Have a gay time: Enlighten Festival celebrates Pride – Canberra Weekly
The Enlighten Festival will light up Canberra in 2023 with 17 days of culture and creativity from 3 to 19 March. This year, for the first time, Canberra’s annual autumn festival will feature Pride Weekend @ Enlighten honouring Australia hosting Sydney WorldPride – the first time the global event has been staged in Australia, and the first time in the southern hemisphere.
Pride Weekend (10 to 12 March) will celebrate LGTBIQA+ pride and Canberra’s inclusive community.
Over this weekend, the capital’s iconic buildings will become canvases for specially designed pride themed projections as part of Illuminations.
On 11 March, Fresh Out Fair Day, a new one-day outdoor event in Glebe Park, will showcase entertainment from Australia’s finest performing artists, and a village of market stalls representing diverse LGTBIQA+ community organisations, local businesses, and Canberra’s finest food and wines produced in the region.
Short film festival Lights! Canberra! Action! on 10 March will exhibit up-and-coming local filmmakers as they share their perspective and interpretation of Pride, with 10 days to film and feature 10 items from around Canberra.
The Canberra Balloon Spectacular will be back from 11 to 19 March. A special Pride Flight will take off on the opening morning (11 March). Hot air balloons from Australia and overseas will fill the sky with LGTBIQA+ flags in a blaze of colour and movement.
Wrapping up Pride Weekend on 12 March will be Symphony in the Park. Bring a picnic and enjoy a free evening of modern and classical performances as the Canberra Symphony Orchestra take the stage to perform with award winning pop, soul, and electronica band Electric Fields, fresh from headlining at WorldPride in Sydney.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said a dedicated Pride Weekend during the Enlighten Festival would honour Australia hosting WorldPride and boost tourism to the national capital.
“It is the first time the global event has been staged in Australia, and it is fitting that the national capital will honour that achievement,” Mr Barr said. “It is also the 50th anniversary of the first Australian Gay Pride Week [June 1978] and the fifth anniversary of marriage equality in Australia [December 2017].
“Canberra is an inclusive city, and the addition of Pride Weekend to the Enlighten Festival program highlights our commitment to being a welcoming city built on equality.
“The ACT Government will continue to invest in community events that encourage visitors to our city, deliver a strong economic return, and provide quality visitor experiences.”
Tara Cheyne, Assistant Minister for Economic Development, said the Pride Weekend celebrations would make the already popular Enlighten Festival even bigger and better this year.
“Enlighten Festival is a gem in the Canberra events calendar, and the focus on Pride Weekend highlights our community’s culture and inclusivity,” Ms Chenye said. “I’m excited by the entertainment that will be on offer, in addition to the amazing illuminations. From incredible music and the opportunity to view short films from talented local filmmakers, there really is something for everyone.
“I encourage all Canberrans to come out to Enlighten and enjoy the spectacle while supporting our small businesses who will be there providing delicious food and drink.”
Entry is free. The full program is coming soon. Visit enlightencanberra.com for more information.