Canberra’s Enlighten Festival shines bright in 2025
Canberra will once again light up the night sky from this weekend with the 15th annual running of the Enlighten Festival.
Over 11 spectacular days, from February 28 to March 10, Enlighten’s Festival Hub will run in the National Triangle in Canberra, located on the lawns of John Dunmore Lang Place.
Additionally, this year’s event will extend beyond its usual setting with separate Enlighten installations at Glebe Park, Mt Stromlo Observatory, the Australian Botanic Gardens and more.
The 2025 Enlighten theme is Reflecting Our Story, with the festival celebrating Australian stories through larger-than-life installations, lights and sound experiences, projections, art installations and vibrant displays. There’s even glow-in-the-dark food available.
For 2025, there’s a healthy showing of live music from local and interstate acts including Jett Blyton, Gia Ransome, plus First Nations artists The Stiff Gins, Project Dust and Monica Moore.
Captivating animations and architectural projections in Canberra Credit: Daniiielc
“The Enlighten Festival is now entrenched in Canberra’s events calendar,” said ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr. “It brings the community together and invites visitors to come out to see our iconic national institutions in a creative new light. The festival continues to grow each year, providing a boost to the city’s tourism economy.
“This year, in celebration of 15 years of the festival, we are taking Enlighten to the streets with Enlighten: Beyond, lighting up Canberra and encouraging the community to explore installations beyond the traditional setting of the festival in the National Triangle.
“The Enlighten Festival is a great opportunity to come together while supporting local businesses who are a big part of the festival providing food, drink and entertainment.”
The Enlighten Festival runs from Friday February 28 to Monday March 10. More information is available at enlightencanberra.com.au The Canberra Balloon Spectacular will follow from March 15-23.
