Enlighten Canberra

A projection on the National Library of Australia during the 2012 Enlighten festival

In 2008 ACT Labor made an election promise to deliver a new autumn event for Canberra, Australia—this was the beginnings of Enlighten Canberra.[3][4] In December 2010, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation Andrew Barr, announced the ACT Government Enlighten would be a major annual event, commencing in March 2011. He said national attractions that would participate with lit facades after dark included the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House and Old Parliament House. Ticketed events were also announced, including headline international acts in concert.[5]

In its first year, along with other events, Enlighten hosted rock band INXS,[6] jazz guitarist George Benson,[7] and world-music supergroup Afro Celt Sound System.[8] To help promote Enlighten, INXS arrived in Canberra in a helicopter, landing on the lawns of Old Parliament House two weeks before their concert appearance.[9] INXS band member Kirk Pengilly told reporters that the show planned for Enlighten 2011 was "probably the biggest production that we've put on at any show in Australia."[10] As part of the festival, cultural institutions in the Parliamentary triangle were illuminated after dark, including Old Parliament House, Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia.

Despite the big-ticket performances and media stunts, the inaugural festival cost $2.4 million,[11] and there was poor community interest,[12][13] with just 8600 visitors.[14] The first Enlighten did however attract 2400 visitors from interstate or overseas who came to Canberra specifically for Enlighten or extended their stay because of it.[15]

The slogan for Enlighten, announced in December 2010, is "See Canberra in a whole new light"[16]

In its second year, Enlighten was made a part of the Canberra Festival.[17][18] The merging of the festivals was met with criticism from the Canberra branch of the Liberal Party of Australia, with Canberra Liberal Brendan Smyth describing the Labor Government's attempt to create a new festival as "embarrassing".[19] The Enlighten entertainment lineup featured in the 2012 event was scaled back significantly from the 2011 event to instead feature local Canberra artists including Owen Campbell.[20] Of the nearly 100 artists contracted to perform in the 2012 festival, 53 per cent were local artists, paid 11.5 per cent of the Enlighten programming budget that year.[21] In 2012 Questacon and the National Portrait Gallery became canvasses for projection for the first time—they had not been lit in the 2011 Enlighten festival.[22]

A 2014 Enlighten projection on Questacon

In 2013, along with the large-scale building illuminations featured in the previous two events,[23][24] Enlighten hosted a spiegeltent for the first time. The tent put on dozens of shows featuring comics, acrobats and musicians.[25][26] The festival also included Canberra's first Dîner en Blanc, a pop-up picnic in which all guests dress in white and bring their own food, table, table-setting and chair.[27] More than 700 people attended the picnic, the third Dîner en Blanc to be held in Australia.[28] Dîner en Blanc was repeated in 2014, with over 800 people attending, but the dinner was not included as part of Enlighten 2015.[29] Film screenings and after hours tours were also offered,[30][31] and American soul singer Charles Bradley performed as part of the 2014 festival.[32]

Visitors to the 2016 Enlighten Night Noodle Markets, in the lawns to the north of Old Parliament House.

In November 2014, the ACT Government announced the Night Noodle Markets would be coming to Canberra during the Enlighten Festival in 2015. The Night Noodle Markets feature Asian-themed street-food vendors.[33] ACT Tourism Minister Andrew Barr told media that Canberra's Night Noodle Markets were expected to host up to 25 hawker style food stalls,[34] and that the ACT Government had committed $200,000 to bring the 2015 noodle markets to the city.[35] Around 156,000 peoples visited the inaugural Enlighten Night Noodle Markets—of whom 24,000 visited on the opening night,[36] far exceeding expectations.[37]

In 2016, alongside the Night Noodle Markets, Enlighten featured an installation by Amanda Parer of five illuminated white rabbits standing at 7 metres (23 ft).[38][39] Parer described the rabbits as metaphors for the mismanagement of the environment.[40] Free concerts held over the consecutive weekends featured indie rock Australian band Augie March and American alternative country musical group Calexico.[41]

Ahead of the 2016 ACT election the Labor party committed to spend $3.72 million to continue Enlighten in 2017, 2018 and 2019.[42]

Enlighten in 2020 just missed the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. It still went ahead in 2021, under some restrictions as most events and installations were ticketed and required online pre-registration to allow contact tracing. The Night Noodle Markets were not held, replaced by Late Night Treats. The Skyfire fireworks show was also cancelled that year.[43]