Why Everyone Is Talking About Canberra RN

It’s all going on in the national capital

It all started when Lonely Planet ranked Canberra as number three in its top 10 cities in the world last year. Number three! In the world! They called Canberra ‘criminally overlooked’ and we think it has been.

Canberra is, in fact, in the middle of a quiet revolution and tourists are heading inland to experience it. Here’s why:

@verabluemusic via @jessgleeson at Spilt Milk 2018

Festival heaven

While it seems the rest of Australia is doing its best to shut down all the music festivals, Canberra keeps on hosting them! From Groovin the Moo (April) and Spilt Milk (November) to the Canberra International Music Festival (May) and the *classic* Summernats car festival (Jan), it’s festival time all year round in the ‘Berra.

via Instagram @mollybarcanberra

Late-night culture
Recently, a tide of small bars has been popping up in hard-to-find places all around the city. Our favourite? The 1920s-inspired Prohibition bar Molly, which is hidden in a former bank vault in the CBD. Order one of their 350 whiskeys and take up a position at the bar.

New Acton via Instagram @simonrlondon

New hip precincts
Adding to these new bars is a burgeoning new group of ultra modern suburbs offering new cafes, hip hotels and bespoke shopping. Luckily for tourists the two most dynamic, Braddon and New Acton, are within walking distance of the CBD, making them perfect for a late night out.

Ovolo Nishi (Previously Hotel Hotel) via Instagram @johngollings

Ovolo Nishi Interior via @monsterkitchenbar

Monster Kitchen and Bar, Ovolo Nishi. Image via Instagram @monsterkitchenbar

Luxe hotels
Canberra has finally caught up in the hotel department, too. The turning point was the opening of Hotel Hotel (now known as Ovolo Nishi), which is so cool it’s considered a ‘destination hotel’. Been there? Try the uber sleek Little National or the eternally eclectic QT Canberra instead!