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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:
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.
Eat & Drink:
Berry’s Famous Donuts Are Popping up at Floriade
A little slice of Berry is making its way to Canberra this spring, with the Famous Berry Donut Van rolling into Floriade from September 12 to October 11. Expect its signature hot cinnamon donuts, plus Nutella donuts, coffee, hotdogs, smoothies and milkshakes, all served alongside more than one million blooms at Commonwealth Park. Basically, the perfect excuse to make a beeline for Floriade with a donut in hand.
Where: Commonwealth Park, Canberra ACT (within Floriade grounds)
When: Thursday 11 September – Monday 12 October 2026, daily 9:30am–5:30pm
Cost: Free entry to Floriade. Food and drinks available for purchase.
Best For: Families; Kids; Food lovers; Community events; Regional travel
Need to Know: The iconic South Coast donut van — operating since 1974 — is serving freshly cooked hot cinnamon donuts, Nutella-filled donuts, hot dogs, smoothies, milkshakes and coffee. No separate ticket required beyond Floriade general admission.
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.
Bookworms, Clear Your October Calendar
Bookworms, October is looking busy. The Canberra Writers Festival is back for its 10th anniversary from October 15–18, bringing 200 authors, journalists, thinkers, comedians and illustrators to venues across the city for four days of talks, debates, workshops and plenty of book chat. This year’s program spans everything from politics and current affairs to crime, sci-fi, memoir and kids’ events, with Judith Lucy, Michael Robotham, Pip Williams, Waleed Aly, Andy Griffiths and Susan Orlean among the names on the bill. There’s a whole lot to get through, so you may want to start making your shortlist now!
Where: Various venues across Canberra, including the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD), 18 King George Terrace, Parkes ACT and the National Library of Australia. Full venue list at canberrawritersfestival.com.au.
When: Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 October 2026
Cost: Varies
Best For: Cultural experiences; Art lovers; Locals; Visitors; Families; Kids
Need to Know: 10th anniversary edition featuring 200+ writers, thinkers and creators across 100+ events. Program spans politics, memoir, crime, sci-fi, food, kids and YA. Highlights include Judith Lucy, Michael Robotham, Pip Williams, Waleed Aly, Andy Griffiths and Susan Orlean. Check canberrawritersfestival.com.au for the full program and to book sessions.
Outdoors & Active:
Celebrate Spring at Floriade
Canberra’s annual spring glow-up is back, with Commonwealth Park set to burst into colour for 30 days. Floriade brings more than a million flowers into bloom, with sprawling displays of tulips and annuals creating plenty of reason to make the trip (and plenty of very pretty photo opportunities while you’re there).
It’s not just a wander through the flowers either. Expect live music, food and wine, market stalls, gardening workshops and family-friendly activities throughout the festival, while NightFest turns the park into an after-dark floral playground with illuminated displays and live entertainment. Best of all, daytime entry is free, so you can pop in for a stroll, grab something to eat and make an afternoon of it.
Where: Commonwealth Park, Canberra ACT
When: Saturday 12 September – Sunday 11 October 2026. Daily gate hours 9:30am–5:30pm (last entry 5pm). NightFest hours to be confirmed by editor.
Cost: Free general admission. NightFest is ticketed and some workshops may require bookings.
Best For: Families; Couples; Regional travel; Outdoor enthusiasts; Community events; Visitors
Need to Know: 39th annual festival themed “Feast of Flowers,” featuring over one million spring blooms. Includes live music, food and wine markets, gardening workshops and family activities throughout the run. NightFest transforms the park after dark with illuminated displays and live entertainment.
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. 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 19 – Sunday 20 September, 10am–4pm
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.
