The Enlighten Festival (1 to 11 March) will once more light up Canberra nights, and offer what the ACT Government promises will be a jampacked creative program of breathtaking illuminations, interactive activities, music, films, and family fun.
“Enlighten Festival has become a showpiece for Canberra, attracting growing numbers of local and interstate visitors each year,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
Illuminated installations around the festival precinct in the National Triangle will invite visitors to stop, reflect, and interact. Iconic national institutions will be lit up with colourful imagery.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Parliament House, its façade will transform into an animated creation inspired by the popular LEGO brick model of Parliament House designed by Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught. Arts educator Naomi Zouwer will run a creative hands-on print making workshop on the forecourt of Parliament House, inspired by LEGO bricks and the iconic architecture.
Dylan Mooney, a blind and Indigenous artist, will transform the façade of the National Portrait Gallery building into a giant digital canvas via a livestreamed drawing performance. No two nights will be the same.
Questacon’s 2024 Enlighten Festival projections will highlight the connection between storytelling, curiosity, and the science that surrounds us – including Ngunnawal elder Violet Sheridan’s belief that First Nations people are the original scientists.
Local and interstate acts will play music at the main stage, at the centre of the Enlighten Festival Hub. Roving performers will also entertain visitors. More details on the performers will soon be available on the Enlighten Festival website.
The BentSpoke Beer Garden will serve food and drinks, and Bar Berra wine and spirits. Enlighten Food Park, described as a playground for foodies, will feature a lineup of food trucks and restaurateurs from across the east coast of Australia as well as local favourites.
Lights! Canberra! Action! (8 March): A short film festival showcasing local film makers’ interpretation of this year’s theme ‘A Sense of Purpose’.
Symphony in the Park (10 March): Australian rock legends the Hoodoo Gurus will take centre stage with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra in a world premiere of their greatest hits reimagined by Alex Turley.
“As an avid live music fan, I’m thrilled that we’re hosting special guests the Hoodoo Gurus at this year’s Symphony in the Park,” Tara Cheyne, ACT Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, said. “I can’t wait to hear their greatest hits reinterpreted for a classical accompaniment—an experience that Canberrans will experience first in the world. With the known high calibre of our own Canberra Symphony Orchestra, it will be a night to remember.”
Canberra Balloon Spectacular (9 to 17 March): Around 40 hot air balloons will launch at dawn each day. Hot breakfast and coffee will be available from the food trucks and coffee carts.
The Festival wraps up on Canberra Day, Monday 11 March. The community can take part in the Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run, then enjoy a day of entertainment in Commonwealth Park from 10am to 5pm. Proceeds from the Fun Run will support local charities through Hands Across Canberra.
“These free events are a terrific opportunity for families and friends to come together, and to support our local small businesses who continue to be a huge part of the festival in providing delicious food and drink, and world-class entertainment,” Ms Cheyne said.
ACT Government’s plans to increase tourism
“The ACT Government will continue to invest in key community events such as this to grow Canberra’s reputation as a go-to tourist destination, increase visitation to the city, and deliver a strong economic return,” Mr Barr said.
The ACT Government will appoint a new Creative Director for next year’s Enlighten Festival in 2025, “to help elevate the overall attendee experience, and drive greater economic and social benefits from the event”, Mr Barr said.
This appointment, he believes, “will help take this event to new heights and help it to grow into a more iconic festival for our city”.
The government will develop the Enlighten Festival, Floriade, and other major events to grow the visitor economy. Last year, 435,000 people visited Floriade, which generated $38 million in economic activity for the Territory.
The Budget Review provides funding for the additional transport options that were delivered for Floriade 2023, ensuring the event remained accessible while construction projects take place in the City Centre, Mr Barr said.
This is part of the ACT Government’s scheme to grow Canberra’s visitor economy to $3.1 billion by 2025, and to $4 billion by 2030. In the 12 months to September 2023, the ACT had the highest ever number of visitor nights, the highest ever expenditure, and the third highest number of domestic visitors in the ACT in a twelve-month period, according to Tourism Research Australia
“We are on track to exceed the target set in the T2030 Tourism Strategy for our visitor economy to reach $4 billion by the end of the decade, but we need to do more, particularly to increase our international visitor numbers,” Mr Barr said.
The Chief Minister announced that the ACT Government would improve international visitor numbers – particularly from North America, China, and India – through targeted investments funded in the Budget Review.
“Australians are visiting Canberra more than ever before,” Mr Barr said. “More than five million people visited in the year ending September 2023.
“International visitor numbers are, however, still recovering from COVID border closures and changes to international aviation routes.”
However, Mr Barr remarked, Fiji Airways’ connections to Vancouver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles is increasing American and Canadian tourism.
India is Canberra’s fastest growing international market, while China has restored Australia’s Approved Destination Status. “We look forward to welcoming back Chinese numbers at and above pre-COVID levels,” Mr Barr said.
Through Visit Canberra, and in partnership with Tourism Australia, the ACT Government will organise events, engage with the travel industry, and form marketing partnerships in these key international markets, Mr Barr said.
Visit enlightencanberra.com for more information.
