Wonderful World Festival | Canberra

A festival of wonder

Imagine a world where loved ones embrace the wonders of our lives.

Wonderful World is a festival of families, 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

In April 2026, Canberra will come alive with Wonderful World - a celebration of creativity, community and connection designed to spark imagination across generations.

Wonderful World Festival

For six days, Canberra’s City Centre becomes a playground of imagination. Glebe Park comes alive with a colourful stage program, while experiences spill into nearby City Centre venues and outdoor spaces. Expect a program of awe-inspiring activities for families of all kinds - shows, play, and plenty of shared eats.

It’s an invitation to rediscover joy in the everyday, together.

Elements of the festival (sneak peek)

Wonderful World is designed as a hub-and-spoke experience, with Glebe Park 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.  

Glebe Park stage | The festival will be anchored by a stage in Glebe Park 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.

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.

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.

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.