what's on february 2021 enlighten festival
Enlighten is back across the ACT from 26 February to 14 March.

See all the highlights of what’s on across Canberra throughout February 2021 to early March, featuring everything from exhibitions to live theatre, music and more.


Manning Clark House Poetry Book Fair: On 25 February 5-7pm at Manning Clark House, Forrest; bookings essential via trybooking.com/BOURV

Bruce Mathiske: A uniquely Australian concert experience combining guitar, didgeridoo, percussion and live painting at The Street, City West, Friday 26 February 8pm; thestreet.org.au

Enlighten Festival: The annual festival will run for 17 days across town, 26 February to 14 March, with registration required to attend several events; enlightencanberra.com

Wolf Lullaby: An Australian play asking the question — when a child commits an act of terrible violence, who is really responsible? At The Q, Queanbeyan until 27 February; theq.net.au

Fiona O’Loughlin: The acclaimed Australian comedienne brings new show The Unreliable Witness to Canberra Theatre, Civic, 27 February 8pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Canberra Glassworks: Creative workshops have returned for 2021: Pocket Friends 27 February; Drawn on Glass 28 February; canberraglassworks.com

Summersalt: A music festival featuring The Teskey Brothers, The Cat Empire, Montaigne and more at Stage 88, Commonwealth Park, 27 February; ticketmaster.com.au

Emily Wurramara: The Australian musician brings her Cruisin’ tour to Stage 88 for Summersalt Festival, 27 February; emilywurramara.com.au

Sunset Cinema: Screening a range of classics and new releases at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Acton, Wednesday to Saturday until 27 February; sunsetcinema.com.au/canberra/

Chinese Lantern Festival: Hosted by the Australia China Friendship Society at Beijing Garden, Yarralumla, 27 February 6- 8.30pm; trybooking.com/BODHE

Canberra Bonsai Society: Presents the 2021 Exhibition of Australian Plants as Bonsai at the Crosbie Morrison Building, ANBG, Acton, 27-28 February; $5/$3 entry.

Tumbafest 2021: The township’s annual festival of music, wine and food will be held 27-28 February at the Creekscape in Tumbarumba, NSW; tumbafest.com.au

PhotoAccess: Hosts VIEW2021, an exhibition featuring 11 emerging photographers at their Griffith gallery until 27 February; photoaccess.org.au

Caribe Havana Return: An experience incorporating chants and percussive elements deeply rooted in rumba and Afro-Cuban religions at The Street, City West, 28 February 4pm; thestreet.org.au

SEE-Change Tuggeranong Repair Cafe: Bring in broken items and learn repair skills on the last Sunday of each month. Next event 28 February, 1-4pm at Tuggeranong Community Centre, Greenway.

Shannons Wheels 2021: More than 600 vehicles including antique cars, commercials, motor bikes, and more will be on display at the Queanbeyan showground, 10am-1.30pm, 28 February.

CCAS: The Manuka gallery hosts group exhibition, The Unsolicited Proposals Unit, until 28 February, open 11am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday; ccas.com.au

Caribe Havana Return: An experience incorporating chants and percussive elements deeply rooted in rumba and Afro-Cuban religions at The Street, City West, 28 February 4pm; thestreet.org.au

NFSA: From star-crossed lovers to Star Wars, the Archive has a dynamic February program featuring a range of screenings and events; nfsa.gov.au

Lunar New Year: Click here for an extensive list of different ways to celebrate Lunar New Year across Canberra, running until the end of the month.

JIFF: Jewish International Film Festival showcases the best of Jewish cinema from across the globe at Dendy Canberra until 28 February; jiff.com.au

Grainger Gallery: The Fyshwick artspace hosts two solo exhibitions, from Hamburg artist, Stefan Heyer and Canberra resident, Dr Stefanie Schulte until 28 February; graingergallery.com.au

Axis: New exhibition by Alex Asch at Beaver Galleries, Deakin until 28 February; beavergalleries.com.au

French Film Festival: Alliance Française brings great French films to Palace Electric Cinema, New Acton, 4-31 March; affrenchfilmfestival.org

ACT Porcelain Artists’ Association: Host upcoming exhibition A Brush with Porcelain at the Australian National Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre, 4-28 March.

Lamb: The story of one family on an Australian sheep farm over generations, from multi-award-winning playwright Jane Bodie, 4-6 March at The Q, Queanbeyan; theq.net.au

Jersey Boys: Canberra Philo presents the story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, at Erindale Theatre, 4-6, 10-13 and 17-20 March; philo.org.au/tickets

NGA: Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London, the first major international exhibition in Australia since COVID-19 at the National Gallery of Australia, 5 March-14 June; nga.gov.au

Australian Dance Party: The Canberra company present their newest work, Symbiosis, at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, 5-7 and 12-14 March; australiandance.party

Mervyn Bishop: National Film and Sound Archive will showcase the work of the award-winning photographer, 5 March-1 August; nfsa.gov.au

John Sharkey III ‘Shoot Out the Cameras’ Record Launch: A night of local contemporary music at Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon, 7pm, Saturday 6 March; events.humantix.com

NFSA: The Archive is celebrating classic Australian album Polyserena by george with a live event featuring Katie Noonan and Tyrone Noonan at the Arc cinema, 6 March, 7pm; nfsa.gov.au

Sculpture Bermagui: Featuring live music, workshops, artist presentations and tours, and a Sculpture meets Golf adventure, 6-14 March at Bermagui NSW; sculpturebermagui.org.au

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Canberra REP peels back the layers of life in the Pollitt family, at REP Theatre, Acton until 6 March, Wednesday to Saturday 8pm; canberrarep.org.au

Belco Bowlo: Presents live music from The Phoenix Five, playing classic hits at the Hawker venue, 1-5pm, Sunday 7 March; call the club on 62542157.

March Walk Up: Get your hoedown on at this dance hosted by Country Music Association of Canberra, 7 March 1.30-4.30pm at Canberra Irish Club, Weston; trybooking.com/BOXKS

Strathnairn Arts: Hosts Annie Parnell’s ceramics exhibition Clay is Like Stone, Glaze is Like a Rock at their Holt gallery until 7 March; strathnairn.com.au

Katie Noonan – Solo & Intimate: The Aria-award winning songstress explores material from her extensive back catalogue at The Street, City West, Sunday 7 March 4pm; thestreet.org.au

NAA: Out of this World: Australia in the space age at National Archives of Australia until 14 March; naa.gov.au

afire: EASS 2021:  The annual Emerging Artist Support Scheme (EASS) exhibition at Canberra Potters, Watson until 14 March; canberrapotters.com.au

ANCA Gallery: Hosts new exhibition Supernatural Light Affinity by Yvette Hamliton, Ali Noble, Lisa Sammut & Helen Shelley until 14 March at their Dickson gallery; anca.net.au

Craft ACT: Hosts two exhibitions, Intersections and Emerging Contemporaries, until 20 March, at their Civic gallery; craftact.org.au

OutsideIn | InsideOut: A group exhibition by artists from Canberra’s Lime Flamingo Collective, until 21 March at West Gallery, Belconnen Arts Centre; belcoarts.com.au

Jane Gerrish: See the Sydney artist’s new exhibition Observe at Suki & Hugh Gallery, Bungendore, until 21 March; sukihugh.com.au

Jack, John and Kempsey: Tuggeranong Arts Centre’s first exhibition of 2021 showcasing the work of self-taught painter Jack Featherstone, until 27 March; tuggeranongarts.com

Joan Mitchell – Worlds of Colour: Presents works on paper produced by the American painter and printmaker during the final stage of her career, at the NGA, until 26 April; nga.gov.au


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