Visitors explore vibrant, blooming garden beds during the opening of Floriade 2026 at Commonwealth Park in Canberra. Pic: John Lomnicki.
More than a million flowers are about to bloom in Commonwealth Park, but this year one of Floriade’s more unusual creations might steal some of their attention.
It is big, floral and unmissable.
“Somewhere a very talented group of people looked at more than a million flowers and asked the question, what is the highest expression of horticultural excellence?” Chief Minister Andrew Barr joked during a preview of the festival.
“And the answer was a massive duck cake.
“And frankly, I respect this decision.”
Floriade opens on Saturday (12 September), beginning a month-long takeover of Commonwealth Park that will bring flowers, food, music, celebrity chefs and thousands of interstate visitors into the heart of Canberra.
This year’s theme, Feast of Flowers, links gardens with food, harvest and the traditions built around them.
It follows a record year. More than half a million people attended Floriade in 2025, the largest crowd in the festival’s history.
While the million-plus blooms remain the main attraction, organisers have leaned heavily into food this year.
Cook and food educator Stephanie Alexander will appear for a book talk, while chefs Karen Martini, Mindy Woods, Justine Schofield and Simon Bryant are among those taking part in demonstrations and appearances. Markets, workshops, entertainment and family activities will run throughout the festival.
Mr Barr said it was also an opportunity to show visitors how far Canberra’s food scene had moved from some of the stereotypes still attached to the capital.
“Our food scene has become one of Australia’s best-kept secrets,” he said.
“Well, actually, maybe it’s not really a secret anymore.”
He joked that when visitors expressed surprise at Canberra’s restaurants, he wondered, “In which century did you get that information from?”
“Some people seem to have formed a view of Canberra around the time they bought their last street directory.”
Beyond the food and floral displays, this year’s gardens include Aboriginal cultural experiences with Uncle Richie and Auntie Violet, featuring plants used for bush tucker and medicinal purposes, including species native to the Canberra region.
Head gardener Kira Buckley said visitors would also see new flower varieties mixed among familiar favourites, including different narcissus varieties and changes to the pansy displays.
And when daylight is no longer enough, Floriade will stay awake.
NightFest returns from 1 to 4 October, lighting up the gardens and bringing live music and after-dark entertainment to Commonwealth Park. The Temper Trap, Tim Finn, Pacific Avenue, Busby Marou and Christine Anu are among this year’s headline acts.
Mr Barr couldn’t resist playing with Canberra’s reputation for being quiet after hours.
NightFest, he said, provided “useful evidence that Canberrans do in fact leave the house after dark”.
“And it offers annual proof that our nightlife extends well beyond parliamentary sitting weeks.”
But behind the jokes is an event closely tied to Canberra’s identity.
Floriade began in 1988 and has grown alongside the city. Mr Barr said generations who were once brought to the festival by their parents were now returning with their own children.
“People come here with family, with friends, with visitors from interstate,” he said.
“People come because their parents brought them, and they’re now bringing their kids, and every year new traditions are created.”
The festival is also a significant tourism drawcard, bringing hundreds of thousands of people into Canberra and supporting hospitality and other local businesses.
Getting there, however, could require a little more planning this year.
Major construction is continuing around the city, with changed pedestrian and cycling access around Commonwealth Avenue.
Free daily Floriade shuttle buses will operate through the city and National Triangle, while weekend express services will run from Tuggeranong, Woden and Belconnen bus interchanges. Visitors are being encouraged to use public transport or check parking and changed access arrangements before leaving home.
Floriade runs from 12 September to 11 October, and general entry remains free.
And for anyone wondering what to wear while admiring a million spring flowers, Mr Barr offered perhaps the most reliably Canberra advice of the morning.
“If you’re wondering whether you’ll need a puffer jacket over the next month, the answer is: you are in Canberra in early spring; it is best to be prepared.”
The flowers may say spring. Canberra’s weather, as usual, reserves the right to disagree.
To find out more and plan your visit, go to Floriade Australia.
