Art Lovers Itinerary

5:30PM

On your way to the Enlighten Festival Hub, swing by the National Film and Sound Archive in the city to check out Marco Brambilla’s dazzling audiovisual installation Heaven’s Gate as part of Enlighten: Beyond.

The exhibition is open late until 8pm on Fridays and Saturday during Enlighten.

6:15PM

Park at the National Portrait Gallery – with free underground carparking every night of the festival – and start your time at Enlighten at Super Kaylene Whiskey.

This major exhibition showcasing the joyful, irreverent work of leading contemporary artist Kaylene Whiskey is open until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays during the Festival.

7:00PM

Bring your phone and headphones to take a self-guided tour of the permanent artworks in the heart of Enlighten, Reconciliation Place.

Discover captivating artworks that celebrate Australia’s shared cultural heritage as you walk through the Festival. 

8:00PM

As the sun sets the Illuminations come to life, with each of the six National Cultural Institutions lit up with the major projection artworks. The artworks are all originals, created for Enlighten 2026 by some of Australia’s most exciting artists and creators.   

Take an evening stroll and see them all in single night as the National Triangle transforms into a monumental exhibition.

The Page Turner by Eleanor & Giovanni, National Library of Australia

Illuminate at Questacon

Department of Memories Sam Wallman, Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House

Democracy! By Philip Bunting, Australian Parliament House

Queens of the Desert, Kaylene Whiskey, National Portrait Gallery

Kukawarra kwatja, pmara nhanhanama marra inthurra, soft rain, strong Country, by Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Grace Kemarre Robinya, National Gallery of Australia

8:30PM

As you walk around the Festival keep your eyes peeled for our roving artworks.  Be prepared for any number of bewildering, delightful and enchanting encounters across the whole Festival, from curious creatures to epic characters.

These works are crafted and performed by local Canberran artists and travelling creators, so stay on the look out for some brand new, world premieres.

Amorphia + Damselflies by the Indirect Object

Flamingo Flock + TBC  by Liz Lea + The Stellar Company

Whispers of Wonderment by Curious Legends 

9:00PM

Take some time to head to the Festival Hub main stage, with some of our headlining acts taking to the stage as the night sets in. You’ll hear artists representing new and established voices in contemporary Australian music, like Tjaka, Stella Eve, Murray and the Movers, Lemonise, Growing Alder, and Koebi Faumui.

9:45PM

Round out the night by immersing yourself in some more of our Festival Artworks in Reconciliation Place East.

Slow down as you wander through and around Serendipity, a large-scale sculpture that speaks to the passage of time and the unexpected joy that can be found in the small moments in life.

And nearby discover Glitch Monument, a series of new holographic water projections/ light-based sculptures emerging from the water of the Cascade Waterfall at the High Court of Australia.