For more on Cairns weather by month, check our Cairns weather by month. Cairns runs a packed annual events calendar that spans arts, music, sport, indigenous culture, and food. Most major events are clustered in the dry season (May to October) when the weather is most reliable. Here is a month-by-month guide to what is on, with dates, locations, and what to expect.
Events & Festivals in Cairns: Summer (December to February)
New Year’s Eve on the Esplanade
For more on best time to visit Cairns, check our best time to visit Cairns. December 31. The Cairns Esplanade hosts a free, family-friendly New Year’s Eve party with live music, food stalls, and two fireworks displays: an early show at 8:00pm for families and a midnight display over Trinity Inlet. The lagoon stays open late. An estimated 40,000 people attend; arrive by 6:00pm to secure a good spot on the grass.
Chinese New Year
For more on things to do in Cairns, check our things to do in Cairns. January or February (date varies by lunar calendar). Cairns has a significant Chinese-Australian community and celebrates with lion dances, firecrackers, and street food stalls in the Chinatown precinct of Grafton Street. The Cairns Chinese New Year Festival runs over a weekend with martial arts demonstrations, calligraphy workshops, and a night market.
Events & Festivals in Cairns: Autumn (March to May)
Cairns Ukulele Festival
For more on best neighborhoods in Cairns, check our best neighborhoods in Cairns. Typically late March or early April. A four-day celebration of the ukulele with workshops, performances, and a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest ukulele ensemble. The main concert happens on the Cairns Esplanade and is free. Workshops run AU$25-60 per session. The festival attracts ukulele players from across Australia and the Pacific Islands.
Cairns Italian Festival
For more on where to stay in Cairns, check our where to stay in Cairns. May. A weekend celebrating Cairns’ Italian heritage with food stalls, wine tastings, pasta-making demonstrations, and a classic car show. Held at the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal. Entry is free; food and drink tickets are AU$10-25 per plate. The gran finale street parade on Sunday afternoon features Italian flags, Vespa scooters, and traditional music.
Events & Festivals in Cairns: Winter (June to August)
Cairns Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship
For more on Cairns travel tips, check our Cairns travel tips. June (second or third Sunday). One of the world’s most scenic Ironman triathlons: a 3.8km swim off Palm Cove, a 180km bike leg up the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas and back, and a 42.2km marathon along the Esplanade. Registration costs US$700-800 and sells out months in advance. For spectators, the finish line on the Esplanade is free and the atmosphere is electric from late afternoon as athletes cross the line. Accommodation throughout Cairns and the northern beaches books out for race weekend, so book 6 months ahead.
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF)
For more on Cairns travel guide, check our Cairns travel guide. July (second weekend, Thursday to Sunday). CIAF is the premier event for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in Queensland, held at the Cairns Convention Centre. It features art exhibitions, a fashion show, dance performances, music, and a market where you can buy directly from artists. Entry is free; ticketed events range from AU$15-75. CIAF draws collectors, curators, and art lovers from around the world and is a genuinely important event on the Australian indigenous art calendar.
Cairns Festival
August (last week of August through first week of September, 10 days). The Cairns Festival is the city’s largest cultural event, featuring live music, theatre, visual arts, and food across multiple venues. The highlight is the Grand Parade on the opening Saturday evening, a street parade down the Esplanade with illuminated floats, dance troupes, and community groups that draws 30,000 spectators. Other signature events include Carnivale at the Lagoon (a Brazilian-style dance party) and the Reef Lights projection show on the Convention Centre facade. Most events are free; some theatre and music performances charge AU$15-40.
Events & Festivals in Cairns: Spring (September to November)
Reef Feast (Palm Cove)
October. Formerly the Palm Cove Reef Feast, this food and wine festival takes over the Palm Cove Esplanade (25 minutes north of Cairns) for a long weekend. It features a seafood barbecue, cooking demonstrations by top Queensland chefs, wine masterclasses, and a long-table beach dinner. Tickets for individual events range AU$85-250. Accommodation in Palm Cove fills quickly; book 2-3 months ahead.
Cairns Amateurs Racing Carnival
September (second weekend). A two-day horse racing carnival at Cannon Park Racecourse, combining country racing with tropical fashion. Fashions on the Field competitions are taken seriously, with prizes for best-dressed lady and gent. General admission is AU$25; members’ areas run AU$100-150. This is a major social event on the Cairns calendar, and many visitors fly up from southern cities for the weekend.
Solar Eclipse Events
Cairns was in the path of totality for the November 2012 solar eclipse and remains a prime location for astronomical events. The next major astronomical event visible from Cairns is a partial solar eclipse in September 2025. Check with the Cairns Astronomy Group for public viewing events at the Esplanade.
