Port Douglas Carnivale celebrates triumphant return with flood of tourists

The streets are packed, the restaurants are doing a roaring trade, and there’s a buzz in the air – Port Douglas couldn’t have asked for anything more from the triumphant return of Carnivale over the weekend.

THE streets are packed, the restaurants are doing a roaring trade, and there’s a buzz in the air – Port Douglas couldn’t have asked for anything more from the triumphant return of Carnivale over the weekend.

Cancelled in 2020 and impacted by the pandemic in 2021, Port Douglas Carnivale saw people from all over the country flock to the tropical tourist destination for its annual three day extravaganza over the weekend.

After a “phenomenal” street parade on Friday night that attracted more than 2000 people, Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said you “couldn’t see the sand for the people” down at Four Mile Beach on Saturday for the Family Beach Day, where youngster Mali Everett was getting into the swing of things with her hula hoop.

Cr Kerr said the jubilant atmosphere of the weekend’s events took him back “quite a few years to the party atmosphere Carnivale used to be”.

“It shows we’re back open, that’s the most important thing. After a couple of years of having all these Covid issues and businesses struggling to get people up here, they’re all full, the restaurants are full … and business owners will be able to start putting some money back into their bank accounts,” he said.

“The positivity in town is amazing.”

The Tropic Rock concert at Rex Smeal Park proved a hit with the public, as did new events on the Carnivale roster like the FNQ Gin Fest.

Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree CEO Tara Bennett the calendar of Carnivale events had provided something for everyone – and the weekend had delivered some of the best numbers in the history of the event.

She said tourists had come from as near as Cairns to as far away as New Zealand and West Australia to enjoy the festival, and was certain the massive party would provide a springboard for businesses to kick off the winter tourism season.

Ms Bennett said visitation was looking to be “very strong” through to winter.

“This year we saw some new events coming on and a lot of the traditional events and it’s that reinventing of itself every year that keeps Carnival bringing people back,” she said.

Originally published as Port Douglas Carnivale celebrates triumphant return with flood of tourists