Get excited about final weekend of Cairns Festival

The final weekend of Cairns Festival promises a city-wide celebration of live performances, outdoor cinema, workshops, exhibitions and community events, before culminating in the annual Carnival on Collins street party on Sunday.

The program opens Friday with Runt, the new Australian family film, screening under the stars at Ravizza Park in Edmonton. On the same evening, Crate59 Artist Collective transforms its gallery runway with Reef City, a bold art-meets-fashion event.

Saturday brings hands-on creativity with Jimi Thaiday’s turtle-making workshop at Mulgrave Gallery, while the Live Music Trail winds through the city from jazz and classical sounds in the Pullman Cairns International’s heritage lobby, to DJs poolside at Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort.

Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said the final weekend of Cairns Festival was shaping up to be a fitting finale, with plenty on offer across the city.

“It has been fantastic to see so many people out enjoying Cairns Festival and it is not over yet,” Cr Eden said.

“From live music on the Esplanade to dinner cruises, pool parties, singalongs and outdoor films, there is something for everyone in this final weekend.”

The Esplanade Main Stage will feature four consecutive nights of free music, from singer-songwriter Steph Strings on Thursday to salsa powerhouse Quarter Street on Saturday, before psych-rock outfit Velvet Trip closes the stage on Sunday.

Ticketed events include Jazz Under the Stars at the Botanic Gardens, comedian Merrick Watts’ An Idiot’s Guide to Wine and The Counterfeit at Tanks Arts Centre. Opera Queensland’s All Together Now! singalong also promises a rousing evening.

The Festival wraps up on Sunday with Carnival on Collins, filling Tanks Arts Centre and Botanic Gardens precinct with more than 200 stalls, live music, street performers and exhibitions from 9am to 3pm.

Cairns Festival runs until Sunday, 7 September 2025. For the full program of events, tickets and further details, visit www.cairnsfest.com.au.