Canberra’s weekend starts tonight. Karnivool are next.

G Flip brings the Bed On Fire show to Canberra tonight, with Lucky in support. If your weekend can start on a Thursday, here’s your excuse. It’s an all-ages show, too.

The flowers get the lights, but the stages deserve your attention. NightFest opens tonight, with a different headline bill each evening.

That gives you everything from a Tim Finn singalong to Pacific Avenue on Saturday and The Temper Trap to finish the weekend. “Sweet Disposition” under the lights? Pretty decent Sunday plan.

Essence takes over The Baso for a weekend of underground heavy, extreme and experimental music. The Amenta, Suldusk, Halo of Teeth and Burial Pit are among the names on the bill, with Friday’s Essentia Vermis pre-fest kicking things off.

Three days in one venue, with individual day tickets available if you’re only committing to part of the chaos.

Belco’s other festival option comes with a blues soundtrack. Friday’s programme includes Minh Ha, James Southwell & Adrian Hrebert, and Necko. Saturday starts in the afternoon, with Marji Curran Duo, Divine Devilles Duo, Bill Barber and James Southwell Band among the acts.

Make an afternoon of it, settle in and see where the night goes.

Vlads bring their Finding Foreverland tour to Fun Time Pony on Saturday. Another option if you’re keeping your night in the city and want a gig on the calendar.

Here’s one for the diary beyond this weekend: Karnivool are coming to Canberra.

The Perth band’s In Verses regional run stops at UC Refectory on Friday 27 November. Big riffs, a Canberra date and no need to organise an interstate trip. We’ll take it.

To close the loop on yesterday’s grand final speculation: Silverchair won’t be playing.

Daniel Johns, Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou put out a joint statement backing the Knights and answering the reunion question: “We’re way too rusty, so sorry, no can do.” They’ll be supporting Newcastle in spirit, but won’t be taking the stage.

It was fun while it lasted. The Johns brothers can put the reunion mission on ice.

Macklemore’s Free Palestine run kicks off later this month: Dublin on 26 October, Paris on 29 October and London on 30 October. Proceeds will support Palestinian aid organisations, with further artists and US dates still to be announced.

Which brings us back to Tones And I. Her management said a prior commitment with Macklemore in America was why she couldn’t make the NRL grand final offer work, adding that nothing had been signed or confirmed.

That gives us a reason to keep an eye out for her alongside Macklemore. A Free Palestine guest appearance hasn’t been confirmed, though, and the announced European dates are a separate proposition from the American commitment her team described. We’ll be watching the next announcement.