Celebrating 60 Years
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A dazzling night of celebration, capturing of memories + much more to come
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE TO CELEBRATE 60 SENSATIONAL YEARS IN 2025
A Message from the Governor-General for the Canberra Theatre Centre’s 60th Anniversary
Australia’s first performing arts centre, the Canberra Theatre Centre, is gearing up for a massive year in 2025 as we celebrate our Diamond Anniversary.
An exceptional program of celebratory events and special performances are planned throughout the year, including the stunning return of one of Australia’s most treasured performing arts companies.
On 24 June 1965, The Australian Ballet opened the Canberra Theatre Centre and will return exactly 60 years later to celebrate our diamond birthday.
Johan Inger’s award-winning production of Carmen will be an exhilarating journey that thrusts Georges Bizet’s 19th-century opera into the modern world with a breathtaking display of athleticism and passion.
“We are thrilled to welcome back The Australian Ballet, 60 years to the day that they opened the Canberra Theatre Centre to great fanfare in 1965. Much has changed over the decades, however the national ballet company has remained one of the nation’s great arts organisations. I am so delighted that the company will bring Carmen to our theatre – it is a work that genuinely celebrates the great traditions of ballet while simultaneously helping us boldly imagine the next sixty years of our future. We can’t wait to celebrate our 60 with our audiences at the exquisite Carmen.”
Alex Budd
Director, Canberra Theatre Centre
To celebrate the special occasion, the Canberra Theatre Centre will be hosting a dazzling opening night celebration, which is now on sale. Tickets are exclusively available to those who have purchased tickets to Carmen on Friday 20 June.
Don’t miss out on your chance to raise a glass of champagne and indulge in exquisite canapés as we mark this extraordinary milestone.
With a jam-packed program of activities planned for throughout our diamond anniversary, stay tuned for further exciting announcements. We’ve got plenty more in store for 2025 which we can’t wait to share with you – very soon!
Memory Capture Project
As part of our 60th year of celebrations, it’s important to remember the people, shows and experiences shared by Canberrans in decades gone by.
To do this, the Canberra Theatre Centre is embarking on a memory capture project, where we’re hoping to connect with our community to hear their stories and share their photos, videos and memories of time spent at the theatre.
Did you used to work at the theatre? Have you performed on the stage? What’s the best show you’ve attended over the years? Were you at the opening night back in 1965?
We’ve launched an online portal where members of the community can submit their memories, including attaching files. However, we’d also love the media’s help to bring attention to the project and join us as we take a trip down memory lane.