It is a positive sign when the most frequent word in an event guide is “festival”. This means music, dancing, and fun for everyone is back on the agenda.
The National Folk Festival is back this month with its amazing variety of folk-inspired activities and the city will be filled with visitors, from Pixar characters playing golf to hip hop dancers competing for respect – and people challenging themselves on Australia’s largest inflatable obstacle course.
Keep an eye out for updates on these activities by checking the official sources for the latest details.
Wakeboarding National Championships
When: Tuesday 5 April to Saturday 9 April
Where: Molonglo River – ACT Waterski & Wakeboard Association
Cost: Free
ACT Wakeboard has just announced that the Wakeboard National Titles 2022 is going to be held on our very own Molonglo River. This sport’s “best of the best” from across the country will descend on the capital for three days of competition, including music, food and a beautiful riverside location for audiences. Check out their Facebook page for the full program and to learn more about the competition schedule.
Pixar Putt
When: Friday 8 April to Sunday 1 May, from 10 am to 3 pm. Adult sessions: Thursday to Saturday nights from 7 pm to 10 pm.
Where: Civic Square
Cost: $30/40. Get your tickets here.
Open seven days a week, Australia’s popular open-air mini golf is in Civic Square. Made up of interactive putt putt holes inspired by the stories, characters, and icons from some of Pixar’s most beloved films including Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Soul, The Incredibles, Onward, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E, Inside Out, Luca and more, the course is fun for all ages. Book a tee-off time and enjoy this new attraction with your kids.
Tuff Nutterz Canberra – Australia’s largest inflatable obstacle course
When: Saturday 9 April to 25 April, from 9 am to 5 pm
Where: Parkes Place Laws – King Edward Terrace
Cost: $25 /$30. Get your tickets here
Measuring almost 300 square metres, this supersize inflatable maze is packed with 30 fun and challenging obstacles to complete, including huge slides, climbing walls, hanging rails, balance balls and more! Sure to wear out even the most energetic child or the young-at-heart.
ACT Heritage Festival
When: 9 April to 1 May
Where: Multiple locations. Visit this website for more information.
Cost: Free
Challenge your perspective on the distinctive heritage of Canberra, with a range of diverse events all over the ACT. The theme of this year’s Heritage Festival is “Curiosity”. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from Ngunnawal and other Aboriginal people about their deep connections to the land with events like the Molonglo Shores Aboriginal Campsite Yarn. Discover the industries of early colonists and innovators in the fields of planning, engineering and architecture. Visitors will also have the chance to see the heritage of science and innovation of our region, as well as the collections of our museums, galleries and science centres.
Greek Cultural Festival : The Agora
When: Saturday 9 April, 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
Where: National Museum of Australia
Cost: Free. Get your tickets here
The Agora continues — bringing the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Greece to the National Museum. More than a market, the agora was the centre of athletic, social, spiritual and political life in Ancient Greece. Taste delicious food, browse market stalls, or sit back and take in music and dance, including a performance by the Australian Hellenic Choir.
Torch Fest Canberra
When: Saturday 9 April, 12 pm
Where: Kambri Precinct, ANU
Cost: $48. Get your tickets here
Torch Fest is a first-of-its-kind music festival, shining a light on mental health. The name comes from the notion that everyone has a torch song; the light that gets you through. All performers on the day perform their Torch Song as part of their full set. Alongside the incredible music you can enjoy wellbeing activities including art therapy, mindfulness sessions, games and a whole host more.
Dance Performance: Connecting Stories: Innovations
When: Daily from Saturday 9 April until Sunday 10 April, 11:30 to 11:40 am, 12:15 to 12:25 pm, 1 to 1:10 pm and 1:45 to 1:55 pm
Where: National Portrait Gallery
Cost: Free
The National Portrait Gallery presents free performances throughout its Shakespeare to Winehouse exhibition. Local and visiting dancers offer a physical and ephemeral experience of NPG and the theme of this prolific exhibition, inviting you to think and feel about the importance of people – those figures in our world and across time that have moulded it, and the amazing ways they have been captured by artists.
Canberra Street Dance Festival
When: Saturday 9 April, 11 am to 7 pm
Where: Garema place
Cost: Free
A community festival celebrating dance, DJing, MCing, and graffiti – four of the main elements of Hip Hop culture. The Hip Hop movement is so much more than dance crazes, and its activists want to share its rich history with the Canberra community. Wander into Garema Place for a two-day festival of popping, locking, and other dance battles, stalls, workshops, and parties.
National Folk Festival
When: Thursday 14 April to Monday 18 April
Where: EPIC
Cost: Season adult $380. Season concession $300. Children under 12 free. Get your tickets here
This is a highlight of Canberra’s events calendar. Started as the Port Phillip District Folk Music Festival, the first National Folk Festival was held in 1967 at the Teachers College, Melbourne University, and was relatively modest. It has come a long way since then. As well as world-leading music, this year’s program will include improvised sessions, balls and dance demonstrations, storytelling and poetry, a village square marketplace, workshops on music, wordsmithing, sustainability, a poets’ brunch, choirs, busking, art installations, circus and a variety of programming for children.
Sunset Festival 2022
When: Thursday 14 April, 3 pm to 6 pm
Where: Woden Skate Park, Eddison Park Woden
Cost: Free. For more information visit the event page.
Celebrating National Youth Week 2022, the Sunset Festival is a free community event for all youth in Canberra. Boasting a range of fun activities including a local DJ, pizza and hotdogs, an inflatable bungie run and bull riding machine, there will be something fun for all ages.