Australia Day - Beyond the BBQ

Australia Day celebrations in the national capital provide the perfect opportunity to celebrate our nation's history and delve into the stories that form our national identity.

Following the announcement of the Australian of the Year awards, celebrations across the country kick off with the Australia Celebrates Live concert on Saturday, 25 January on the lawns of Parliament House.

Matt Corby will kick off the free concert, performing a full set as part of the new format.
Matt Corby is just one of an all-star line-up of home-grown talent for this annual Australia Day eve celebration. He will be joined on stage by award-winning singer Megan Washington. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Lior is also on the bill, and in a first for the annual concert, he will perform a special one-hour tribute from 5pm honouring the outgoing Australians of the Year. This hour-long tribute will feature Lior's own hits and some of Australia's great classics.

VisitCanberra director Ian Hill said there's no better time to visit the national capital than on Australia Day.

'Australia Day is the perfect opportunity to see the Australian of the Year awards live, enjoy a fantastic concert at a unique venue and explore world class national attractions in Canberra,' Mr Hill said. 'Have fun, relax and connect with the stories from Australia's past and present that has helped shaped our national identity.'

Following local Australia Day celebrations, explore the National Museum of Australia, a social history museum with a focus on Indigenous histories and cultures, and histories of European settlement. See the nation's most popular and important objects - from Phar Lap's heart and the Holden Prototype No.1 to bark paintings and ochre used by Aboriginal artists more than 50,000 years ago in the Gallery of First Australians.

On 26 January the museum is hosting an Australia Day Festival for the whole family with hip-hop dance workshops, reptile displays and the stars of television show Yamba's Playtime. It's the perfect opportunity to experience the new exhibitions Old Masters and On Country with curator talks, hands-on craft and entertainment.

Discover treasures from the Australian War Memorial's archives in the ANZAC Voices exhibition. From the compelling pages of soldiers' letters and diaries come personal stories that reveal the realities of war for the ANZACs. ANZAC Voices will remain on display until the redeveloped First World War galleries open in late November 2014 to mark the centenary of the First World War.

Come face to face with the famous, the infamous and the sometimes forgotten icons of Australian history, from the distant past to the absolute present, at the National Portrait Gallery. Bushrangers and judges sit side by side, while prime ministers mingle with pop stars.

Matt Corby

Visit Parliament House to see national treasures and one of Australia's best art collections. As a special celebration of the building's 25th anniversary, 25 artworks by some of Australia's most notable artists are on display. Follow the 25 Treasures trail through the building to find art by the likes of Arthur Boyd, Michael Nelson Jagamara, Sidney Nolan, Grace Cossington Smith, Rover Thomas and Gloria Tamerre Petyarre.

Visit the home of Australia's National Art Collection, the National Gallery of Australia, which has more than 165,000 works and includes Australia's largest collection of Indigenous Australian artwork; celebrate the spirit of democracy at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House through collections, events, exhibitions and special programs; or discover Australia in film at the National Film and Sound Archive.