At a glance
- What
- 13 shows at the Canberra Theatre Centre between Monday 23 November and Saturday 12 December 2026, from Alastair Campbell and Mary Beard to Kim Wilde, Cat Power and three Christmas shows
- Cheapest and dearest
- Among the published ticket ranges, Jenny Tian starts at $45 (an early-bird price, limited and ending Thursday 12 November) and the top Mary Beard seat is $169; prices exclude a transaction fee
- Free parking
- City Hill and the Canberra Olympic Pool car parks are free Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30pm to 8:30am, so Monday and Tuesday shows and the Saturday afternoon sessions are outside it
- Free travel
- The ACT Government says all buses and light rail are free every Friday and Saturday evening from 6pm onwards
- Who it’s for
- Anyone planning a show in Civic before Christmas who wants to compare dates, prices and parking costs
- What to do now
- Pick the show, then check whether its night falls inside the free parking window before you choose a car park
- Last checked
- Monday 9 November 2026, against the 13 Canberra Theatre Centre show pages and the ACT Government article “Where to park in Canberra city centre” (28 October 2026)
- Not yet confirmed
- Whether the Theatre Lane car park is open (two official sources differ), and whether each session still has tickets; the pages do not show availability
The Canberra Theatre Centre has 13 shows between 23 November and 12 December 2026, with ticket prices from $45 to $169 plus a transaction fee, and only the evening sessions from Wednesday to Sunday fall inside the free parking window at City Hill and the Canberra Olympic Pool car parks. This guide lists every show with its day, time, venue and published price, then works out which nights have free parking.
Show details come from each show’s page on the Canberra Theatre Centre What’s On page, read on 9 November 2026. Parking and travel rules come from the ACT Government’s city centre parking article, dated 28 October 2026.
Which shows are on at the Canberra Theatre Centre before 13 December?
| Date and time | Show | Venue | Published price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 23 Nov, 7:30pm | An Evening with Alastair Campbell | Canberra Theatre | $69.00 to $159.00 |
| Wed 25 Nov, 7:30pm | An Evening with Mary Beard: Talking Classics | Canberra Theatre | $79.00 to $169.00 |
| Fri 27 Nov, 6pm; Sat 28 Nov, 3pm | Ballet Canberra: Among The Paintings | The Playhouse | $67.50 to $87.50 |
| Sun 29 Nov, 7pm | The Kim Wilde Closer Tour | Canberra Theatre | $89.90 |
| Thu 3 Dec, 7pm | Adam Kay: Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas | Canberra Theatre | $79.90 |
| Fri 4 Dec, 7:30pm | A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas | Canberra Theatre | $62.00 to $67.00 |
| Mon 7 Dec, 6:30pm | The Greatest Christmas Show | Canberra Theatre | $49.90 to $79.90 |
| Tue 8 Dec, 7pm and 8:30pm | Jenny Tian: When Life Gives You Oranges | The Playhouse | $45.00 (early bird, ends 12 November) to $49.00 |
| Wed 9 Dec, 7:30pm | An Evening with Cat Power | Canberra Theatre | $104.90 to $129.90 |
| Thu 10 Dec, 7pm | The Psychology of Cults | The Playhouse | $79.90 to $149.90 |
| Thu 10 Dec, 7:30pm; Fri 11 Dec, 7:30pm; Sat 12 Dec, 2pm and 7:30pm | The Hairy Ape by Eugene O’Neil | Courtyard Studio | $50.00 |
| Fri 11 Dec, 7:30pm | Christmas Proms by The 60 Four | The Playhouse | $69.90 to $89.90 |
| Sat 12 Dec, 2pm and 6:30pm | The Christmas Spectacular | Canberra Theatre | $59.90 to $79.90 |
*The Theatre Centre marks its prices with an asterisk and says a transaction fee applies, and that the lowest price listed may be available for selected performances only. Prices are as published on 9 November 2026. The page for The Hairy Ape gives its three performance dates as 10 to 12 December; the times in the table are as listed under its dates.
Which talks and music nights run in late November?
Four events fall before the first December show. Alastair Campbell speaks at the Canberra Theatre on Monday 23 November at 7:30pm. The Theatre Centre gives the running time as approximately 1 hour 50 minutes including an interval. Mary Beard’s Talking Classics is on Wednesday 25 November at 7:30pm, also approximately 1 hour 50 minutes including an interval. Ballet Canberra’s Among The Paintings runs in The Playhouse on Friday 27 November at 6pm and Saturday 28 November at 3pm. The Kim Wilde Closer Tour is on Sunday 29 November at 7pm and runs approximately 1 hour 30 minutes with no interval.
What is on in the first fortnight of December?
- Thursday 3 December, 7pm: Adam Kay’s Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, $79.90, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes with no interval.
- Friday 4 December, 7:30pm: A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas, $62.00 to $67.00.
- Monday 7 December, 6:30pm: The Greatest Christmas Show, $49.90 to $79.90.
- Tuesday 8 December, 7pm and 8:30pm: Jenny Tian in The Playhouse, $45.00 to $49.00.
- Wednesday 9 December, 7:30pm: An Evening with Cat Power, $104.90 to $129.90, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes with no interval.
- Thursday 10 December, 7pm: The Psychology of Cults in The Playhouse, $79.90 to $149.90, approximately 1 hour 25 minutes with no interval.
- Friday 11 December, 7:30pm: Christmas Proms by The 60 Four in The Playhouse, $69.90 to $89.90. The page says the performance may contain strobe lights and haze effects.
- Saturday 12 December, 2pm and 6:30pm: The Christmas Spectacular, $59.90 to $79.90.
The Hairy Ape runs in the Courtyard Studio from 10 to 12 December at $50.00 a ticket. The Theatre Centre says it is not suitable for audiences aged 15 and under.
Which nights have free parking?
The ACT Government article names two public car parks with free parking Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30pm to 8:30am: City Hill and the Canberra Olympic Pool. Setting each session against that window gives this:
| Session | Day | Inside the Wednesday to Sunday free window? |
|---|---|---|
| Alastair Campbell, 23 Nov, 7:30pm | Monday | No |
| Mary Beard, 25 Nov, 7:30pm | Wednesday | Yes |
| Ballet Canberra, 27 Nov, 6pm | Friday | Yes, if you park after 5:30pm |
| Ballet Canberra, 28 Nov, 3pm | Saturday | No, the show starts before 5:30pm |
| Kim Wilde, 29 Nov, 7pm | Sunday | Yes |
| Adam Kay, 3 Dec, 7pm | Thursday | Yes |
| Comedy Festival Christmas, 4 Dec, 7:30pm | Friday | Yes |
| The Greatest Christmas Show, 7 Dec, 6:30pm | Monday | No |
| Jenny Tian, 8 Dec, 7pm and 8:30pm | Tuesday | No |
| Cat Power, 9 Dec, 7:30pm | Wednesday | Yes |
| Psychology of Cults and The Hairy Ape, 10 Dec evening | Thursday | Yes |
| Christmas Proms and The Hairy Ape, 11 Dec evening | Friday | Yes |
| The Hairy Ape and The Christmas Spectacular, 12 Dec, 2pm | Saturday | No, before 5:30pm |
| The Hairy Ape and The Christmas Spectacular, 12 Dec, 6:30pm and 7:30pm | Saturday | Yes |
That leaves three evenings without free parking, Monday 23 November, Monday 7 December and Tuesday 8 December, plus the two Saturday afternoon sessions on 28 November and 12 December. On those, the ACT article gives paid options. City Hill is $2 for 1 hour and $7 for 4 hours and above on weeknights and weekends. The Canberra Olympic Pool car park is $2 for 1 hour and $7 for 4 hours and above on Monday and Tuesday from 5:30pm to 10:30pm. Our city centre car park fees guide lists the other car parks and prices.
Is the Theatre Lane car park open?
Two official sources differ. The ACT Government article says the Theatre Lane car park reopens to the community from Saturday 31 October, with 57 bays including 8 accessible spaces, short-stay parking at $5 for 1 hour with a $10 maximum Monday to Friday, and free parking Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30pm to 8:30am. The Canberra Theatre Centre’s own location and parking page, read on 7 November 2026, still says Theatre Lane and its car park are closed. Our Theatre Centre parking guide sets out both statements. If you plan to rely on Theatre Lane, check at the entrance on the night.
Can I travel free on a Friday or Saturday night?
The ACT Government says travel is free on all buses and light rail every Friday and Saturday evening from 6pm onwards, with tap on and tap off as normal. That applies to the Friday sessions on 27 November, 4 December and 11 December and the Saturday evening sessions on 28 November and 12 December, but only for travel from 6pm. Fares apply on the other days; see our MyWay+ fares guide.
What should I know about tickets and late arrival?
The show pages carry the same house rules. Tickets only become available 72 hours before the performance, by the delivery method in your order confirmation email. For most performances, latecomers cannot be admitted until a break in the performance, so allow time to find parking. The Theatre Centre says Canberra Ticketing is the authorised ticket seller, with QTIX as the ticketing agent, and that it has no obligation to honour tickets bought from unauthorised resellers.
Quick checklist
- Wednesday to Sunday evening: City Hill or the Canberra Olympic Pool, free from 5:30pm.
- Monday, Tuesday and Saturday matinees: plan to pay, from $2 for 1 hour at City Hill.
- Friday and Saturday evening: public transport is free from 6pm.
- Allow extra time: latecomers wait for a break in the performance.
- Check Theatre Lane at the entrance before counting on it.
- This list does not include dance school recitals or Fiji Untold (30 November).
Sources
- Canberra Theatre Centre: What’s On and the 13 linked show pages (checked 9 November 2026)
- Canberra Theatre Centre: Location and parking (checked 7 November 2026)
- ACT Government, Our CBR: Where to park in Canberra city centre (dated 28 October 2026; checked 7 November 2026)
Images: Civic Square (photo: Shkuru Afshar / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added for the featured image); Canberra Theatre Centre and stage door side (photo: Shkuru Afshar / CC BY-SA 4.0); Canberra Museum and Gallery (photo: Shkuru Afshar / CC BY-SA 4.0); Civic Square 2023 (photo: -wuppertaler / CC BY 4.0); southern face of the Canberra Museum and Gallery (photo: Nick-D / CC0).
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Canberra Theatre Centre, QTIX or the ACT Government. Show times, prices and parking arrangements can change; check the official pages above before you go.