Named Surface, it's the first such festival held by the ACT Government, and will see art displayed on 30 surfaces across Canberra in the first weekend of March.

Most will feature in Civic, Braddon and the National Triangle, but a "Tram Stop Sketch and Eat" event will start in Gungahlin, while there will also be a Woden Youth Street Art Festival and an outdoor exhibition at the Woden drains on the southside.

"Surface will support artists and businesses by encouraging Canberrans to wander through our city and shop, dine or drink local - as blank walls come alive with vivid urban artworks," ACT Minister for City Services Chris Steel said in a statement.

ACT Minister for Arts and Business Tara Cheyne said it would be "an incredibly accessible event", with people able to participate at their own pace, choose between free or paid events and observe or participate.

In a statement, Surface Festival Producer Tim Phibs said the initiative would channel "contemporary placemaking, urban cultural renewal, and community connection".

It explores and broadens existing notions of artmaking and asks us to think about art and its role as a cultural compass, both on and off the street."

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