Enlighten Canberra
| Enlighten Canberra | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genre | Exhibition |
| Date(s) | February–March |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Canberra |
| Coordinates | 35°18′29″S 149°07′28″E / 35.3081°S 149.1244°ECoordinates: 35°18′29″S 149°07′28″E / 35.3081°S 149.1244°E |
| Inaugurated | 2011 |
| Attendance | 287,874 (2015) |
| Budget | $5.3 million over four years (2011 to 2014) |
| Website | |
| http://enlightencanberra.com.au/ | |
Enlighten Canberra is an outdoor annual art and cultural festival held in Canberra, Australia featuring illuminating light installations and projections, performances from local and interstate musicians, dining and film events.
The festival is an Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government initiative held annually in early March, encouraging people to "See Canberra in a whole new light." The centrepiece of Enlighten Canberra is the illuminating of Canberra's cultural institutions after dark, including Old Parliament House, Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia (since the 2011 event) as well as the National Portrait Gallery and Questacon (since the 2012 event). There is also live music, film screenings and after-hours tours.
Since its inception, Enlighten has become increasingly popular, attracting 115,000 visitors in 2013 and 131,500 in 2014. Attendance rose again in 2015, to 287,874 visitors.
In 2008 ACT Labor made an election promise to deliver a new autumn event for Canberra, Australia—this was the beginnings of Enlighten Canberra. In December 2010, Andrew Barr, then Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, announced the ACT Government Enlighten would be a major annual event, commencing in March 2011. He said national attractions that would participate with lit facades after dark included the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House and Old Parliament House. Ticketed events were also announced, including headline international acts in concert.
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