ABOUT

We are SO EXCITED to announce the return of The Canberra Kinetic Sculpture Race! 

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On Nov. 7th , 2026, Canberra will be filled with wacky, colourful moving sculptures, racing at Lake Burley Griffin to test their human-powered engineering in the most terrifying arena of all: the water. Will they make it across the sandy beach? Will the sculptures sink or swim? Most of all, who will go home crowned Grand Champion, superior across the fields of Art, Engineering, Speed, and Pageantry?

 

Kinetic sculpture racing is a worldwide phenomenon. It’s known as the Triathlon of the Art World. In the words of the founder, it’s 'adults having fun, so kids want to grow up'. A kinetic sculpture is a human-powered art-car loaded up with kinetic thrills - a beating heart, a fire-breathing dragon, a spinning flower or an unfurling sail. Kinetic sculpture racing is an all-terrain quest for glory which stops at nothing to reach the finish line, with an overarching mandate to have FUN. If you like to laugh, then kinetic sculpture racing is the art form you never knew you excelled at. 

 

The history of kinetic sculpture racing dates back 50 years, to Hobart Brown, artist and visionary, who modified his child’s tricycle and challenged his neighbour to a race. From that beginning, kinetic sculpture racing has flourished and there are now multi-day races across the world. In 2022, this tradition arrived in Canberra and now we are back to see what those teams have learned. Whatever your interests, there’s a role for you in kinetic sculpture racing. Whether a spectator, volunteer, race marshall, judge, artist, engineer, maker, do-er, creator or tinkerer, we encourage you to start chatting to friends now and making new ones. 

 

Stay tuned for updates on the course route, challenges and festivities! In the meantime, check out the ‘How to Get Involved’ page for more information on the grants for teams and volunteer expressions of interest. 

 

Sign up here to stay informed.

 

And click here to join the Facebook community and connect with the Canberra Kinetic Sculpture Race community.

 

 Get a team together, register, and build your human-powered, amphibious art-car. 

 

We’re so excited to see you there!