At a glance
- Ballet
- Victorian State Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Canberra Theatre: Friday 13 November 7pm, Saturday 14 November 1:30pm and 7pm; $65 to $109 (plus a transaction fee)
- Comedy
- Marty Sheargold, The Red Card Tour, The Playhouse: Saturday 14 November 8pm; $69.90 standard
- Talk
- Ben Macintyre, Canberra Theatre: Sunday 15 November 6:30pm; $39 to $139 for seats, VIP $250
- Run
- Stromlo Running Festival, Stromlo Forest Park: marathon 5:50am Saturday, 10K 7:30am Sunday; no entries on the day
- Festival finale
- Craft + Design Canberra Festival Closing Party, National Film and Sound Archive: Saturday 14 November 6pm to 8pm; $30 and booking required
- Who it’s for
- Canberra residents and visitors choosing between the weekend’s ticketed shows and free daytime events
- What to do now
- Use the table below for times and prices; the ticketed shows and the Closing Party need tickets or booking, and Stromlo takes no entries on the day
- Last checked
- Saturday 7 November 2026, against the Canberra Theatre Centre show pages, the Stromlo Running Festival site and the Craft + Design Canberra Festival program
- Not yet confirmed
- Whether the Theatre Lane car park is open (two official sources differ); ticket availability for each session is not shown on the pages
The weekend of 14 and 15 November 2026 in Canberra has a ballet at the Canberra Theatre, a comedy show at The Playhouse, a historian on stage on Sunday evening, a two-day running festival at Stromlo Forest Park and the closing party of the Craft + Design Canberra Festival. This guide lists each event with its official day, time, venue and published price, then covers parking and getting around on Friday and Saturday night.
Every detail comes from the organisers’ own pages, read on 7 November 2026. Where a page does not give a price or a time, this guide says so.
Which events fall on the 14-15 November weekend?
| Event | When | Where | Price as published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victorian State Ballet: The Nutcracker | Fri 13 Nov 7pm; Sat 14 Nov 1:30pm and 7pm | Canberra Theatre | $65 to $109* |
| Marty Sheargold: The Red Card Tour | Sat 14 Nov 8pm | The Playhouse | $69.90 standard, $64.90 concession* |
| An Evening with Ben Macintyre | Sun 15 Nov 6:30pm | Canberra Theatre | $39 to $139; VIP Meet and Greet $250* |
| Stromlo Running Festival | Sat 14 and Sun 15 Nov, from 5:50am Sat | Stromlo Forest Park | No entries on the day |
| Craft + Design Canberra Festival Closing Party: Dance of Dissent | Sat 14 Nov 6pm to 8pm | National Film and Sound Archive, 1 McCoy Circuit, Acton | $30; $24 for festival members |
*The Theatre Centre notes that a transaction fee applies to its ticket prices, and that the lowest price listed may be available for selected performances only.
What time is The Nutcracker, and how long does it run?
The Victorian State Ballet performs The Nutcracker at the Canberra Theatre on three sessions: Friday 13 November at 7pm, and Saturday 14 November at 1:30pm and 7pm. The Theatre Centre gives the running time as approximately 2 hours including an interval. The standard ticket is $109. Concession tickets are $99. Groups of 6 or more pay $99 a person. A child (15 and under) is $65.
Two practical notes from the show page: tickets only become available 72 hours before the performance, by the delivery method in your order confirmation email, and for most performances latecomers cannot be admitted until a break in the performance. The page also warns that the performance may contain strobe lights and haze effects.
What do I need to know about Marty Sheargold at The Playhouse?
The Red Card Tour is on Saturday 14 November at 8pm in The Playhouse. The Theatre Centre lists it at approximately 1 hour 15 minutes with no interval. Tickets are $69.90 standard and $64.90 concession (full-time student, health care card holder or pension card holder), with groups of 10 or more at $64.90 a person. The page says the show contains coarse language and flashing lights and is not suitable for audiences aged 15 and under. The same 72-hour ticket delivery rule applies.
When is Ben Macintyre on stage?
An Evening with Ben Macintyre is on Sunday 15 November at 6:30pm in the Canberra Theatre. The page describes a live telling of the Cold War story of KGB Major Vladimir Kuzichkin, codename “Redwood”, and says the show runs approximately 1 hour 50 minutes including an interval. The price table lists Premium at $139. A Reserve is $119. B Reserve is $59. C Reserve is $39. The VIP Meet and Greet is $250 and includes a premium seat, a post-show meet and greet, a photo opportunity, a signed book and a lanyard.
Where does the Stromlo Running Festival fit in?
The festival runs over both days at Stromlo Forest Park. On Saturday 14 November the marathon starts at 5:50am, the SRF30 at 6:30am and the SRF15 at 7:00am. On Sunday 15 November the SRF10 starts at 7:30am, the SRF5 at 8:00am and the kids’ 2.5K at about 9:30am. The organiser’s FAQ says entries cannot be taken on the day. Bib collection opens on Friday 13 November from 12pm to 5pm at the event hub, and from 5:30am on Saturday and 7:00am on Sunday. The park’s parking page lists 487 paid spaces: 15 minutes free, then $1.90 up to 3 hours, $2.90 up to 6 hours and $4.00 beyond. The park says there is no direct public transport. Our Stromlo Running Festival guide has the full start-time table and prices.
What else is on at the end of the Craft + Design Canberra Festival?
The festival’s program lists several events on the final days. The dates and times below are as printed on each event page:
| Event | When | Where | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closing Party: Dance of Dissent | Sat 14 Nov, 6pm to 8pm | National Film and Sound Archive courtyard, 1 McCoy Circuit, Acton | $30; $24 for festival members; booking required |
| Nightwalks with Teenagers | Thu 12, Fri 13 and Sat 14 Nov, 7:30pm; about 1.5 to 3 hours | Civic: meets in Glebe Park and ends in Haig Park | $15; booking required |
| Pattern Play workshop | Sat 14 Nov, 10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm | Ainslie Arts Centre, 30 Elouera Street, Braddon | Free; drop in during session times |
| Reflective Clay workshop | Sat 14 Nov, 11am, noon and 1:30pm (45-minute sessions) | Ainslie Arts Centre, 30 Elouera Street, Braddon | Free; booking required |
| Walk on Country with Tyronne Bell | Sun 15 Nov, 10am to noon | Black Mountain | $85; $68 for festival members |
| Canberra Open Homes: Secret Garden House | Sun 15 Nov, 2:30pm to 3:30pm | 26 Hackett Gardens, Turner | $35; $28 for AIA or festival members |
The festival organiser’s description of the Closing Party says it takes place in the courtyard of the National Film and Sound Archive and combines solo performances by leading female dancers with an ensemble work by the Chamaeleon Collective.
Where do I park for the Civic shows?
The ACT Government’s city parking article says City Hill and the Canberra Olympic Pool car parks have free parking Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30pm to 8:30am. That covers the evening sessions: Friday’s Nutcracker at 7pm, Saturday’s 7pm Nutcracker and 8pm Marty Sheargold, and Sunday’s 6:30pm Ben Macintyre. It does not cover Saturday’s 1:30pm matinee, which starts before the free window opens.
The Theatre Lane car park behind the Theatre Centre is described differently by two official sources. The ACT Government article says it reopens from Saturday 31 October with 57 bays; the Theatre Centre’s own page is described in our Theatre Centre parking guide as saying it is closed. Our Theatre Centre parking guide sets out both statements, and our city centre car park fees guide lists the other car parks and prices.
Is public transport free on Friday and Saturday night?
The ACT Government says travel is free on all buses and light rail every Friday and Saturday evening from 6pm onwards, and that you tap on and off as normal. That applies to the Friday evening Nutcracker, the Saturday evening shows and the NFSA Closing Party. Sunday evening is not part of that offer, so Ben Macintyre’s 6:30pm session is on normal fares. For fares, see our MyWay+ fares guide.
Weekend planner
| Time | Friday 13 November | Saturday 14 November | Sunday 15 November |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | Stromlo bib collection 12pm to 5pm | Marathon 5:50am, SRF30 6:30am, SRF15 7:00am | SRF10 7:30am, SRF5 8:00am, kids 2.5K about 9:30am |
| Daytime | Nutcracker 1:30pm; Pattern Play 10am and 1pm; Reflective Clay 11am, noon, 1:30pm | Walk on Country 10am; Secret Garden House 2:30pm | |
| Evening | Nutcracker 7pm; Nightwalks 7:30pm | Closing Party 6pm; Nutcracker 7pm; Nightwalks 7:30pm; Marty Sheargold 8pm | Ben Macintyre 6:30pm |
Sources
- Canberra Theatre Centre: Victorian State Ballet, The Nutcracker (checked 7 November 2026)
- Canberra Theatre Centre: Marty Sheargold, The Red Card Tour (checked 7 November 2026)
- Canberra Theatre Centre: An Evening with Ben Macintyre (checked 7 November 2026)
- Stromlo Running Festival: schedule (checked 7 November 2026)
- Stromlo Forest Park: parking (checked 26 October 2026)
- Craft + Design Canberra Festival: program (checked 7 November 2026)
- ACT Government, Our CBR: Where to park in Canberra city centre (dated 28 October 2026; checked 7 November 2026)
Images: National Film and Sound Archive (photo: Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added for the featured image); Canberra Theatre Centre and its stage door side (photo: Shkuru Afshar / CC BY-SA 4.0); Stromlo Forest Park (photo: Bidgee / CC BY-SA 3.0 au); Ainslie Arts Centre (photo: Nick-D / CC BY-SA 4.0); Haig Park (photo: Nick-D / CC BY-SA 4.0).
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Canberra Theatre Centre, Victorian State Ballet, Stromlo Running Festival, Craft + Design Canberra or the ACT Government. Times, prices and parking arrangements can change; check the official pages above before you go.