Here’s arts editor HELEN MUSA’s latest artsweek column dedicated to what’s on where this coming week.

Billed as “a performance that’s part-rave, part-ritual”, Garabari fuses Wiradjuri culture with pulsing techno energy in a dance theatre experience directed by Joel Bray, inviting audiences into a shared story of the making of the Murrumbidgee River. Playhouse, February 19-20.

Canberra Contemporary joins forces with the University of Canberra for a practical Careers Workshop offering insight, advice and industry guidance for emerging creatives looking to navigate the arts sector with confidence and clarity. University of Canberra, February 19-20.

The ANU Meet the Author series presents Ashley Kalagian Blunt in conversation with Chris Hammer about her new crime novel, Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre, ANU, February 24.

Friends of the ANU Classics Museum have their AGM followed by Dr Keren Hammerschlag’s lecture, Daughters of Empire, Matchmaking Across Racial Lines in Edwin Long’s Babylonian Marriage, Classics Museum and the RSSS Auditorium, February 25.

Stage

• Grace Chapple’s Never Closer unfolds on Christmas Eve 1987 in a Northern Irish border town, drawing audiences into an intimate drama of tension, memory and human connection. Courtyard Studio, February 19-28.
• The Canberra Cabaret Festival lights up three consecutive evenings with Janie Lawson, Dave Collins and Deborah O’Toole delivering song, wit and theatrical flair in an intimate setting. ACT Hub, February 19-21.
• Lance Strauss and Jimmy Mann recreate the magic of Elton John and Billy Joel, blending their voices and piano-driven energy in a celebration of two pop legends. Rocketman vs Pianoman at The Q, February 19.
• Joseph Tawadros brings his virtuosic oud playing to the streets in a vibrant display of musicianship and cross cultural sound. City streets, February 22.
• The Canberra Men’s Choir celebrates its 40th anniversary with a free male voice workshop followed by an open night welcoming new singers to experience the joy of choral harmony. Harmonie German Club, February 22-23.

Galleries

• David Pang opens 60, sixty Skate Reflections, capturing movement, memory and subculture celebrating six decades of life and art. Civic Art Bureau, February 19.
• Questacon unveils Illuminate, a major new exhibition exploring how science comes to light. Questacon, February 20.
• Omar Musa launches The Hurt Business, pushing lithography and woodcut into bold contemporary territory in an exhibition confronting violence and modern media culture, with a live performance at the opening. Megalo Print Studio, February 20.
• M16 Artspace launches its 2026 season with Resonance by Katrina Barter, Silver Stripes by Matilda Hillam and Holding up the Sky by Brenda Goggs. February 19.