See all the highlights of what’s on across Canberra throughout May 2021, featuring everything from exhibitions to live theatre, music and more.
Owen Campbell: Brings his Rolling Thunder of Love 2021 tour to Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah, Friday 7 May; owencampbellmusic.com.au
Choirboys: The Australian pub rock group come to town 7 May 7pm, playing The Basement, Belconnen; thebasementcanberra.oztix.com.au
Dobby: The Australian multi-instrumentalist musician who straddles hip-hop and classical music plays aMBUSH Gallery, ANU, 7 May 6-7pm; Eventbrite.
Lightbulb Improv: Presents The Door, reflecting on the ‘what if’ moments, 7-8 May at the Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic; lightbulbimprov.com
Insight Out: A visually stimulating and highly innovative exhibition of 24 mixed media works at Exhibition Avenue, Kambri, ANU until 7 May; kambri.com.au
Esther Hannaford: The Helpmann Award-winner is joined by an all-star band to celebrate 50 years of Carole King’s landmark album, Tapestry, at Canberra Theatre, Civic, 8 May; livenation.com.au
CIMF Free and Live: An all-day festival of music-making with performers appearing across the Belconnen Arts Centre precinct, 8 May 10am-4.30pm; belcoarts.com.au/cimf
Mothers’ Day High Tea: Enjoy Mothers’ Day in a garden setting with an elegant morning or afternoon tea in Braddon, 8-9 May; gardenswithfleur.com.au/events
Jack Biilmann: The indie-roots singer-songwriter plays The Street, City West, 8 May 7.30pm; thestreet.org.au
Tallagandra Hill: The Gundaroo vineyard and venue hosts the Christie Lamb with Jonathan English, Sunday 9 May 4.30pm; Eventbrite.
Mother’s Day Classic: Features walks at both Lake Burley Griffin and Lake Ginninderra on 9 May. A range of distances and starting times are available catering to fitness levels and sleeping habits! Book via mothersdayclassic.com.au
Mundaguddah (Rainbow Serpent): A new work bringing together the Ensemble Offspring and dancer Tammi Gissell at National Gallery of Australia, 9 May 12pm and 2pm; cimf.org.au
Haig Park Village Markets: will be running a special event for Mother’s Day at the Braddon park on Sunday 9 May from 9am-2pm; haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
Australian Dance Week 2021: Featuring free classes, workshops, films, performances and more across Canberra, until 9 May; ausdance.org.au
2021 CIMF: Canberra International Music Festival evokes Vienna and its 250 years of musical history to Canberra with a dynamic program until 9 May; cimf.org.au
Spanish Film Festival: Brings a selection of films we missed last year as well as some brand-new titles to Palace Electric Cinema, New Acton, until 9 May; spanishfilmfestival.com
Belco Arts: Four exhibitions, Fluid Cartographies, Formation, On Forgetting, and The Divided Self continue until 9 May; belcoarts.com.au
Canberra Potters: The Watson art space hosts Inside, an exhibition by Julie Roberts and Josephine Townsend, until 9 May; canberrapotters.com.au
Canberra Spinners and Weavers: New exhibition Warped by Covid, Twisted by Fate, at Textile Works in the Chifley Community and Wellbeing Hub, until 9 May 10am-4pm.
ANU Classics Museum: Tours of the museum’s collection of ancient Greek and Roman antiquities run on the second Friday of each month; call 0438 883 373.
A German Life: Australian theatre royalty Robyn Nevin gives the performance of her career in this critically acclaimed play at The Playhouse, Civic, 11-16 May; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Acting Shakespeare: A six-week course focused on the techniques needed to interpret Shakespeare at The Hedley, Stirling, 11 May – 22 June, 7-9pm; [email protected]
Don Juan: A production bringing comedy, thrills, chaos and delight at Bicentennial Hall, Queanbeyan, 12-16 May; theq.net.au
Canberra Symphony Orchestra: Jessica Cottis will be conducting the CSO with selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet and Viridian, at Llewellyn Hall ANU, 12-13 May 7.30pm; cso.org.au
South African Film Festival: Present an engaging program of nine documentaries, five features and two short films, 12-24 May; online passes available via saff.org.au
Wesley Lunchtime Concert: Stuart Long plays works for solo piano by Vine, Prokofiev & Ginastera, 12 May 12.40-1.20pm at Wesley Music Centre, Forrest; trybooking.com/BPXHF
Indigo Nights @ The Basement: THYME, Slowbeard, Beta Males & Hence The Testbed play the Belconnen Venue, 13 May from 7pm; thebasementcanberra.oztix.com.au
Canberra Symphony Orchestra: Jessica Cottis conducts Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Richard Meale, with Andrea Lam, 13 May, from 7.30pm at Llewellyn Hall; cso.org.au/events
Canberra Potters: Host new exhibition These Moments of Pleasure by Daniel Skeffington at their Watson gallery, 13-16 May; canberrapotters.com.au
PhotoAccess: Opens three new exhibitions, Avalanche, Black Summer 2020: The Aftermath, and Hot/Cold 13 May – 5 June; photoaccess.org.au
Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham: Are touring their new album The Song Club and will play the Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah, 14 May 7pm; Eventbrite.
Smith’s Alternative: The iconic City West venue hosts a range of performances each week ranging from comedy to poetry to live music; visit smithsalternative.com for more.
Belco Arts: Shows four new exhibitions, In Counterpoint, Disposed/Aerosol, Material Investigation, and The Impulse of Hysteria 14 May-27 June; belcoarts.com.au
Australian Chamber Orchestra: Performs Schubert’s Quintet at Llewellyn Hall, ANU, Saturday 15 May 8pm; aco.com.au
Geek Markets: Get your pop-culture fix at the EPIC Mallee Pavilion, 15-16 May 10am-6pm; canberrageekmarkets.com.au
CCAS: The Parkes gallery presents group exhibition Australien from 15 May; ccas.com.au
Mad Hatter’s Indoor Plant Sale: The Jungle Collective hosts a themed indoor plant sale at Causeway Hall, Kingston, 15-16 May; thejunglecollective.com.au
Trove Canberra Slow Fashion Parade: A fabulous afternoon of fashion, fun, food and music, Sunday 16 May 2-4pm at Dickson Chambers; Eventbrite.
National Capital Orchestra: Their new show Fate brings an exciting and varied program to The Q, Queanbeyan, 16 May 3pm; theq.net.au
Oriana Chorale: Performs Text/ure, poetry by Sarah Rice in settings by six composers with Canberra connections, 16 May 3pm, Canberra Girls Grammar Senior Hall; trybooking.com/BQBFA
aMBUSH Gallery: The ANU gallery hosts Australian artist Jack Irvine’s solo exhibition Simple Pleasures until 16 May; ambushgallery.com
Jekyll & Hyde: A bonkers rendition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel at Bicentennial Hall, Queanbeyan, 18-23 May 8pm; theq.net.au
Megalo Print Studio: The Kingston gallery presents Defining Shapes – Creating Edges by Roslyn Kean until 12 June; megalo.org
Canberra Youth Theatre: Will host their first major production of 2021, Little Girls Alone in the Woods, at The Courtyard Studio, Civic, 19-22 May; canberrayouththeatre.com.au
Wesley Lunchtime Concert: Pianist Sam Row performs Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition 19 May, 12.40-1.20pm at Wesley Music Centre, Forrest; trybooking.com/BPXHP
Chant Du Vin: Wine and acoustic music combine for an evening out at Lake George Winery, Lake George, 20-21 May 5.30pm, and The Vintner’s Daughter, Murrumbateman on 22 May 5.30pm and 23 May 4.30pm; chantduvin.com
Canberra Glassworks: The Kingston art space hosts new exhibition Unbroken Connections by Megan Cope, 20 May to 18 July; canberraglassworks.com/visit/exhibitions/
Rope: A Canberra Rep production of a Hitchcockian thriller by Patrick Hamilton comes to the Canberra Rep Theatre, Acton, 21 May to 5 June; canberrarep.org.au
Visualising Harmony: The CSO mentors five artists with diverse disabilities to create original music inspired by colourful artworks, at Belco Arts, Friday 21 May 7pm; belcoarts.com.au
Mind Your Money: A Women with Altitude presentation on financial strategies with Amanda Fisher at the Mawson Club, 21 May 9.15-10.45am; womenwithaltitude.com.au
World Bee Day: Check out the bee-friendly displays and exhibitions, honey and bee-themed food created by Market producers, a display of hives, plants, information and family-friendly activities, such as bee costume and colouring-in competitions and face painting on Saturday 22 May 7-11.30am at Capital Region Farmers Market, Exhibition Park in Canberra; capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au
World Bee Day: The Embassy of Sweden at 5 Turrana Street, Yarralumla invites you to ‘Bee Swedish’, enjoy a fika and join the conversation on sustainable food on Saturday 22 May 2-4pm; registration essential via beeswedish.eventbrite.com.au
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Bring their upcoming Sideways To New Italy tour to Kambri ANU, 22 May; moshtix.com.au
The Sentimental Bloke: A screening of a restoration of the 101-year-old Australian film plus a Q&A with composer Paul Mac at the NFSA, Acton; nfsa.gov.au/whats-on
Rob Snarski & Peter Milton Walsh: Touring together with new albums, playing the Polish White Eagle Club, Turner, 22 May 7.30-9.30pm; trybooking.com
Craft ACT: Hosts two exhibitions, Between Earth and Sky by Jennifer Martiniello and Sharon Peoples; and Essence of Cloud by Mark Eliott until 22 May; craftact.org.au
Winter red wine boat cruise: Enjoy an afternoon sailing on Lake Burley Griffin sampling alternative red wines from across Australia with lunch, 22 May 1-3pm; events.humantix.com
Art Song Canberra: Their next performance, Fairy Tales from Home, will take place at the Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 23 May, 3pm and 4.15pm; trybooking.com/BPLQU
Amber Mic Presents @ Sideway: Ellero, Ghostgum, LIV LI & Endrey play the Civic club 23 May, 2.30-6pm; trybooking.com/BQVIH
ANCA Gallery: The Dickson art venue hosts group exhibition One or Two Paintings, until 23 May; anca.net.au
Jazz series at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre: Kicks off with Latin Nights, showcasing Jazz from Brazil and beyond, 23 May, 4pm – 6pm, at the TAC theatre; trybooking.com/BRCDP
Kyeema Gallery: The Hall venue hosts new exhibition, Brilliant Landscapes … with a difference, by Floriade founder Chris Slotemaker de Bruine, until 24 May; capitalwines.com.au
German Film Festival: The best of German cinema that will have you saying “Ach du Lieber”, at Palace Electric, New Acton, 26 May – 13 June; germanfilmfestival.com.au
Wesley Music Centre: Presents Music for the Soul, featuring Lucy Macourt and Anthony Smith, 26 May, 12.40-1.20pm at the Forrest venue; trybooking.com/BPXIZ
Sculpture@Shaw: Entries are open for the $25,000 sculpture prise presented by Shaw Wines and Belco Arts until midnight 28 May; sculptureatshaw.com.au
QPRC Art Awards: The Queanbeyan Art Society’s annual awards and accompanying exhibition at The Q’s exhibition space, Queanbeyan, 28 May to 19 June; theq.net.au
Tempo Theatre: Presents Hello…Is There Any Body There? at Belconnen Community Theatre, 28-29 May and 2-5 June, 7.30pm with additional performances; canberraticketing.com.au
Augie March: Dusts off their 2000 album Sunset Studies for a live performance at Canberra Theatre, Civic, 28 May, 8pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Darren Coggan and Damien Leith: Perform their show Two Of Us – The Songs Of Lennon & McCartney at Bicentennial Hall, Queanbeyan, 29 May; theq.net.au
Tina Arena: The pop sensation brings her Enchanté: The Songs of Tina Arena tour to Llewellyn Hall ANU, 28-30 May; tegdainty.com
Jess Locke: The Australian musician brings her Don’t Ask Yourself Why album launch tour to Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon, 8pm, Friday 28 May; Bookings at Humanitix.
Australian Wind Symphony: Perform The New Era, a program demonstrating the full brilliance the wind orchestra experience, at The Q, Queanbeyan, 28 May 7.30pm; theq.net.au
Mini dilly (butjin) bags workshop: Join Gillawarra Arts and Craft ACT and try your hand at assembling a mini dilly bag at Craft ACT, Civic, 29 May, 12.30-3.30pm; craftact.org.au
Two of Us – The Songs of Lennon & Mccartney: A performance starring Damien Leith & Darren Coggan at The Q, Queanbeyan, 29 May 8pm; theq.net.au
Teddy Tahu Rhodes & Guy Noble: the acclaimed baritone and composer/pianist join forces at The Playhouse, Civic, 29 May 2pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
SEE-Change Tuggeranong Repair Cafe: Bring in broken items and learn repair skills on the last Sunday of each month, 1-4pm at Tuggeranong Community Centre, Greenway.
Strathnairn Arts: The Holt gallery hosts new exhibition Luminosity by Belconnen Artists Network, until 30 May; strathnairn.com.au
Beaver Galleries: Hosts new exhibition Glimpses by Wei Rong Wu from 6-30 May at the Deakin gallery; beavergalleries.com.au
Bungendore Wood Works Gallery: Presents new exhibition Rouge by Marc Rambeau, until 31 May; bwoodworks.com.au
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