Canberra's streets are set to roar as the 38th Summernats festival kicks off, bringing significant changes to roads and public transport across the city's inner north. Whether you're a revhead, a daily commuter, or a local resident, planning your journey is essential from Thursday, January 8.
Major road closures and traffic impacts
The iconic City Cruise on Northbourne Avenue will cause the first major disruption on Thursday. The avenue will be fully closed between 12pm and 1pm for the parade of vehicles. This comes on top of existing roadworks in the area.
Temporary rolling closures will also affect Braddon, Dickson, Downer, and Watson intermittently between 11am and 1.30pm. Key impacted routes include the southbound lanes of the Federal Highway between Antill Street and the Barton Highway, and both lanes of Northbourne Avenue from Flemington Road to Rudd Street.
For the main event at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), Flemington Road will be closed between the Federal Highway and Randwick Road for most of the four-day festival. Closures run from 7am to 11.59pm on Thursday, 7am Friday to 1am Saturday, 7am Saturday to 1am Sunday, and 7am to 7pm on Sunday.
In Watson, Stirling Avenue will be shut from 7pm Thursday until 7pm Sunday, with access maintained for local traffic only.
Public transport adjustments: Light rail and buses
Public transport services will see significant alterations to accommodate the festival crowds and road closures.
Light rail services will be suspended between the Alinga Street and Sandford Street stops from 12pm to 1pm on Thursday for the City Cruise. The last direct services in both directions will depart at 11.40am, with normal service resuming from 1pm. However, extra services will run during peak event hours on Friday (6.30pm-11.30pm) and Saturday (8.30pm-11.30pm).
Bus route 18, which runs from Dickson to Gungahlin via Mitchell and Franklin, will be diverted from the first service Thursday to the last service Sunday. Stops on Sandford Street, Philip Avenue on the Federal Highway, and at the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre will be bypassed for the festival's duration. Temporary stops will be established at the end of Hoskins Street before Sandford Street.
Additionally, due to light rail Stage 2A construction, platforms 1, 2, 3, and 4 at the City bus interchange will remain closed until Sunday, February 1, with alternate boarding arrangements in place.
Braddon Fringe Festival and event details
The popular Braddon Fringe Festival will transform Lonsdale Street into a nightly venue from 5pm on January 8, 9, and 10. To facilitate this, five surrounding roads will be closed from 3pm until midnight each day:
- Mort Street from Cooyong Street to Girrahween Street
- Lonsdale Street from Cooyong Street to Girrahween Street
- Elouera Street from Mort Street to Torrens Street
- Torrens Street from Cooyong Street to Girrahween Street
- Girrahween Street from Mort Street to Torrens Street
Local residents will retain access to enter and exit their streets during these times.
Key advice for navigating Summernats
Transport Canberra and event organisers are urging all travellers to plan ahead. A major incentive is that public transport will be free on Friday and Saturday after 6pm for all bus and light rail services. Passengers can simply tap on with a physical bank card, a digital wallet, or a MyWay+ card.
All road users are advised to travel outside peak times where possible and to use navigation apps like Waze, Live Traffic, Google Maps, or Apple Maps to check real-time traffic conditions before setting out.
The EPIC Park and Ride facility will be closed until 7pm on Monday, January 12. Users are directed to use nearby parking at Well Station Drive and Swinden Street instead.
With record crowds expected following last year's attendance of over 130,000, allowing extra time for your journey is the best strategy for a smooth Summernats experience.
