Here’s HELEN MUSA’s latest Arts in the City column.

The National Portrait Gallery will throw open its doors on February 20 for an extravagant, after-hours, late-night party curated by The Huxleys, celebrating Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey and her exhibition Super Kaylene Whiskey with performances, pop-ups, workshops, tours and a dancefloor powered by Dolly Parton, Cher and Tina Turner.

Music by the River returns on February 21 when the Canberra Symphony Orchestra teams with Kirrah Amosa to unleash the hits of Queen, turning the Queanbeyan riverbank into a rock-fuelled outdoor spectacular that promises singalong anthems and big sound under the stars.

Craig McLachlan is offering fans a stripped-back evening as this familiar and controversial performer brings his Live and Intimate, Six String Stories show to The Street Theatre on February 20. It’s a blend of songs, stories and reflections from a long career across television, musical theatre and stage.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra is launching its 2026 season with a program directed from the violin by Richard Tognetti and featuring Croatian virtuoso Dejan Lazić in Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Llewellyn Hall, February 18.

The Bald Archy Prize will once again be skewering celebrity egos and the reputation of the Archibald Prize with the announcement of the 2026 winner, judged as ever by sulphur-crested cockatoo Maude, and the awarding a $10,000 acquisitive prize for the nation’s sharpest satirical portraiture. Opens at Canberra Potters Gallery at Watson Arts Centre, February 12.

Canberra Glassworks launches its 2026 program with artists-in-residence Tamara Henderson and Raymond Huynh, alongside a solo exhibition by Louis Grant curated by Consuelo Cavaniglia, exploring contemporary glass practice, Canberra Glassworks, February 5-April 26.

Australian flora takes miniature form in the Australian Plants as Bonsai Exhibition, showcasing meticulous artistry and horticultural skill. Crosbie Morrison Building, Australian National Botanic Gardens, February 21-22.