The first festival celebrating cultural diversity was held in 1981 as a one-day event on Australia Day hosted by the ACT Ethnic Communities Council.

[7] In 1997, the newly established ACT Office of Multicultural Affairs staged the first week-long Festival as a means of celebrating Canberra and Australia's cultural diversity.

[10] The ACT Government announced in 2013 that the kava trial had been a success and there would be a permanent lifting of the ban on the drink at the National Multicultural Festival.

[11] The Out In Canberra People's Choice Awards in 2013 named the National Multicultural Festival Favourite Attraction and Event.

[15] The 2014 event reportedly injected $5 million into the ACT economy and contributed to an additional 10,000 overnight stays in Canberra by interstate and international visitors.

[21][22] The 2013 Fringe ran for just one night; its budget was allocated from ACT Government arts funding on a competitive basis.