The National Multicultural Festival, affectionately known by Canberrans as the ‘Multi-Culti’, is an annual festival held in Canberra that celebrates cultural diversity in Australia. This year, the festival will take place from Friday, 16 February to Sunday, 18 February, in Canberra’s civic centre and Glebe Park. This year’s festival promises to be a lively and colourful event, as always, and we don’t recommend missing it! Here are all the details:
Key Info
When:
- Friday 16 February: 5 pm to 11 pm
- Saturday 17 February: 10 am to 11 pm
- Sunday 18 February: 10 am to 5 pm
Where:
The festival will be held in Garema Place and Glebe Park, but there will also be connected events and activities around Canberra
How To Get Tickets:
No need – The festival is completely free and open to all.
What is the National Multicultural Festival in Canberra?
The annual National Multicultural Festival in Canberra is one of Australia’s largest celebrations of cultural diversity and social inclusion. The Festival is supported by the ACT Government and is administered by the Community Participation Group, Multicultural Affairs, a division of the ACT Government Community Services Directorate. It started in 1996 and has since grown into one of Canberra’s biggest events, drawing over 280,000 people last year for its 25th anniversary. In 2023, it was also voted Best Community Event at the 2023 Australian Event Awards, so it’s well worth a visit!
What’s On at the 2024 National Multicultural Festival?
Over 3 days, the festival will bring together more than 170 multicultural communities to share their culture, history and heritage through food, art, song, and dance. There will be dozens of dynamic stalls across the CBD and Glebe Park, as well as eight different stages for music and dance performances! You can head to the official website for the full festival program. The program provides an in-depth look into the over 60 events being held, but here are some of the highlights:
Music and Dance Performances
The festival weekend kicks off on Friday, 16 February, with an opening concert. Taikoz will headline first, a Sydney-based ensemble with taiko, a Japanese percussion instrument, at its core. They’ll be joined by Papua New Guinean-born R&B artist Ngaiire. Saturday, 17 February, will be a big day with Ghanaian artist Citizen Kay giving a performance of his new concept album ‘so, where are we’ for the first time, which draws from traditional Ghanaian music, soul, funk, and hip hop.
Sunday will feature familiar and crowd favourite performers, including Chinese lion dancers and Latin samba dancers. You can also expect entertainment like Italian flag throwers, folk performances from East Asia, German yodelling, Celtic pipe bands, and a lot more! All 170 unique nationalities in attendance will be represented in some way.
Cultural Workshops and Entertainment
Throughout the festival, there will be a variety of workshops held in the Glebe Park Workshop Tent. On Friday, you’ll be able to attend an Afrobeats workshop, a tango workshop and a Punjabi folk workshop. On Saturday, there will be an English dance workshop, as well as a Hawain Lei-making class. Finally, on Sunday, you can attend a Women’s Saree showcase.
The Festival Parade
One of the biggest highlights of the whole festival is the iconic multicultural parade. It will wind its way through the festival on Saturday afternoon and be bigger than with over 50 cultural groups participating and sharing cultures. It’s bound to be quite the sight with vibrant colours, traditional clothing, and music from around the globe.
Food Stalls and Vendors
The festival is a great opportunity to eat your way around the globe without ever leaving Canberra’s city centre. Every year, there’s an amazing array of cuisines from almost every culture you can think of. You can treat yourself to Spanish paella, German beer, Turkish burek and, if you’ve got any room left, French crepes and Dutch pancakes. It’s almost worth attending the festival all three days just to eat and experience as much as your stomach will allow.
There will also be a variety of vendors at the festival selling goods from all over the world, including arts, crafts, instruments, jewellery, clothing, and homewares.
The Multicultural Festival Across Canberra
Satellite events, including workshops and family-friendly activities, will also be held at the Civic Library and the Canberra Museum And Gallery. Over the weekend, the Civic Library will host storytimes from different cultures for the little ones, while the Canberra Museum and Gallery will host artistic workshops in printmaking, watercolour painting, and face painting.
How To Get To The Festival and Get Around It
The National Multicultural Festival is probably the biggest weekend of the year in the city centre. There will be big crowds and road closures, so it’s highly recommended that you plan your travel ahead of time. You’d be very lucky to get a park, but fortunately, there’s free public transport available the whole weekend. Transport Canberra buses and light rail will be free from 4.30 pm on Friday until the end of services on Sunday. There will also be a free shuttle bus available to help you get around the different sections of the festival.
Why Is The National Multicultural Festival Important?
The National Multicultural Festival aims to promote understanding among different communities, boost Canberra’s economy through tourism, and support local businesses. The festival also serves as an educational platform to learn about different cultures and celebrates Australia’s commitment to multiculturalism. It’s a fantastic opportunity to strengthen societal bonds and showcase the contributions of diverse communities.
The Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Tara Cheyne, described it as an opportunity to ‘recognise, represent and celebrate what our multicultural community has to offer our wonderful city.’