A festival of wonder
Wonderful World is a family festival that brings children, parents and grandparents together to rediscover and embrace what feels wonderful to them.
Across Canberra’s City Centre, creativity and play appear in everyday places. Children are invited to lead with curiosity, while adults are encouraged to see the city through fresh eyes. It’s an experience that revolves around shared moments, simple joys and immersive creativity.
Shaped by schools, families and local businesses, Wonderful World is not a single event or destination. It’s a festival designed to unfold over time, inviting people to explore, return and find new moments of wonder each day.
Save the date
Tuesday 7 April to Sunday 12 April 2026
📍 Canberra City Centre
Wonderful World begins with school participation and builds into a Canberra City-Centre wide festival during the school holidays.
What to expect
The festival is made up of many small moments, connected across Canberra’s City Centre and the people who bring it to life.
You might encounter a colourful installation, follow a trail through public spaces, pause for a performance, or sit down to a family-friendly meal nearby. Some experiences invite you to watch. Others invite you to join in.
Together, they create a family festival that feels open, joyful and easy to engage with — whether you visit briefly or spend a full day exploring.
7 - 12 April
Wonder Balloons over Garema Stage
For six days, the Garema Stage will transform with ever-changing music, cabaret, comedy and live performances that will make you laugh, cheer, and return again and again to see what's next. It's the place to gather, explore, and be part of the program as it unfolds across the festival week. At the centre of this lively space are the Wonder Balloons, a large-scale public art installation that fills Garema Place with colour, imagination, and the creativity of Canberra's children.
Learn MoreWho it’s for
Wonderful World is a family festival designed for shared experiences across generations.
- Children discovering creativity and play
- Parents and carers looking for meaningful time together
- Grandparents sharing stories, ideas and moments with younger generations
- Schools connecting learning with the city beyond the classroom
Local businesses helping bring the festival to life across the Canberra City Centre.
7 - 12 April
Spin at the Disc-Go-Round
Disc Go Round transforms this beloved attraction into a high-energy, multi-sensory celebration of music, movement, and 70s-inspired fun. Jump on the merry-go-round or dance the time away, surrounded by sequined curtains, glitzy décor, and vibrant lighting, creating an immersive, family-friendly disco experience never before seen in Canberra.
Learn MoreExplore the program highlights
From live performances to hands-on experiences, Wonderful World unfolds through many moments across the City Centre. Follow your curiosity and see what you might discover along the way.
This initial program offers a taste of what’s to come, with more events, activations and surprises still being confirmed.
Follow your curiosity, see what’s happening, and stay tuned as the festival continues to grow.
Browse what’s on and start shaping your time at the festival.
Big Bubble Blowout
Teeny Tiny Stevies
Stories of Wonder
Spin at the Disc-Go-Round
Be part of Wonderful World
Wonderful World comes together by shared participation.
Schools share ideas and imagination. Local businesses open their doors in new ways. Families bring curiosity and time together. Each plays a role in creating a festival that reflects what’s wonderful about the city and the people who experience it.
The fun is just getting started
Imagine a world where loved ones embrace the wonders of our lives.
Wonderful World is a festival of families, schools, local businesses, institutions and artists on a journey to make the world more wonderful. Wonderful World is a challenge for parents, carers and grandparents to rediscover their wonders, and for kids to fall in love with the world, again and again.
For one week, in Canberra.
More details coming soon.