Canberra Moon Festival

When: 6 – 8 September 2024
Where: City Walk and Petrie Plaza
Entry: Free

Community event

Canberra Moon Festival (CMF) is the first multi-Asian cultural festival in Canberra and was started as a passion project by a group of volunteers in 2016. Since then, it has grown into a spectacular setting for multi-cultural exchange in the form of food, art and performance. The organisers are back this year with a program bigger than ever, ready to showcase everything the Canberra community has to offer!

Three days, non-stop entertainment

Whether you’re eager to try some delicious dishes, take part in traditional arts and craft, or catch some intriguing performances, there will be something at CMF for you and your crew to explore together. While the official program hasn’t been released yet, the organisers have hinted that DJ sets and professional gigs will make this year’s lineup. Previous years have seen everything from takoyaki stalls to a Korean arrow throwing game called Tuho. You can stay up-to-date with the event here or on socials as the program is released.

Getting to Canberra Moon Festival

CMF is in the heart of the city—a good meeting point is the iconic Canberra Carousel just outside of David Jones. If you’re coming from the UC campus, bus routes two, three and four depart regularly from College Street and should have you there in 25 minutes.

Floriade

When: 14 September – 13 October

Where: Commonwealth Park

Entry: Free, tickets on sale now for NightFest

Canberra in full bloom

Floriade returns for its 37th year with the theme Art in Bloom. Known as "Australia's Celebration of Spring" and the country’s biggest flower festival, it’s the perfect way to welcome in the warmer months.

With over one million bulbs planted and 13 gardens to explore, this festival is set to inspire. This year the organisers have expanded beyond Commonwealth Park, setting up a Tulip Trail that weaves its way through Canberra’s suburbs and town centres. If you’re new to the area, this may be the perfect opportunity to follow the trail and see what else is happening around the city. If you’re keen to get behind the scenes, you may even want to take a pal and volunteer, or fly solo and see new friendships blossom!

This year, Floriade will be running a Sensory Hour from 9.30am to 10.30am on weekdays (excluding public holidays) to create a more inclusive environment for those with sensory processing challenges. You can find more details on Floriade’s accessibility plan here.

Canberra under the full moon

Discover your dark side with Floriade’s dazzling evening event—NightFest. From 3 to 6 October, the gates are open from 6.30pm to 10.30pm at Commonwealth Park for all ticket holders in search of an entertaining evening. Expect everything from live music and roving entertainment, to market stalls and a wonderful selection of food and drink. Don’t miss the famed Kazador Tent, making a return this year with the hilariously risqué Kiss Bang cabaret. You can check out the full program here.   

Getting to Floriade

Commonwealth Park is located down next to Lake Burley Griffin.  If you’re catching public transport, bus routes two, three and four from College Street will drop you in the city; then it’s a short walk down Allara Street and over the Parkes Way footbridge. If you have your own car, there’s ample car-parking across the road in Acton Park; it tends to fill up quickly, so an earlier arrival time might help here.