Things to do in Canberra this weekend

Planning a Canberra weekend

Canberra weekends are easier to plan than most capitals because so much of the city is walkable and the public spaces are free. A good weekend usually mixes one anchor – a market, an exhibition, a game, a festival day – with a lake-side walk, a long lunch and a Sunday session. This guide is the evergreen map; the live feed at the bottom pulls in confirmed events for the next 14 days so a quiet weekend never makes the page look empty.

Saturday morning starters

Start at one of the weekend markets. The Capital Region Farmers Market at EPIC in Watson runs every Saturday from 7.30 am and is the biggest in the ACT. The Southside Farmers Market at Woden runs Sunday mornings and is closer to the south-side suburbs. The Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston have moved to a smaller weekend program but still anchor Kingston Foreshore most weekends – check our markets guide for the current schedule.

If you’d rather hike, the Mount Ainslie summit walk is a 45-minute climb that lines up with ANZAC Parade and Parliament House at the top. The Pinnacle Nature Reserve in Hawker, Mount Majura from Hackett, and the Aranda Bushland are all under-an-hour loops with quiet kangaroo paddocks.

Saturday afternoon and evening

The lake-side institutions are best mid-afternoon. The National Gallery’s Sculpture Garden and the National Portrait Gallery’s rotating commissions are free; the touring shows at NGA and the National Library almost always have a Saturday-late slot. The Australian War Memorial closes with the Last Post Ceremony each afternoon – arrive 20 minutes before closing.

For dinner, Braddon on Lonsdale Street is the city’s densest food strip, Kingston Foreshore wins for lake views, and NewActon mixes art-house cinema with small bars. Live music picks are in the live music guide.

Sunday slow days

Sundays in Canberra reward an early start at the markets followed by a long, flat lake walk. The Bridge to Bridge route from Commonwealth Avenue to Kings Avenue is a 5 km loop with the parliamentary triangle on one side and the city on the other. The Jerrabomberra Wetlands at the eastern end of the lake are excellent for birding.

For something further afield, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla, the Cotter Reserve and the Murrumbateman wineries are all within an hour of the city centre.

Seasonal anchors

In spring, Floriade at Commonwealth Park runs from mid-September to mid-October – free during the day, NightFest charged. In summer, Symphony in the Park, Canberra Day and the lake-side festival days fill most weekends. In autumn, the deciduous trees at the Arboretum and across the inner south make for the best foliage in the country. In winter, Enlighten, Truffle Festival and the Canberra Snow Festival all run weekend programs; ice skating returns to Glebe Park most Junes.

If the weather turns

Wet-weather options: the national institutions (all sheltered and most free), the Canberra Centre for shopping, Dendy or Palace Electric for cinema, Manuka Pool when it’s warm and AIS swim centre when it isn’t. The events feed below is filtered to show what’s confirmed for this weekend specifically.