September 30

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: It’s Tuesday, 30 September. And just like that, the first month of spring is over!

⛅️ Weather: 25° and partly cloudy.

Coming Up: 🎃 An Adults-Only Questacon Night

This Halloween, Questacon is opening its doors after dark for an adults-only SciFright night—an evening of creepy science and spooky fun. See the mad scientists’ Liquid Fright-rogen show, explore parasites and plagues, and—if you’ve got the stomach—step into Q Lab for live cane toad dissections held throughout the night. Then hit the Halloween House Party to dance the night away. Atomic Café will be serving food and pouring themed cocktails. Dress to impress (or terrify) and grab a keepsake from the photo booth before you head out. Details here.

Coming Up: 🐶 Dogs’ Day Out at Floriade

Floriade wraps up on Sunday 12 October with its popular Dogs’ Day Out. It’s the one day the flower festival is open to four-legged visitors. There’ll be dog-friendly entertainment on stage, plus stalls from pet vendors. A good excuse to give the pup a spring outing. Details here.

🖼️ Arts Around Canberra

CSO 2026 Program: The Canberra Symphony Orchestra has released its program for the 2026 season. For the Llewellyn Series, performances include Debussy’s La Mer, Deborah Cheetham Fraillon’s Dutala, Star Filled Sky, and Elgar’s Enigma Variations, with the season closing in high drama with Verdi’s Requiem. And for cinephiles, Hitchcock’s Psycho gets the full live-orchestra treatment, while Art of the Score revisits the world of Hans Zimmer. Details here.

Tip: Under-35s get significant discounts on tickets to CSO concerts.

CAPO Art Auction: The 2025 CAPO Art Auction is a vibrant evening of art, entertainment and celebration. The night showcases some of the region’s most exciting emerging and established artists. Bid on stunning works, see electrifying performances, and enjoy wines from Lark Hill. The Capital Arts Patrons’ Organisation (CAPO) is a volunteer-run non-profit that has supported the ACT region’s artists for nearly 40 years. Details here.

The Musical of Musicals (the Musical): This off-Broadway smash hit tells the same simple story five times in the style of five different geniuses of musical theatre. Everyman Theatre’s staging opens on 15 October at ACT Hub. Details here.

Reflections on Gubaidulina: Ronan Apcar and the Ellery String Quartet present a survey of the music of Sofia Gubaidulina, born in the Soviet Union and later based in Germany. The program includes a profound response to Bach’s final unfinished work, a playful yet existential musing for violin and piano, and a great work from her early period, the Piano Quintet. Details here.

M16 Openings: Four stunning new exhibitions are opening this Thursday as part of the Block 10 exhibitions at the M16 Artspace. Details here.

Love Through Many Lenses: Opera singers Louise Keast and Elizabeth Cooper are joined by pianist Kathleen Loh in a concert program inspired by love. Expect to hear Schumann’s song cycle Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42, performed in parallel with great operatic arias and duets by composers such as Rossini, Massenet, Puccini, Poulenc and Delibes. Details here.

Traditional Celtic Music: Rennie Pearson’s music is deeply rooted in the Celtic traditions of Ireland, Scotland and Maritime Canada, blending centuries-old melodies with fresh energy and artistry. Whether he’s performing on the wooden flute, guitar, Irish tin whistles, bodhrán, fiddle or with his voice, his music takes audiences on a journey through history and culture. Details here.

Llewellyn Choir: Experience Maurice Duruflé’s hauntingly beautiful Requiem with highly praised organ accompaniment at ANZAC Memorial Chapel, Duntroon. Details here.

Luminescence Chamber Singers: Local vocal ensemble Luminescence Chamber Singers presents Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights. Details here.

Coming Up: 🏋️‍♀️ CBR Fit Expo

The Canberra Fitness Expo brings together 6 live sports—including ACT’s Strongest Man and Woman, natural bodybuilding and CrossFit—plus 40+ health and fitness vendors, over 500 athletes, and thousands of fans for two massive days of action, inspiration and community. From competitions and product showcases to interactive experiences and giveaways, there’s something for every fitness enthusiast. Ticket prices increase tomorrow. Details here.

Nightlife:

Taylor Swift Release Party: 88MPH is throwing a party on Friday night to celebrate Taylor Swift’s release of The Life of a Showgirl. There will be singing, dancing, themed cocktails and a chance to win a vinyl copy of the new album. Entry is free. Details here.

Rhythm and Booze: Rhythm & Booze is Molly’s new late-night jazz session, every Friday from 10 pm to 12.30 am. Expect a soundtrack of high-energy jazz, including hard bop, soul-jazz, gypsy jazz, gritty fusion, and even some cheeky jazzed-up pop covers to keep the room buzzing while the drinks are flowing. Details here.

Reload is Coming Back: Sort of. For one night only, Reload is coming back to celebrate Halloween. Embrace the Halloween spirit and enjoy a night filled with Rickety Rekts, fatalities, Mario Kart, and a bouncing dancefloor. Details here.

Classifieds

🍲 Dinner Delivered: Dinner Ladies makes ready-to-heat homely meals delivered to your door. Stack your freezer with their crowd-pleasers, and any time you need it, you're just a hot step away from a belly full of comfort. New customers can use code 'CANBERRADIGEST20' to get $20 off their first order. Details here.

Classifieds support Canberra Digest