Creatures and aliens light up the city centre during Enlighten

The city is also alive during Canberra's festival of light.

There is everything from illuminated prehistoric beasts to crazy inflated aliens adding to the spectacle every night across the city, from Civic Square to City Walk to the Canberra Centre.

Civic Square and City Walk are playing host to illuminated, finely- rafted prehistoric creatures each evening from 5pm to 11pm until March 13.

Life-sized puppets, including a T-Rex and prehistoric emu, are also roving the city each night from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

The City Renewal Authority is collaborating with Events ACT and the Cultural Facilities Corporation to expand the official footprint of the much-loved Enlighten Festival to include the City Illuminations.

City Renewal Authority Acting CEO Craig Gillman said that the city centre illuminations and activities would complement the broader Enlighten program and offer an immersive and fun experience for all ages to enjoy.

"Building on the success of previous years, we are excited to bring Enlighten Festival back into the city centre to encourage people to eat, drink, meet friends and be entertained," Mr Gillman said.

The roving puppets are from the Erth production company, an innovator of physical and visual theatre.

Erth's artistic director Scott Wright said Enlighten would feature an array of prehistoric creatures, ranging from the first early life forms from 555 million years ago to dinosaurs that roamed earth up 66 million years ago.

"Come visit us - there is no telling who or what we may have lurking within the shadows or roaming in full view," Mr Wright said.

"You'll have to see it with your own eyes and maybe even encounter the most unlikely creatures."

The Canberra Centre is also getting in on the Enlighten fun, playing host to a space-themed activation until March 19.

Eleven giant inflatable characters have taken over the centre, ranging from 1.5m to 6.5 metres, each a fun take on rockets, UFOs, space observatories, satellite dishes and moon rocks.

Canberra Centre general manager Gary Stewart said the national capital was lucky to be the first to experience the ground-breaking activation.

"Each of the characters is incredibly interactive in a way we've never seen, nor experienced before in the centre," he said.

"Motion sensor eyes will follow you as you walk past, and space and rocket sounds will blast out. There will also be a range of QR codes linked to interesting space science facts which children can discover with each new character they meet."

Cultural Facilities Corporation CEO Gordon Ramsay said the Canberra Museum and Gallery and Canberra Theatre Centre - both in Civic Square - were also part of City Illuminations @Enlighten.

"We have a great program of performances on at the theatre and new exhibitions throughout CMAG, as well as family activities in CMAG and a themed bar on the theatre terrace. And we are very excited to have a fossilised Diprotodon skeleton in the CMAG foyer, on loan from the Australia Museum," he said.