Enlighten Festival 2020

Overview

If you've been looking for a reason to get away for the weekend, block off a couple of days (or more) in March and head to Canberra for Enlighten Festival 2020.

From February 28–March 15 2020, the city will light up with live music, free performances, events, exclusive exhibitions and access to national attractions after hours, plus pop-up bars, beer gardens and after-dark food markets. So, you can expect Canberra's Parliamentary Zone to be transformed into a buzzing hub of neon activity.

A highlight of the festival is Enlighten Illuminations (February 28–March 9), where large-scale projections will bring to life iconic Canberra buildings, including Australian Parliament House, the National Gallery of Australia and Questacon. You'll find the Night Noodle Markets nearby, too, so you can pick up a snack while still viewing the projections. And, of course, one of Canberra's most anticipated events, Canberra Balloon Spectacular, will return each morning, from Saturday, March 7 to Sunday, March 15.

On Friday, March 6, you can head to Canberra's answer to Tropfest: the Lights! Canberra! Action! short film festival. Here, you'll be watching the top 12 finalists on a massive outdoor screen while sitting under the stars. Or, if you're a fan of music, you can catch a live orchestra performing popular hits as the sun goes down at Symphony in the Park (Sunday, March 8). Then, on the festival's penultimate night, you'll see fireworks lighting up the night sky above Lake Burley Griffin for the Hit 104.7 Skyfire event.

Enlighten Festival 2020 is taking place between Friday, February 28 and Sunday, March 15. The festival is free to attend, with some selected ticketed events. For the full program, head here.