Canberra’s annual Autumn Festival, Enlighten, is back in 2023 with 17 days of culture and creativity including a Pride Weekend.
The festival will run across three days – the long weekend running from the 10th to the 12th of March.
Those who partied at Sydney World Pride can come down to the Capital for an exciting recovery party.
Keep the fun going and enjoy a program bursting with events, all celebrating LGTBIQA+ pride and Canberra’s inclusive community.
Enlightening Canberra
See the capital’s iconic buildings become canvases for stunning displays of light, sound and movement as part of Enlighten Illuminations @ Enlighten Festival.
During Pride Weekend, between 8pm-11pm, 10-12 March the illuminations will include a specially designed pride themed projection.
This architectural experience will be seen on Australian Parliament House, National Library of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, Questacon, the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.
On Friday 10th of March head down to the Senate Rose Gardens and vote for your favourite finalists of the short film festival Lights! Canberra! Action! @ Enlighten Festival.
With just 10 days to film and feature 10 items from around Canberra, visitors will watch up-and-coming local filmmakers share their perspective and interpretation of the theme, ‘Pride’.
Pride in the Canberra sky
A crowd favourite event not to be missed is the Canberra Balloon Spectacular @ Enlighten Festival.
An early wake-up call will be worth the effort as you bask in the beautiful scenery with stunning viewpoints across the city.
From dawn, Saturday 11 March, view a special Pride Flight on the opening morning of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular where balloons will fly with LGTBIQA+ flags.
Head to the Patrick White Lawns to watch the balloons take off. Or better yet, fly on a balloon yourself and take in the views!
The best way to spend the long weekend
After a blissful morning watching the balloons, head down to Glebe Park from 11am and enjoy a bustling street party at the first FreshOut @ Enlighten Festival.
Browse a village of market stalls and taste some of the finest local food and wine from the Canberra region.
Then, get ready to cheer on some great performances.
FreshOut Fair Day Canberra is ACT’s largest LGBTIQA+ community pride event that is designed for the whole family to enjoy.
On Sunday 12 March, 6:30pm – 9:30pm, bask in all the joys the long weekend has to offer!
Electric Fields, Image suppliedHead down to the Commonwealth Park for an evening of amazing performances with Symphony in the Park @ Enlighten Festival.
Hear an epic musical collaboration when special guest Electric Fields join the Canberra Symphony Orchestra.
Together, the artists create a haunting merge of traditional and electronic music. The multi-award-winning Electric Fields are going to bring moments of breathtaking beauty and power to the stage.
To top it off, all of these events celebrating pride are also free to attend!
Head to enlightencanberra.com for programming, tickets and more information.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
