General News
19 August, 2022
Excitement Builds For The Festival’s Diamond Jubilee
EXCITEMENT is building throughout the community as the 60th anniversary of the annual Cairns Festival gets nearer.
With a program full of favourites and a few new thrilling additions, the festival starts next Friday with Reef Light and the Grand Parade on Saturday, which will be live streamed this year, and finishes on September 4, with the popular Carnivale on Collins.
Spanning across multiple venues, Cairns Festival is the biggest cultural event in the city, and this year’s celebration will commemorate the Festival’s Diamond Jubilee.
While the program kicks off with the iconic Grand Parade and the fireworks display, new ticketed and free events for the whole family like the Court House Gallery “Cairns Festival Turns 60 Exhibition,” an immersive light experience “Reef Light,” and many more will make this anniversary a memorable one.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the festival aimed to engage locals and visitors with culture and entertainment.
“This is a big year for Cairns Festival,” Cr Manning said.
“Sixty years is an extraordinary achievement for an event that had humble beginnings as the Cairns Tourist Festival in 1962 before being rebranded as Fun in the Sun the following year.
“Through the years, there have been a few name changes, but what has remained steadfast is the community’s support, which has grown the festival into a staple fixture on the regional Queensland events calendar, drawing thousands of people to our spectacular city.”
Coucillor Kristy Vallely said she holds happy childhood memories from the early years of Cairns Festival.
“As a child, my big memories were from Fun in the Sun,” Cr Vallely said.
“It was such a fun event to attend when you were a kid.
“And what I love about it is that it’s a time to celebrate, which hasn’t changed.
“From 1962 to 2022, we’re still getting that fun festival – the name has changed, but the essence of the festival remains the same.”
For Cr Vallely, Cairns Festival provides an opportunity for residents to enjoy the best Cairns has to offer.
“This is our feature event of the city,” she said.
“The community loves this event, and particularly when the cost of living is so high, there are so many events that you can go to for free.
“We have our beautiful Cairns Festival Grand Parade that starts next Saturday, which is an excellent opener to our Festival.
“It’s estimated that 3,000 people will be included in the parade, and it will be live streamed.
“And this year at the Court House, we have an exhibition with all the memorabilia, photos and videos of Fun in the Sun and Cairns Festival which is open now.
“We’ve also got a really interesting event called Skywhales, and that’s on September 3, at the Cairns Showgrounds, so there’ll be these huge beautiful balloons, and it’s a cool thing to take kids to – this is free as well,” Cr Vallely said.
Cr Vallely said one of this year’s Festival’s key events was Reef Light, a new addition that promises to deliver new excitement for the whole community.
“Reef Light – Illuminate the Tropics is a light and laser installation of the Great Barrier Reef, which wants to create an undersea experience,” she said.
“And what’s really exciting about this is that we have eight First Nation artists that’ll be featured in that event.
“Artists throughout our local area will have their artwork featured in it throughout the 10 days of the festival, from 7pm to 10pm across the Esplanade.”
Cairns Festival will also present a series of ticketed performances and shows for all ages, including the “Catch Truth Machine” at The Court House, “Le Coup” at Cairns Performing Arts Centre, and “Aftermath” at Tanks Arts Centre.
For Cr Vallely, the most important feature of Cairns Festival is the celebration of Cairns residents’ diversity and unique cultures.
“What I love is sitting on the Esplanade and watching the floats of our different communities in Cairns,” she said.
“I love seeing the multicultural side of the city.
“Quite often, we miss out on that opportunity to see people showcasing their community on parade.
“I feel very proud to be living in our community and happy to get an insight into their culture and how they live.”
As the Cairns Festival approaches, Cr Vallely said she wanted to encourage locals and visitors in joining into the celebration of what makes Cairns a tropical para- dise.
“For a festival to run since 1962 and have over 80,000 residents attend is something to be proud of,” she said.
“Our residents need to know that there are so many free events you can attend – you can still experience the festival without spending any money.
“Take the time to look at the 10-day program, pick what your family or partner or what you would like to attend because there’s something for everyone.
“We have had a tough time during COVID, so it’s really important for us to come together, celebrate our community, support our local businesses, support our local artists and just get out there and have fun.”
For more information and to see the entire Cairns Festival program, visit: www.cairns.qld.gov.au/festival
