If you have not already made your holiday plans and booked your accommodation for the Cairns Festival you had better jump to it because this year’s event is filled with some huge headlining international and local acts just for your entertainment.
If you live on the Atherton Tablelands, Port Douglas or even in the Cairns northern beaches we recommend you really take advantage of this festival and make a weekend of it with your family and friends.
There is entertainment for the children and entertainment for adults in the various zones around the city.
Starting with the CQ University Busk at Dusk. This will be on the Cairns Esplanade at 5:30pm. This is the place to bring an instrument along and assist Cairns to break the world’s largest busking record. To be part of this historic event you will need to register at www.cqu.edu.au/buskatdusk so please encourage as many of your friends as possible - the city needs more than 388 performers to break the record!
If art or human art is your thing then head on over to the Kick Arts Contemporary Arts centre in Abbott Street at 6:00pm and join the human knitting chain for some fun.
Also at the same time at Kick Arts you can join in the Torrid Zone Party which is a mixture of performances by the duo Bonemap and Zane Saunders.
From August to September Cairns has its own Vivid Festival and in Cairns we call it The City Lights Festival. This is at our beautiful Cairns City Library in Abbott Street and begins at 6:30pm.
The Cairns Esplanade comes alive from 6.30pm with hot live DJ music, reggae, rhythm and blues and neo soul sounds infused with rustic harmonies so be sure to grab your friends and family and head down to our beautiful esplanade with the picnic blanket for a great nights entertainment
If it is a more formal performance style of evening you prefer then reserve your ticket for Baby Et Lulu at the historic Tanks Art Centre in Edgehill. Two famous songstresses singing in French and performing with their own band. These two ladies have sold out shows across Australia so they are not to be missed tickets from ticket link
If you like stand-up comedians then “Randy” is a show not to be missed for an adults only evening at the Centre of Contemporary Arts. This character and his show was a nominee for the best show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and winner of the Perth Fringe Festival and the Melbourne Comedy Festival - Click on the image to view video
The steel bands are a real hit for everyone as they pump out their hypnotic rhythms that make your feet start dancing uncontrollably. This year we have the Panz Panorama Championships being held on the Cairns Esplanade festival stage next to the lagoon starting from 10.00am on the 26th August. The international line up is huge and with their steel drums they will be in the traditional costumes and colour of their origins and certainly an event not to be missed.
The Cairns Festivals Grand Parade is on Saturday 26th August beginning at 3.30pm with entertainment until 10.00pm. There will be roving entertainment, the Panz Panorama Championships and the Grand Parade beginning at 5.30pm with a big crescendo of fireworks at 7.30pm on the Cairns Esplanade.
We recommend you book some Cairns accommodation around the Wharf Street and Cairns Esplanade regions to that you may take advantage of being within walking distance to all of these events. If you book an ocean view room you can even watch the fireworks and the grand parade from your balcony room.
Sunday on the Nard is a day for the kids and it begins at 9:00am at Muddy’s Event lawn with music and movement, books in trees, the percussion tree and the tropical tile adventure.
Adults have the Cairns Festival Longest Lunch to look forward to on the 27th August with kick off at 12 midday at Ochre and Dundee’s restaurants on the wharf boardwalk. Tickets must be pre-booked at ticket link - view menu here.
Don't miss 'Troppo' Saturday 2nd September 2017 at Munro Martin Parklands - a production from the Circa Contemporary Circus. This is an event the whole family will enjoy; it is fast, fun and furious...
Click the image below to view video.
Tickets on sale now: http://bit.ly/2f6FaAn
After the longest lunch you will be just about ready to put your dancing shoes on so you can stroll on over to the Festival Stage on the Esplanade and listen to Blue Grass, Folk, Gypsy Swing, funk and an eclectic gathering of vintage Indian sounds on the stage.
There is so much to see and do during the 10 days of the Cairns Festival so make sure you come along to enjoy it also. Make a holiday out of it and in between take in some tours and attractions in the Cairns region.
View the Cairns Festival full program here.
For more information on the Cairns Festival Events ticketing and timings see here.
All photos and videos credit to Cairns Festival Facebook page