Cairns Festival is on Friday 28 August to Sunday 6 September 2026 at the Cairns Esplanade, with the event page listing a 6:00 pm start.

Event details

  • Dates: Friday 28 August to Sunday 6 September 2026.
  • Location: Cairns Esplanade, Western Lawn.
  • Start time: 6:00 pm.

A related Cairns Festival post from September 2025 also pointed to the same late-August-to-early-September window for the 2026 festival, which lines up with the council listing.

What to watch

  • The festival runs across multiple days, so individual program items may have different times.
  • If you’re planning a visit, the main festival page is the best place to check the current schedule and ticketed events.