On the first day of Christmas, Council gave two dozen up-and-coming artists the chance to showcase their skills as part of the 12 Days of Young Artists Competition.
The competition, formerly known as the Festive Flags Competition, celebrates and promotes Townsville students' artworks in the lead up to Christmas.
This year's evolution of the initiative will give students the chance to have their artwork showcased across Townsville, marking the beginning of Council's Christmas festivities with a range of experiences set to be unveiled across the city in the coming months.
Mayor Nick Dametto said the 2026 theme for young artists was Christmas in Townsville.
"It's hard to believe, but Christmas is just around the corner, so I'm calling on our city's young artists to get into the festive spirit and design a bauble that celebrates a tropical Townsville Christmas," Cr Dametto said.
"This year's competition is split into two categories, with 12 winners to be selected in the prep to grade six category, and another 12 winners to be selected in the grade seven to 12 category.
"All of our competition winners will receive a personalised certificate, a sticker sheet featuring their very own design and 10 Christmas cards featuring their artwork, as well as the satisfaction of seeing their artwork help dress the city this Christmas."
Winning designs will be included on billboards across Townsville to help get locals and tourists into the festive spirit during the lead up to Christmas.
The 12 Days of Young Artists Competition is open until 11:30pm, Sunday 18 October 2026. Entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian or teacher.
To see the full competition details and download the Christmas bauble submission template, visit 12 Days of Young Artists Competition. Designs can be submitted online, or in person at your nearest Townsville Citylibraries branch or Council's SERVE Centre at 103 Walker Street.
