Wonderful World
A festival of wonder
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.
Dates: 7 - 12 April 2026
About the festival
From 30 March to 12 April 2026, Canberra will burst into life with Wonderful World - a city-wide festival celebrating creativity, community and businesses across generations. This festival will transform the City Centre into a playground, a stage, a spectacle and a hub for discovering what is wonderful in our world.
The festival unfolds in two phases. It begins with school excursions, supported by family dining experiences and installations woven throughout the City Centre. Then, as school holidays begin, the festival shifts into full swing. The main stage in Garema Place comes to life and a full suite of events and experiences spreads across the city, continuing through to Sunday, 12 April.
This isn’t just for kids – it’s for families of all kinds. Parents and carers, this is your chance to join the fun.
Expect uplifting, imaginative activities that fill public spaces and local venues with moments of awe. Experiences will come from all corners of the arts, always rooted in the spirit of wonder rather than anything too arty or hard to access. Food and drink play a big part in the fun - expect family-friendly dining, creative kids menus and great shared eats for all.
Elements of the festival (sneak peek)
Wonderful World is designed as a hub-and-spoke experience, with Garema Place as the vibrant heart of the festival. From this central hub, creativity radiates out to city businesses and venues, all connected by a family-friendly overlay.
Garema Place stage | The festival will be anchored by a stage in Garema Place with theatre, music and comedy, most of which will be free.
Wonder balloons | Sculptural inflatables imprinted with artworks by ACT primary school students. These inflatables will be displayed along Garema Place and City Walk, creating a tapestry of colour.
Mass participation record | Wonderful World plans to host a Bubbles World Record attempt to break the world record of the most soap bubbles blown in one location at one time. More info will pop out shortly.
Family dining experiences | This is harvest season, and the festival will celebrate great local menus for the whole family. Dining experiences and quality kids' menus can reposition existing food and drink venues as inviting destinations for families during the festival period and possibly beyond.
Business experiences | Through marketing support and funded opportunities, local venues, events, and experiences can be seamlessly woven into one cohesive city-wide program.
Education program | The festival engages ACT primary schools through excursions and in-class activities. This fosters a sense of shared ownership and collaboration, which boosts program visitation and reputation for years to come.
Research and wellbeing | As a community, we are inviting Canberra to come together, to play and to see whether a festival of shared experiences can genuinely improve our collective wellbeing. The festival will gather insights from audiences, families and participants and link directly to the ACT Wellbeing Framework, which looks at how we learn, connect, feel safe, feel heard and feel part of the place we call home.
What we learn will directly shape the evolution of Wonderful World each year.
Opportunities to get involved
Business opportunities
The City Renewal Authority, together with its place management and event delivery partner Dionysus, invites city businesses and institutions to help shape the very first Wonderful World festival. Before the full program is finalised, businesses and institutions across the CCMIL area are encouraged to bring forward their ideas, offerings and experiences.
This is an open call to Canberra’s cultural creators, venues, collectives and organisations to become part of something collaborative and transformative for our City Centre. Think of it as an invitation to co-create a festival that reflects the city’s soul and celebrates the wonder found in everyday life.
To make it possible, marketing support, co-investment, and grants are available to help businesses step into the festival in a meaningful way and connect with new audiences. All activities must take place within the CCMIL Collection Zone (approximately the City Centre and Braddon) to be eligible for funding or marketing inclusion.
School opportunities
Wonder exists all around us, and the festival is asking children to share their inspiration with the city. Students are at the centre of the festival’s first week by learning about the world and creating installations and experiences that brighten our City Centre.
This invitation is for all ACT primary schools to take part in a festival that supports student learning, celebrates their thinking and connects their creativity to the heart of the city.
Interested? Please complete the EOI form, and our dedicated schools engagement manager will be in touch.