates a great deal of time to sharing no-nonsense nutrition information and breaking down misinformation and marketing hype.

Wednesday

Free Plant Giveaway from the City Renewal Authority

When: 26 August, 11:30 am to 1 pm
Where: Latin American Plaza, 38 Childers Street
Cost: Free.

The City Renewal Authority is hosting its plant giveaway. Every six weeks, the authority refreshes the city’s public spaces and plants with new flowers to beautify the city. After this replanting, they give away 600 plants to members of the public for their own use in their gardens.

So if you want to refresh your own garden for free, head to Haig Park for a great range of plants, including Copper Tops, Dwarf Glossy Abelia, Coastal Rosemary, Japanese Box hedge and more.

Thursday

Making of a Medieval Manuscript: From Cover to Cover

When: 27 August, 6 pm to 7 pm
Where: National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Canberra
Cost: Free | Book now.

Discover how one of the National Library of Australia’s treasures – a magnificent 15th-century Book of Hours from the Southern Netherlands – was created by hand.

Through this remarkable manuscript, Gemma Black reveals the craft of the medieval scriptorium, exploring the tools, materials and techniques that transformed parchment and vellum into works of enduring beauty.

Learn how pigments were mixed using everyday ingredients such as egg, how pages were ruled and written with extraordinary precision, how gatherings were sewn into robust bindings, and why these precious books have survived for almost six centuries. This is a fascinating glimpse into the artistry, ingenuity and craftsmanship behind one of the Middle Ages’ greatest achievements.

This public lecture is sponsored by the Friends of the National Library of Australia.

Upcoming Events

• Wines of Western Australia Dinner at Jamison – 28 August
• Citizen Kane (35mm) at the NFSA – 30 August
• Father’s Day at Tuggeranong – 6 September.

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