Cairns Regional Council kicks off Australia Day activities on January 26
Cairns residents will be able to celebrate Australia Day with free activities, live entertainment and citizenship ceremonies as part of Cairns Regional Council’s 2025 Australia Day celebrations on January 26.
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Cairns Regional Council is fully embracing Australia Day this year, after controversy erupted over the organisation’s decision to host its awards ceremony in February in 2024.
Cairns mayor Amy Eden said council moved Australia Day Awards ceremonies back to January 26 due to cost efficiency.
“It’s really about cost efficiency so we don’t have to run another event on another time but also we really want our community to celebrate our heroes and why would we want to do that in a separate, tiny event, not on the day?” Ms Eden said.
“We want to celebrate here on the day and we want the community behind them because they bring so much to the community.”
Major events will include a private citizenship ceremony at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre where 180 new Australian’s from 39 different countries will be given their citizenship.
“Normally we have anywhere between 60 and 70, sometimes maybe 80 (in citizenship ceremonies), is a really big one, so this will be humungous,” Ms Eden said.
“(People) absolutely (request their citizenship for January 26) and I’ve had a lot of people throughout the year asking, ‘Are you doing one on Australia Day? We’re really holding out’, so they’re very excited.”
The Australian of the Year Awards, which were held in February last year, will be held at Munro Martin Parklands at 5pm on January 26, followed by live music and dance performances.
“Importantly, we will also be celebrating our unsung heroes, you know, who don’t look for the limelight, for the glory but just roll up their sleeves and contribute so much to our community,” she said.
“So we’ll have our junior, our volunteer and of course the coveted citizen of the year here at Munro Martin Parklands where hopefully we’ll have thousands of people celebrating alongside them.”
To cool off, residents and visitors can enjoy a free swim at Woree Sports and Aquatic Centre Smithfield Swimming Pool and the Esplanade Lagoon.
In addition to free activities around the city, Indigenous Australians will perform music and dance at Munro Martin Park in an event the mayor says should attract thousands.
Torres Strait Island musician Danny ‘Danny Boy’ Bani who will perform at alongside his brother Jacky boy, said he was excited to take the stage on Australia Day.
“I’m proper excited and we get to showcase some songs too from Torres Strait – it’s a good opportunity and I’m grateful for all the other people that are here as well, all the other artists,” he said.
Mr Bani said something he was most proud of as an Australian was the nation’s diversity.
“You’ve got everyone here from all over the world and they get to call it home as well – it’s just togetherness, we’re all here … on this journey we call life. That’s what it’s all about.”
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Originally published as Cairns Regional Council kicks off Australia Day activities on January 26
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