Enlighten Festival

Culture and creativity collide once again as Enlighten Festival Canberra returns for 2025!

See the nation’s capital in a dazzling new light when Enlighten Illuminations light up some of Canberra’s iconic buildings with stunning architectural projections from 28 February to 10 March 2025.

The Enlighten Festival Canberra is located in the National Triangle, centred around the Festival Hub on the lawns of John Dunmore Lang Place. At the heart of the festival are spectacular light displays and projections illuminating some of Canberra’s most iconic buildings and landmarks, including the National Gallery of Australia and Australian Parliament House. These stunning visual spectacles turn the city into a breathtaking gallery under the night sky.

From this central hub you can visit the Illuminations on six of Australia’s National Cultural Institutions, as well as a number of art installations across the site. This year’s Enlighten Festival will expand beyond the National Triangle with experiences and illuminations at Glebe Park, the National Film and Sound Archive, Mt Stromlo Observatory and the Australian Botanic Gardens.

Festival Highlights

• Illuminations: The National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Parliament House, and Old Parliament House will all be illuminated. Questacon will feature a special interactive illumination inspired by Lego that you can control using the outdoor iPad stations.
• Installations: Alongside the illuminations are a series of light-up art installations. These include Insectarium, a carpet of mysterious rocks, and Mycelium Network, which is made up of hundreds of glowing mushrooms. You’ll find these installations around the Enlighten Hub located between Questacon and the National Portrait Gallery.
• The Night Shift: Several national institutions will stay open late during Enlighten, hosting special events. MoAD is running A Date with Democracy—a love-themed experience with a dance floor and a chance to belt out your favourite love songs and break-up ballads at karaoke. Details here.
• Enlighten Beyond: Enlighten is expanding beyond the National Triangle. Every evening, Glebe Park will transform into an enchanted woodland featuring interactive performances, the zoo is holding exclusive night tours, and the Botanic Gardens is running a BYO family-fun picnic. Details here.
• Food and Drink: There will be two food hubs at this year’s Enlighten. The BentSpoke Beer Garden features several Canberra favourites, including Grease Monkey and Jackos. And the Enlighten Food Park will showcase interstate food trucks. There’s also a new Blacklight Dessert Lab featuring glow-in-the-dark doughnuts and fairy floss that glows under UV lights.
• Live Entertainment: Every evening, there will be live music in the Festival Hub from around 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm.
• Shuttle Bus: There will be a free Shuttle Bus running around the National Triangle and City during Enlighten. It will run every 20 minutes on a continuous loop. Details here visit Enlighten Festival.

Experience the magic of the Canberra Enlighten Festival with Mercure Canberra! Stay and save with one of our fantastic accommodation offers, including the Hotel Escape Sale available throughout March.