Canberra's 7,500-seat centre and lyric theatre: $34 million a year

The planned Convention and Entertainment Centre is described as three to four times larger than the existing facility. The government says that scale would let the city draw more national and international business events, capture more of the economic benefit from conferences and conventions, and host major concerts, sporting events and performances.

The new 2,000-seat lyric theatre is scheduled to open in 2028. The release says it will have a larger capacity than existing theatres at the Canberra Theatre Centre, which the government expects to attract major productions that currently bypass Canberra.

Barr said the two venues would form an events precinct capable of hosting activity almost every day and night of the year. In the release he called them “once-in-a-generation projects that will support local jobs” across hospitality, accommodation, retail, entertainment, production and event services.

The numbers

The government’s figures, as stated in the release, are:

• Convention and Entertainment Centre: 7,500 seats, three to four times larger than the existing facility, still in planning.
• Lyric theatre: 2,000 seats, under construction, scheduled to open in 2028.
• Projected economic contribution: by year five of operation, the lyric theatre is projected to contribute almost $34 million each year to Canberra’s economy.
• Projected visitor nights: more than 111,000 annually by the same point.

These are government projections, not outcomes. The release does not set out the assumptions behind the $34 million or the visitor night estimate, and it gives no construction cost, site or delivery date for the convention centre.

The release also says Canberra’s visitor economy is on track to meet the $1 billion growth target set under the T2030 Phase 2 tourism strategy.

What’s next

For the Convention and Entertainment Centre, the release says only that planning continues. No timeline for approvals, funding or construction is given.

The lyric theatre is the nearer milestone, with its opening scheduled for 2028. Our earlier coverage of a separate Canberra visitor accommodation project is at Manuka Hilton.

Light Rail Stage 2A is described as connecting the city centre with Commonwealth Park, Lake Burley Griffin and the new Canberra Aquatic Centre. The government says the line will support urban renewal, housing growth and increased economic activity.

Barr said the aim is to increase overnight stays, lift visitor spending and attract more international visitors as the city approaches a population of more than half a million people.

Source: ACT Government media release by Chief Minister Andrew Barr, 10 November 2026.