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What’s On in Canberra: June 2026
The only guide you need to what's on in Canberra this month and beyond.
June is when Canberra gets serious about winter â and honestly, it suits the city. The air is crisp, the skies are clear, and the kind of cold that sends everyone else inside has a way of making Canberra feel more itself. Rug up, lean in.
This month’s calendar is genuinely stacked. Whether you’re after free cultural experiences, a reason to finally explore the lake foreshore, a well-earned truffle dinner (season’s almost here), or a Saturday morning lost in markets stalls, May has something worth getting out of bed early for.
Here’s everything worth knowing about what’s on in Canberra this June.
Read on for our pick of things to do…
In This Guide
Editor’s Pick:
Christmas in July Is Back at Patrick White Lawns
The most magical ten nights of Sydney’s winter are back and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Christmas in July Festival returns to Patrick White Lawns, transforming the space into a glowing European-style Christmas village complete with snowfall, fairy lights, mulled wine bars, fondue, melted raclette and artisan market stalls. We’re especially excited for the firepit experience, which allows you to toast marshmallows over and open flame with your nearest and dearest.
So, pull out the ugly Christmas jumper, grab a hot chocolate and consider your winter sorted. Free entry, all ages, and exactly the excuse you needed to celebrate Christmas twice this year (not that we needed one).
Where: Patrick White Lawns
When: Wednesday 1 â Saturday 5 July 2026
Cost: Free entry (excludes paid experiences)
Best For: Families, Couples, Group catch-ups, Free events, Community events, Markets, Locals, Visitors, Kids
Savour an Afternoon Tea at Parliament House
Queen’s Terrace CafĂŠ inside Parliament House is serving up one of Canberra’s most unique high teas every Friday to Sunday from 11am. The menu leans into native Australian ingredients, including a crab sandwich with native lime kewpie and a fig and date wattleseed tea cake. It’s $70 with tea or coffee, or upgrade to a glass of sparkling for $80. After your high tea, make a day of it by exploring Parliament Houseâtake in the architecture and exhibitions, enjoy a stroll through the gardens, or deepen your understanding of Australiaâs democracy with a guided tour.
Bookings here.
Where: Queen’s Terrace CafĂŠ, Australian Parliament House, 1 Parliament Drive, Canberra
When: Friday to Sunday, from 11am (ongoing)
Cost: $70 per person with tea or coffee; $80 per person with a glass of sparkling
Best For: Food & drink lovers; Couples; Regional travel; Visitors; Premium experiences
Need To Know: After high tea, Parliament House is free to explore â guided tours of the building are also available for those wanting to learn more about Australia’s democracy.
Eat & Drink:
Canberra Truffle Season
Every June, Canberra becomes the most delicious city in Australia. The Truffle Festival runs from 1 June through 29 August across restaurants, cafĂŠs, bars, wineries and farms throughout the Canberra region, celebrating the harvest of the prized black PĂŠrigord truffle with degustation dinners, truffle hunts, cooking demonstrations, tastings and markets.
Book a truffle hunt at The Truffle Farm or Beltana Farm for the full paddock-to-plate experience, or simply work your way through the city’s restaurants while chefs make the most of the season’s haul. Either way, you’re winning.
Where: Various locations, Canberra region
When: 1 June â 29 August 2026
Cost: Varies depending on event/activity
Best For: Food & drink lovers, Wine lovers, Regional travel, Couples, Visitors
Need To Know: Truffle hunts available at The Truffle Farm and Beltana Farm. Restaurant, cafĂŠ, bar and winery events run throughout the season
Art, Culture & Performance
Experience Epic Country at the National Gallery
Thirty monumental paintings. Thirty windows into some of the most powerful cultural storytelling in the country. Ngura Pulka â Epic Country is now open at the National Gallery in Kamberri/Canberra, running until 23rd August, and itâs as epic as the name suggests. Led by senior First Nations artists and collectives from the APY Lands, the canvases pulse with colour, Tjukurpa and a deep connection to Country. Six brand new large-scale works make their public debut here too, which has been years in the making. This is a must-see.
Where: National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, Canberra ACT 2600
When: Until Saturday 23 August 2026
Cost: Free
Best For: Art lovers, Cultural experiences, Exhibitions, Families, Visitors, Locals
Need To Know: Features six brand new large-scale works making their public debut â allow extra time to take in the full scale of all 30 monumental paintings.
Outdoors & Active:
Walk the Shores of Lake Burley Griffin
If you do one thing in Canberra that costs absolutely nothing, make it a walk along Lake Burley Griffin. The 35km loop around the lake takes in some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks (including the National Carillon, the National Museum, the National Gallery and the Parliamentary Triangle), all framed by the kind of wide-open sky that makes you remember why Canberra is actually beautiful. You don’t need to do the whole thing; the foreshore between Acton and Kingston is the sweet spot, with great coffee stops, the Canberra Glassworks and the Old Bus Depot Markets nearby on Sundays. Best enjoyed in the crisp winter morning light with a takeaway flat white in hand.
Markets & Shopping:
Handmade Canberra Market
Canberra’s favourite design and food market is back for its June edition and it’s a big one. Over 260 stalls from Australia’s best artists, designers and producers fill the Exhibition Park pavilions with jewellery, art, textiles, clothing, homewares and a dedicated indoor food and wine pavilion that makes it very easy to stay longer than planned. Free to enter, easy to get to via light rail, and genuinely one of the best markets in the country. Go hungry.
Where: Exhibition Park
When: Saturday 13 â Sunday 14 June, 10amâ4pm
Cost: Free
Best For: Markets, Free events, Food & drink lovers, Families, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Accessible via light rail. Over 260 stalls across art, design, fashion, homewares and a dedicated indoor food and wine pavilion
Free Things to Do:
Australian War Memorial
Free to enter and genuinely one of Australia’s most important cultural sites, the Australian War Memorial is worth building an entire Canberra day around. Beyond the permanent galleries, the daily Last Post Ceremony at 4:55pm is a quietly moving experience that stops visitors in their tracks every single time.
Treloar Cres, Campbell ACT 2612
Whatâs On This Month in Canberra: FAQs
June in Canberra is anchored by the Christmas in July Festival at Patrick White Lawns (running from early July, so worth booking ahead now), the Handmade Canberra Market with over 260 stalls across art, design and food, and the Canberra Truffle Festival, which kicks off on 1 June and runs through August. The Ngura Pulka â Epic Country exhibition at the National Gallery is also unmissable this month.
The Canberra Truffle Festival is the headline act â running from 1 June through 29 August, it spans degustation dinners, truffle hunts, cooking demonstrations and markets across restaurants, cafĂŠs, bars, wineries and farms throughout the region. For a full paddock-to-plate experience, book a truffle hunt at The Truffle Farm or Beltana Farm.
Ngura Pulka â Epic Country at the National Gallery of Australia is the standout â thirty monumental paintings led by senior First Nations artists and collectives from the APY Lands, including six brand new large-scale works making their public debut. The Australian War Memorial is also free to enter and worth building a full day around, with the daily Last Post Ceremony at 4:55pm a quietly moving highlight.
A walk along Lake Burley Griffin costs nothing and takes in some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks, best enjoyed on a crisp winter morning with coffee in hand. The Australian War Memorial is free to enter, and the Handmade Canberra Market has free entry with easy light rail access. The Christmas in July Festival at Patrick White Lawns is also free for all ages.
Need more ideas on what to do in Canberra this month? Hereâs our guide to the best weekend activities in Canberra and, if youâre heading to Sydney for the weekend, here are our tops picks.
