Canberra International Music Festival has announced its 2021 program. “For this festival, we’re taking you to Vienna, recently crowned as the most liveable city in the world,” Artistic Director Roland Peelman says. “That means, it’s sort of up there with places like Canberra, because there’s nature, birds and trees everywhere, beautiful vistas, and great colours, particularly in Autumn. But above all, there’s art and culture.”

Canberra International Music Festival Artistic Director Roland Peelman. Photo © Anthony Browell

Following the cancellation of the 2020 Festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic, next year’s Festival will feature all Australian artists. “For the 2021 Festival, we have assembled artists from all corners of Australia,” Peelman says.

There will be strong a focus on Indigenous musicians, with the Festival line-up including Brenda Gifford, Chris Sainsbury, Nardi Simpson, William Barton, Eric Avery, the Tiwi Strong Women and the Wilfred brothers from Arnhem Land. “Indeed, we are featuring Indigenous artists at every single day of this year’s Festival,”...