6 February 2022

Enlighten's back! Brighter and bigger than ever!

| Lottie Twyford
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This year’s Enlighten will light up even more of the city than usual – and there will really be something for everyone. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Set to take place across 17 massive days from Friday, 4 March to Sunday, 20 March, the 2022 Enlighten Festival will feature something for everyone while celebrating all that is great about Canberra’s culture and creativity.

As usual, the illuminations will light up the city’s iconic architecture, hot air balloons will take to the skies in the early morning and there will be plenty of other events such as concerts, food and drink pop-ups, and many after-dark events.

For the first time, Enlighten Festival will spread its wings and expand across the lake to Civic where visitors will be able to experience a world premiere of Ephemeral, a major illuminated installation of giant ‘bubbles’ in Civic Square.

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An illuminated sculpture – Kin – will be installed in Garema Place and people will be able to see Mini Beasts in many locations around the Canberra Centre.

Other events to head along to include the Canberra Balloon Spectacular (12-20 March), Lights! Canberra! Action! (11 March), Symphony in the Park with acclaimed singer-songwriter Lior (13 March), and Canberra Day (14 March).

Beloved by Canberrans young and old, the illuminations will light up Parliament House, the National Library of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, Questacon, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.

Located in the National Triangle, the festival hub will feature the ever-popular BentSpoke Beer Garden, offering a place to meet, gather, eat and enjoy live music from 4 to 14 March.

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The Night Noodle Markets will also return from 4 to 6 March, and for the first time, The Forage will offer an amazing array of food and drink options from 11 to 14 March.

It’s hoped this year’s noodle markets will be a revolutionary experience, with queues made a thing of the past thanks to a collaboration with Mr Yum mobile ordering.

Guests will now have the option to scan a QR code to view, order and pay for items on their phone, with an SMS sent as soon as orders are ready for pick up.

In the past, the Night Noodle Markets have been difficult to navigate due to long queues for food and drinks.

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Van Gogh Alive, the most-visited multi-sensory experience in the world, will also run for the duration of the festival at the hub. Tickets will be sold separately.

On Enlighten’s opening weekend, Canberra’s new urban street art event – the Surface Festival – will take place, while local businesses and major attractions will open their doors to host an array of exclusive after-dark events as part of the Canberra After Dark program.

Tickets for these events will go on sale later this month.

On Monday, 14 March, Canberra Day will bring Commonwealth Park to life with a showcase of local multicultural community activities with fabulous food, beverages, and performances from around the globe.

All events will run in accordance with COVID-19 safety and anyone planning to attend is asked not to do so if they feel unwell.

For more information and the full Enlighten Festival 2022 program visit www.enlightencanberra.com.

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Capital Retro8:45 am 07 Feb 22

Where is the 100% renewable electricity coming from to power up the projectors?

Last time I went to one of these displays they had massive stand-alone diesel powered generators doing the job.

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