Tuesday 24th June

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Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: The Socceroos are coming to Canberra + Forbidden Films.

🌧️ Weather: 14° and rain, easing in the afternoon.

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Sport: ⚽️ The Socceroos Are Coming to Canberra

Australia will take on New Zealand on Friday 5 September at Canberra Stadium, in the Socceroos’ first match since qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26. $2 from every ticket sold will support the CommBank Pararoos and CommBank ParaMatildas—national teams for footballers with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or stroke symptoms. Pre-sale tickets go on sale today at 10am, with general public sales opening tomorrow at 4pm. Details here.

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🎥 Forbidden Films

Experience the thrill of watching something that carries a rare, slightly dangerous energy. Two events are coming up for the curious:

Refused Classification: Margaret and David—two of Australia’s biggest film reviewers—get to watch as many movies as they like. Everything’s going smoothly... until the government tries to ban a little film called Ken Park. Comedians and film lovers Zachary Ruane (Aunty Donna) and Alexei Toliopoulos recount this nugget of Australian history in a unique mix of comedy show, documentary, and verbatim theatre. It’s coming to The Street in July. The first show sold out, but they’ve added a second. Details here.

Ring of Fury: Inspired by the 1970s kung fu craze sparked by Bruce Lee, Ring of Fury is Singapore’s first and only martial arts film—starring local Kyokushin karate master Peter Chong. Banned in Singapore for over 30 years, the film was restored by the AFA in 2017 using the surviving 35mm release print. You can catch this forbidden gem at the NFSA screening in August, part of Reciprocal—the Asian Film Archive’s annual collaborative film program. Details here.

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🎨 Arts Around Canberra

This week’s arts wrap:

Lakeside at 5: After work on Friday, relax by Lake Tuggeranong with a glass of wine and live jazz. This month’s Lakeside at 5 features Eric Ajaye and Lachlan Coventry performing their own compositions alongside pieces by some of their musical influences. Details here.

Canberra Men’s Choir Open Night: All men are welcome at the Canberra Men’s Choir open night next Monday at the Harmonie Club. No audition, no obligation, and no experience required—just come along and sing. Details here.

The Armed Man: The Canberra Choral Society and the National Capital Orchestra join forces for a performance of two powerful works: The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by British composer Sir Karl Jenkins, and Human Waves by Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin AO, with a vibrant libretto by Tamara-Anna Cislowska. Details here.

Lucas Krupiński: Enjoy an afternoon of music with internationally acclaimed pianist Lucas Krupiński at Wesley Music Centre this Sunday. One of Europe’s rising stars, he’ll perform works by Chopin, Scriabin and Brahms. Details here.

Dances and Suites: Local string chamber orchestra Musica da Camera presents Dances and Suites, a program celebrating the rich, expressive sound of the viola. Concerts are on this Saturday and Sunday. Details here.

Echoes of Us: Greenaway Studio in Chapman welcomes Rio Xiang (piano) and Cedar Newman (violin) for a recital of violin and piano sonatas. This is their Canberra debut ahead of their appearance at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, where they’ve been selected for the international masterclass. Details here.

Masami Teraoka: The National Gallery’s exhibition of ukiyo-e woodblock prints by Masami Teraoka is closing soon. Teraoka uses this traditional Japanese art form to comment on modern issues like globalisation, East-West cultural collisions and the AIDS crisis. Details here.

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Something to do: 🎾 Try Pickleball and Padel

Canberra Racquet Club and Running for Resilience are hosting a fun afternoon of Pickleball and Padel. Come along and see what two of the world’s fastest-growing sports are all about. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned player, everyone’s welcome. It’s free to join—just bring your runners and get ready for some friendly competition. It’s happening this Saturday. Details here.

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Sport: GWS Giants v North Melbourne

The Giants return to Canberra in Round 22 of the 2025 AFL season to take on North Melbourne on August 10. These games tend to be pretty popular, so it’s worth booking early unless you’re happy sitting on the grass hill. Details here.

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Tidbits

Youth Parliament: Canberra is getting a Youth Parliament! Backed by the Snow Foundation and Hands Across Canberra, the YMCA is giving 25 young people the chance to sit in the Youth Legislative Assembly and debate bills and motions that affect them directly. The program has run in other states and territories for years, but it’s never made it to Canberra—until now. I’ll share details on how to get involved as soon as they’re released.

Cold Run: Canberra has endured the coldest run of nights in over 60 years, including three nights in a row where the temperature dropped below -7°. More.

Free Coffee: I’d normally save this for Thursday’s foodie news, but by then, you’d have missed out—score a free coffee this week at eighty/twenty’s new Gungahlin café. To celebrate the opening, they’re shouting coffees, hot chocolates, chai lattes, matchas, etc.—one per person. Details here.