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What’s On in Canberra: October 2026
The only guide you need to what's on in Canberra this month and beyond.
October is when Canberra really wakes up. The days are longer, the gardens are showing off, and there’s finally enough warmth in the air to linger outside without reaching for three layers. Spring has well and truly arrived — and the city is making the most of it.
This month’s calendar is looking very good. Think flower-filled days at Floriade, long lunches, free cultural hits, Saturday mornings spent wandering markets, and plenty of reasons to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.
Here’s everything worth knowing about what’s on in Canberra this October.
Read on for our pick of things to do…
In This Guide
Editor’s Picks:
Sausage Dogs Are Taking Over This Canberra Winery
Clear your Sunday plans, sausage dog people. Wienerpalooza is back, bringing a whole lot of dachshund-related chaos to a Murrumbateman winery. Expect sausage dog races, dress-up competitions and a best trick contest, with wine, handmade chocolates and a sausage sizzle for the humans. Even better, $5 from every ticket goes to ACT Rescue and Foster, so there’s a feel-good reason to join the fun.
Where: Dionysus Winery, 1 Patemans Lane, Murrumbateman NSW
When: Sunday 25 October 2026, from 11am
Cost: Adult $26 (includes entry, glass of wine or soft drink, and handmade chocolates). Child $18 (includes entry, soft drink or juice, and three chocolates). $5 from every ticket donated to ACT Rescue and Foster.
Best For: Families; Dog lovers; Community events; Regional travel; Outdoor enthusiasts
Need to Know: Dachshund races, dress-up competition and best trick contest on the day. Sausage sizzle available for purchase. All breeds welcome to attend
A Beloved Country Bakery Is Back With Pizza Nights
The secret to a very good Friday night? Fresh-fired sourdough pizza, straight from one of the region’s favourite bakeries. Little Sutton Bakehouse is bringing back its popular pizza nights, with the first landing in Sutton this Friday, followed by its Deakin outpost the week after. Expect a relaxed evening of seriously good pizza, but don’t leave booking until the last minute because these nights are known to fill up fast!
Where: Little Sutton Bakehouse, Shop 5, Hopetoun Circuit, Deakin ACT and Little Sutton Bakehouse, 1 Victoria Street, Sutton NSW 2620
When: Friday 30 October 2026, 5pm–9pm
Cost: Pricing to be confirmed by editor
Best For: Food lovers; Food & drink lovers; Group catch-ups; Locals; Midweek plans
Need to Know: Bookings essential. Email hello@littlesutton.com.au to secure a spot. These nights sell out fast.
Eat & Drink:
Savour an Afternoon Tea at Parliament House
Queen’s Terrace Café 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 House—take in the architecture and exhibitions, enjoy a stroll through the gardens, or deepen your understanding of Australia’s democracy with a guided tour.
Bookings here.
Where: Queen’s Terrace Café, 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 — guided tours of the building are also available for those wanting to learn more about Australia’s democracy.
Art, Culture & Performance
Walk Through Canberra’s Biggest Open-Air Gallery
Canberra is getting a colourful creative makeover this spring. The Canberra Art Biennial is back for its sixth edition, taking contemporary art out of the gallery and into the city, with more than 50 Australian and international artists popping up across 20 sites from the Botanic Gardens to car parks, galleries and public spaces. Running until October 31, it’s a very good excuse to spend a day wandering Canberra with a little more curiosity and plenty of art to stumble across along the way.
Where: Various public spaces, galleries and institutions across Canberra (including Reconciliation Place, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Hyatt Hotel Canberra, ANU School of Cybernetics and Canberra Contemporary).
When: Friday 11 September – Friday 31 October 2026
Cost: Free admission across all public venues and exhibitions
Best For: Art lovers; Cultural experiences; Free events; Visitors; Locals; Regional travel
Need to Know: 6th edition featuring 50+ Australian and international artists across 20+ venues. Highlights include Archie Moore’s large-scale installation at Reconciliation Place, sculptural commissions at the Australian National Botanic Gardens and a giant inflatable crab on the roof of Canberra House. Allow multiple visits to cover the full trail across the seven-week run.
Your Inner Child Will Love This Exhibition
What if your fridge was actually a cryogenic health resort? Or your old typewriter was running a newspaper empire? That’s the wonderfully weird premise behind RELICS: A New World Rises, a LEGO exhibition at the Australian Museum in Canberra featuring 14 intricate displays, a hidden scavenger hunt and an interactive build zone where you can create your own futuristic masterpiece. Tickets here.
Where: Canberra Museum + Gallery, 176 London Circuit, Canberra ACT
When: Saturday 19 September 2026 – Sunday 31 January 2027, daily 10am–4pm
Cost: Adult $23; Child $15; Family $70; Student/Concession/Member $19
Best For: Families; Kids; Cultural experiences; Art lovers; Visitors; Regional travel
Need to Know: Created by LEGO® Masters winners Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler. 15+ large-scale installations with miniature worlds built from LEGO® bricks. On-site cafe, gift shop, lockers and parents room available.
Zoë Foster Blake’s Live Show Will Be One Big Girl Hang
Your group chat is going IRL. Zoë Foster Blake is taking her new novel, Group Chat, on the road with a live theatrical book launch celebrating the chaos, comedy and magic of female friendship. Expect candid conversations, special guests, book signings, photo opportunities and plenty of freebies, with the national tour stopping in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra and Brisbane throughout October and November.
Purchase tickets here.
Where: Canberra Theatre
When: November 11th 2026
Cost: From $80
Best For: Girls’ nights, Group catch-ups, Locals
Need to Know: Live theatrical book-launch event celebrating Zoë Foster Blake’s new novel, Group Chat, with special guests, book signings and photo opportunities.
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 September edition and it’s a big one. At Handmade Canberra Market, you can explore 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: November 29-29th 2026
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
What’s 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 — Epic Country exhibition at the National Gallery is also unmissable this month.
The Canberra Truffle Festival is the headline act — running from 1 June through 29 August, it spans degustation dinners, truffle hunts, cooking demonstrations and markets across restaurants, cafés, 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 — Epic Country at the National Gallery of Australia is the standout — 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? Here’s our guide to the best weekend activities in Canberra and, if you’re heading to Sydney for the weekend, here are our tops picks.
