Glass, Grain & Quiet Rebellion

Canberra’s makers take over the capital for eleven days of craft, design and a little dissent. 

From 5 to 15 November 2026, the Craft + Design Canberra Festival brings more than 500 artists, makers, designers and creative thinkers together across over 130 events, turning studios, galleries and public spaces into places to watch, touch and learn. This year’s theme, DISSENT, asks how craft and design can question what exists and imagine different ways forward. 

Beyond the exhibitions lies a programme as varied as the materials behind it. Wander through open studios and markets, join a hands-on workshop, or follow one of the curated itineraries, from First Nations Voices to Canberra as a City of Design. At the centre of it all sits a simple idea: the handmade and the locally made still matter, and that good design is felt as much as it is seen. 

Tucked inside the NewActon Cultural Precinct, Ovolo Canberra channels this sentiment wholeheartedly, from its restored timber to the contemporary local art on its walls.  

Downstairs, Monster Kitchen & Bar feels like the living room of a well-travelled friend, with seasonal shared plates, cocktails that follow the calendar and an original 1950s floral carpet underfoot, creating the natural place to unpack the day’s discoveries over a glass of wine. 

Skip the rushed day trip, borrow a complimentary city bike for the ride between studios, and make a long weekend of it all at Ovolo Canberra. We’ll see you soon.