A men’s choir marks 40 years of song, Italian cinema returns and more than $52,000 is up for grabs for local artists in arts editor HELEN MUSA’s latest “Artsweek”

The Canberra Men’s Choir celebrates a joyous 40 years of singing with a special anniversary concert featuring the Celebration Jazz Band in a one off performance. Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive, September 12.

The 2026 Italian Film Festival returns with a celebration of contemporary Italian cinema, bringing the largest showcase of Italian film outside Italy to Canberra audiences. Palace Electric Cinemas, September 16 to October 14.

Capital Arts Patrons’ Organisation has opened applications for its 2026 funding round, offering 21 grants and the CAPO Fellowship, with more than $52,000 available to support artists and creative projects across the region. Applications close on September 20. CAPO, September 20.

Featherfall, a poetry collaboration by Hazel Hall and Moya Pacey, will be launched by Judith Nangala Crispin. Smith’s Alternative, September 10.

Chrysalis Awakening combines a Biodanza dance workshop with a live music sound journey, encouraging participants to connect movement, music and personal transformation. Gorman Arts Centre, September 19.

Stage

• The Killer Queen Experience recreates the music and spectacle of Queen, tracing the journey of a Brisbane tribute act that has grown into an internationally touring production. The B at The Q, September 12.
• Canberra Repertory travels back to the roaring twenties with Denise Deegan’s Olivier Award winning comedy Daisy Pulls It Off, directed by Kate Blackhurst and starring Ashleigh Butler as Daisy Meredith.. Canberra REP Theatre, September 12 to 26.
• The Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase brings some of the festival’s most popular comedians together for a fast-paced night of stand up, featuring a mix of established favourites and rising stars. The Playhouse, September 12.
• Multiple Skit-osis – The Relapse promises an evening of comedy sketches, satire and absurdity from local performers. ACT Hub, Causeway Hall, Kingston, September 12.
• Jonathan Biggins returns as Paul Keating in The Gospel According to Paul: The Second Coming, combining sharp political satire with reflections on contemporary Australia. The Playhouse, September 15 to 20.

Concerts

• ConneXion Big Band Concert, Yester-me, Yester-you, Yesterday, featuring vocalist Annaliesa Rose celebrates the music of Stevie Wonder.  Belconnen Community Theatre, (not Belco Arts) September 11.
• Luminescence Chamber Singers present Particles of Light, an exploration of illumination and colour through music for six voices. The program includes world premieres by Andree Greenwell, Patrick Baker and Frank Nuyts, alongside works by Elena Kats-Chernin, Andrew Ford, David Lang, Orlande de Lassus and Nardi Simpson. The Vault, Dairy Road Precinct, Fyshwick, September 11.
• Star Polish pianist Lucas Krupiński joins the National Capital Orchestra for Echoes of Humanity, performing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 alongside Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Titan, under the baton of Louis Sharpe. Llewellyn Hall, September 12.
• Ensemble Offspring marks Steve Reich’s 90th birthday with Reich: Rejoice: Repeat, a retrospective celebrating the composer’s rhythmic innovation and pioneering minimalist style. The Street Theatre, September 13.
• Merry Muse returns with live music from Wallabindi and What She’s Having, continuing the popular Sunday afternoon series of folk and acoustic entertainment. Canberra Irish Club, September 13.
• Toby Cole’s singers present Sing the Space, a half hour of vocal improvisation within James Turrell’s Skyspace, inviting audiences to experience sound and architecture in dialogue. National Gallery of Australia, September 13.
• Harmonic Curves 2026 Concert 3: Elemental Piano and Poetry pairs pianist Arnan Wiesel with award winning poet Moran Wiesel in a father and daughter performance inspired by ice, water, fire, earth and air. Wesley Music Centre, September 13.
• Callum Tolhurst-Close returns for the Wesley Lunchtime Concert series with From Lübeck to London, performing organ music spanning four centuries of composition. Wesley Music Centre, September 16.
• The Canberra Symphony Orchestra joins the National Film and Sound Archive for a live performance of Bernard Herrmann’s score to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, synchronised with a screening of the classic film. The concert also features a pre concert discussion and the premiere of Leah Curtis’s Nightfaring, conducted by Jen Winley. Llewellyn Hall, September 16 and 17.

Galleries

• The Canberra Art Biennial returns for its sixth edition. Highlights include Canberra’s first art fair, ARI BANAL(E), at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, Bronte Cormican-Jones’ glass installation at Canberra Airport and Harrison Witsey’s giant talking crab on the façade of Canberra House. Various venues, September 11 to October 31.
• The opening of TAKEAWAY: Tales from the Flavour Superhighway, curated by Denise Thwaites and Mariam Ella Arcilla, launches the Biennial. Featured artists include Marley Dawson, Keg de Souza, Gianna Christella Hayes, Gillian Kayrooz, Zora Pang, Janhavi Salvi and James Tylor. Canberra Contemporary, Lakeside, September 11.
• The ACT Textile Arts Association’s  annual showcase, d Garden of Threaded Delights, is running at Queanbeyan Art Society Gallery, Trinculo Place, September 11 to 20.
• Unseen Worlds brings together seven acclaimed artists, Guan Wei, Wendy Sharpe, Bernard Ollis, Simon Palmer, Peter Yu, Yang Xifa and Zhang Jun, in an exhibition exploring realities that lie beyond ordinary perception. The exhibition reveals how art can open pathways to unseen worlds within and beyond everyday life. Aarwun Gallery, Gold Creek, September 12 to October 4.
• Janet Jeffs’ solo exhibition Unstable Ground, draws on the landscapes surrounding Ballalaba Farm near the Shoalhaven River on Yuin Country. Through deeply personal and intuitive paintings, she reflects on experiences of nature, awe and vulnerability. COX Gallery, Thesiger Court, Manuka, until October 23.

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