A 99th birthday celebration in March featuring more than 50 events will give Canberra a preview of what's to come in next year's centenary.
The Canberra Festival this year will be the largest celebration since the festival started, and the one in centenary year will be even bigger.
Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr launched yesterday the 2012 Canberra Festival, which will run from Friday, March 2, until Sunday, March 18.
''This is the most diverse program we have seen for the Canberra Festival in living memory,'' Mr Barr said.
''It's the strongest showcase of performers, and a great array of artistic balance is coming to the capital,'' the minister said.
The 17-day celebration features more than 50 unique events, including the Balloon Spectacular, Symphony in the Park and a showcase of works by local film-makers.
Enlighten kicks off the festival with an array of free and ticketed night time activities over four of the nights. As part of the festivities, the Australian Ballet will celebrate its 50th birthday.
These events will be presented against the backdrop of Lake Burley Griffin.
''It enlivens our city and enables us to showcase the exceptional diversity and talent across our national capital,'' Mr Barr said. .
The line-up for this year's festival is just a small taste of the year-long celebrations scheduled for the 100th birthday of the city next year.
The festival has a budget of $1.8 million, with $400,000 of that in sponsorship - the largest sponsor being ACTTAB.
''We are certainly looking to establish a long-term legacy for this period in our event calender as we move through this event and 2013,'' Mr Barr said.
''Clearly the centenary will be a significant year for the city and significant in developing a strong and ongoing events program for Canberra as we move into our second century.''
This year's celebration will culminate with Skyfire on the final weekend, which traditionally attracts around 150,000 people.
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