Far North has jam-packed calendar of events for 2022
High profile rock acts, local theatre, carnivals, festivals and a host of athletic events are in store in the Far North in 2022 – here’s your guide to the highlights. Have an event? Mention it to us in the comments.
Cairns
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SPAMALOT: Cairns Choral Society presents Monty Python’s Spamalot at Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) from January 14 to 29.
AUSTRALIA DAY: Australia Day Festivities on January 26 will dominate the region with Cairns Regional Council announcing 2022 Australia Day Award winners at a breakfast, while a host of regional award winners will also be announced.
FEBRUARY
PORT DOUGLAS HOT AND STEAMY FESTIVAL: Australia’s newest LGBTQI+ festival has been designed as a warm up to Sydney Mardi Gras. Tickets are on sale for a range of party events from February 24 to 27. Parties will be held at Zinc, the Sugar Wharf, Surf Club, Central Hotel and Oaks Resort will host a pool party. There’s also a taste of the tropics long lunch at Salsa.
YEAR OF THE TIGER: Chinese New Year is February 1 and a 15 day CADCAI festival will be held.
SUMMER OF SOUNDS: Rock band Ocean Alley kicks off the month-long Cairns Summer of Sounds program with performances at CPAC on February 4 and 5, Hot act Vera Blue will appear on February 11 and RocKwiz Live is scheduled for February 26.
MARCH
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Cairns Regional Council hosts a breakfast to celebrate women who have made an outstanding contribution to our community by presenting three award categories: Woman of the Year, Young Woman of the Year and a scholarship award. The winner’s achievements can be social, economic, cultural or political.
FEAST OF THE SENSES: The Feast of the Senses, held over four days along the banks of the Johnstone River at Innisfail, holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest banana spit, recorded at 8.040m. The program incorporates food events, farm trails, cooking competitions and culminates in a big market day showcasing local produce.
JOHN PAUL YOUNG: ARIA Hall of Famer John Paul Young will be in town for his ’50 Years Young – Anniversary Tour’ at CPAC on March 1.
AWARD WINNING DRAMA: The play the Wider Earth, which tells the story of a rebellious young Charles Darwin, will staged at CPAC on March 5.
SWING: The Celebration of Swing will be a big band blast with a concert honouring American big band leaders from the 1940s, the golden era of Swing, with all the colour and trappings of a 1940s Hollywood movie set and featuring the music of Glenn Miller, Harry James, Benny Goodman and more. It is on March 11 at CPAC.
BEE GEES TRIBUTE: A catalogue of mega hits and first hand stories from original Bee Gees drummer Colin Petersen in a tribute show on March 12 at CPAC.
BIG BLUE: The Ocean Film Festival World Tour will be at CPAC in Cairns on March 18, with a three-hour showcase of oceans with sublime footage taken above and below the water’s surface in a collection of short films aimed to be inspiring and thought-provoking.
ABBA REVIVAL: Super successful tribute show Bjorn Again will hit Cairns on March 19 with the critically acclaimed Mamma Mia – We Are back Again show at CPAC.
CLASSICAL MUSIC: NQ Chamber Orchestra presents Cords of Time which will span the history of classical music from ancient times, with solo cellist Kathryn Close, on March 20.
APRIL
ROCK: Midnight Oil – Resist, the final tour, brings the legendary band back to Cairns five years after their sweat-drenched pub gig at Selinas. They will appear on April 6 at Cairns Convention Centre.
OUTBACK ROCK: The three-day Undara Outback Rock and Blues Festival held at Undara Experience near Mt Surprise starting on April 22 will feature local and national acts and guests have a range of accommodation options, from rolling out a swag under the stars to the airconditioned Pioneer Huts.
YARRABAH MUSIC AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL: Held at Jilara Oval at Yarrabah on April 30, Jessica Mauboy will be a headline act along with Yarrabah Brass band, food, local art and cultural activities.
RESPECT: The Aretha Franklin story, showcasing her greatest hits over 50 years, is at CPAC on April 8. Starring Angie Narayan, the story begins in the 1960s and moves through the 1970s and 1980s.
TOGETHER ALONE: Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley combine forces for the national Together Alone tour, performing at CPAC on April 10.
SALUTE: A Salute to Roy Orbison, a tribute show endorsed by Roy Orbison’s eldest son, features Australian artist John Stephan paying homage to the big O. It is on April 23 at CPAC.
MAY
EXPO: The Cairns Expo home show has everything from sustainable living ideas to finance, gardening, homewares, roofing, outdoor adventure and more. It is on May 6 to May 8 at Cairns Showgrounds.
PIONEER: The Historic Village Herberton Pioneer Weekend is set for May 7 and 8. See experts in their field demonstrate blacksmithing, wood chopping, tin panning, small engines and more. There are Fashions on the Field prizes for the best dressed kids and adults.
GUY SEBASTIAN: Multiple ARIA award winner Guy Sebastian will perform smash hits as well as new music from his T.R.U.T.H. album at CPAC on May 10.
SQUEEZE: Lime Cordiale will be joined by Thelma Plum, Client Liaison, Merci, Mercy and The Beddy Rays for the Squeeze Freshtival on May 15 at Cairns Showgrounds.
REV IT UP: Springmount Raceway near Mareeba has two key events that will attract more than 5,000 spectators – the Northern Nations from May 20 to 22 and the Nitro Thunder in the Tropics event on August 19-20.
Northern Nats, running for the fifth time, is the biggest horsepower festival in North Queensland over an action packed three days – from power skids to drag racing and a $25,000 burnout competition
The schedule includes burnouts, drag racing, roll racing, power skids, go to whoa and show and There will be a band on Saturday night and camping is available.
Nitro Thunder in the Tropics features the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars which are 4,000 horsepower drag cars which reach over 400km per hour on the drag strip.
MASTERS GAMES: Now in its sixth year, the Great Barrier Reef Masters Games will be held from May 25 to 28 with about 2,500 men and women from Australia and abroad expected to compete in 20 individual and team sports across four days of competition.
CAIRNS ECOFIESTA: Queensland’s premier sustainable living festival is a free entry event including music, food, a children’s festival and an environmental expo with workshops. It will be held in Munro Martin Parklands on May 29.
PORT DOUGLAS CARNIVALE: Originally held to mark the start of the sugarcane harvesting season, this event from May 13 is now considered the official opening of the tourism high season. It will feature live music from top acts, an event called the Longest Lunch and the Plantation Picnic in the Park.
FEAST OF THE THREE SAINTS: Held at St Johns Parish School at Silkwood, near Innisfail, on the first Sunday in May, the event which attracts about 4,000 people celebrates the lives of three brothers, Saint Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino. As well as religious events, there will be a barbecue with traditional Italian food, stalls and entertainment, ahead of a fireworks display.
DANCE: Celtic Illusion Reimagined combines Irish dance with illusion and stars the former leader dancer of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance Anthony Street. It is at CPAC on May 3.
MISSY HIGGINS: A highlight of the Far North’s 2022 entertainment line-up will be Missy Higgins’ appearance at Munro Martin Parklands on May 7.
RACE: The Great Wheelbarrow Race will be held from May 20 to 22 – competitors push an empty wheelbarrow along the Wheelbarrow Way between Mareeba and Chillagoe in three stages, while fundraising for charities and local clubs.
SAILING: The Quicksilver Port Douglas Race Week from May 24 to 28 is a regatta with a sailing schedule including racing around Low Isle and Snapper Islands, and some technical racing off Four Mile Beach.
JUNE
C2K BIKE RIDE: The seven day Cairns to Karumba bike ride has run for 24 years with more than 250 riders, volunteers and support crews travelling the Savannah Way and raising funds for outback children. It starts on June 25.
OUTBACK BY THE SEA FESTIVAL: Held in Karumba from June 27, seafood including the iconic barramundi features in this week-long festival. Campfire cookouts, night markets, birdwatching, stargazing, ghost net art workshops, crab catching and prawn eating are among activities ahead of an evening concert on the lagoon stage at the Barramundi Discovery Centre.
CAIRNS IRONMAN: The Cairns Airport Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship starts at Palm Cove on June 12 with a 3.8km swim course, ahead of a 180km bike course to Port Douglas, and a 42.2km run course through Cairns City and along the Esplanade.
MALANDA SHOW: Set for June 24 to 26.
ATHERTON SHOW: June 27 to 28.
DIVAS: Les Divas: An All-Male Revue will feature divas performing as Cher, Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and Diana Ross. It is at CPAC on June 11.
DISCOVERY: Cooktown Discovery Festival, from June 17 to 19, features a re-enactment of Captain Cook’s landing, the Endeavour Ball, family entertainment and a lantern parade.
RODEO: The action-packed weekend that is the Laura races and rodeo, on June 24 to 26, brings campers from far and wide to watch racing on an outback track and local stockmen compete with rodeo riders.
JULY
CYCLING FESTIVAL: Starting on July 3, the Tour of the Tropics Cycling Festival encompasses a Gran Fondo, Mountain Bike and a three day national race series of professional and graded races. The Gran Fondo ride starts in Yarrabah.
INNISFAIL SHOW: Set for July 7 to 8.
MAREEBA SHOW: The show is held alongside the ever popular Mareeba rodeo and festival, set for July 9 to 10.
CAIRNS SHOW: July 13 to 15.
MOSSMAN SHOW: July 17 to 18.
TULLY SHOW: July 22 to 23.
LIVE MUSIC: Kate Miller-Heidke was a sold out success during her last visit to Cairns and she will visit again as part of her Child in Reverse Tour, performing on July 19 at CPAC.
ROCK: The full theatre production the AC/DC story features some 30 hit songs as well as stories, photos and interviews with the famous band as they rose to stardom.
GALA DINNER: The Mayor’s Five Star Chefs for Charity Gala Dinner will be hosted by Pullman Reef Hotel Casino on July 23. The inaugural event at the Hilton Cairns in 2020 raised $26,000 and in 2021 at Shangri-La almost $41,000 was raised, with proceeds going to the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal.
CYCLING: Tour of the Tropics features three stages over three days with an inclusive version for all abilities, at Millaa Millaa, Green Hill in Gordonvale and in Cairns City, from July 8 to 10.
AUGUST
ARTS: The 10 day Cairns Festival, from August 26 to September 4, celebrates art, culture and the beauty of living in Tropical North Queensland, showcasing local creative art as well as brining national and international performers to the region.
CAIRNS CUP CARNIVAL: Date yet to be released by Queensland Racing.
CARDWELL UFO FESTIVAL: This celebration of all things extraterrestrial will be held from August 6 to 8, starting with a C-files forum with guest speakers talking on unexplained phenomena including local sightings of UFO’s, bigfoot and the mysterious Cardwell lights. On Saturday night there is an Alien Invasion costume party and on Sunday morning Cardwell foreshore is the venue for family fun activities, food and market stalls.
INNISFAIL AUTOFEST: The latest addition to the Autofest Series Australia will take place at Mundoo Airport from August 26 to 28. Driving events include roll racing, Go to Whoa, Autokana, Show N Shine, Street Cruise and the mighty burnout competition.
SEPTEMBER
RUN: The Cairns Port Douglas Trail Ultra starts in Cairns and finishes at Four Mile Beach and has distances ranging from 10.7km to 118.9km.
RACING: Cairns Amateurs – September 8 to 10.
TARGA GREAT BARRIER REEF: September 2 to 4
MARATHON: Up to 3000 athletes from Queensland, interstate and overseas are expected to participate in the 7 Cairns Marathon and Community Run Festival. There are runs for all ages and abilities with a 2km, 5km, 10km, 21.1km and 42.2km distance. Ronald McDonald House Charities is the major beneficiary of the event.
CAIRNS PORT DOUGLAS TRAIL ULTRA: This two-day trail running adventure starts on September 3. It is an International Trail Runners Association accredited event with runs from 10.7km to 118.9km.
VANCE JOY: The two time ARIA winner will visit Cairns with his The Long Way Home tour, appearing at Munro Martin Parklands on September 24.
SAVANNAH: Savannah in the Round, from September 30 to October 2, will be held at Kerribee Park in Mareeba with an outstanding line-up of country artists.
OCTOBER
CULTURE: The UMI Arts Big Talk One Fire Cultural Festival on October 15 will be held at Fogarty Park. It is a family-friendly, free, alcohol-free event with a concert supporting local Indigenous bands, along with traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance, and Indigenous market stalls.
AND MORE: Then, there’s a host of other events including the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Mayor’s Charity Golf Day, Seniors Week Positive Ageing Fair and the Great Pyramid Race yet to be finalised on the 2022 calendar, as well as plenty more we haven’t mentioned.
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