Mark your calendars, Cairns Festival is back from 25 August to 3 September and it's going to be a feast for the senses.
Last year, over 100,000 people attended an array of events, from the ever-popular Grand Parade and Carnival on Collins, to projections and immersive lighting installations and live music, as well as fireworks and art exhibitions.
This year's program is set to be more thrilling and diverse, packed with an array of events that will showcase the rich cultural identity of Cairns, including the much-anticipated return of Reef Lights at the Esplanade Lagoon.
The program also includes:
- The Grand Parade and fireworks display on 26 August
- City Lights, which will light up the Cairns City Library façade with its annual projection
- A showcase of talent at Festival HQ, located on the lawn at the Court House Gallery during the festival featuring an impressive line-up of local performers
- Carnival on Collins on 3 September
- Live performances by iconic acts such as the Soweto Gospel Choir, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Gulgi-barra(Sand Stories) by Miriki down by the Esplanade Lagoon
- Roald Dahl's The Twits will be brought to life by Shake & Stir Theatre Co at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre.
Spanning 10 days and across multiple venues, Mayor Bob Manning said Cairns Festival was the biggest arts and culture event on the Cairns calendar.
"Whether you are local or visitor, Cairns Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate our vibrant Tropical North Queensland city, and everything that makes it so unique," he said.
"Over the past six decades, the festival has grown into a staple fixture on the regional Queensland events calendar, drawing thousands of people to our city.
"This year's program provides entertainment for all ages, with the return of events like the Grand Parade and fireworks, as well as the interactive Reef Lights that was so popular last year.
"Put those together with world-class national and international music, theatre, art, film, and comedy events, and you have a 'feast for the senses'."
In a coup for Cairns, the city has been chosen as the destination for the annual Australian Performing Arts Exchange conference by PAC Australia, which will be held during the Cairns Festival.
"This event, which has been held annually since 1986, brings together 350 to 500 industry leaders in performing arts from around the country and abroad," Cr Manning said.
"Having the conference during Cairns Festival is a great opportunity to showcase the city's world-class facilities, regional talent and venue-based skills to a national and international audience."
The 2023 event will be the first fully physical event since 2019, when COVID-19 restrictions forced it to be held through a digital medium.
