Local events · Attractions · Places to explore
Find things to do in Cairns. Explore local events, attractions, markets and family activities, with dates, places and prices.
Public listings checked 25/10/2026. Dates use each event’s local time. Check organiser details before travelling.
Discover Cairns and the northern beaches through to Palm Cove. Kuranda is a separate day-trip destination; reef and rainforest travel depends on access, transport and conditions.
Listings across Cairns, Cairns City, Edge Hill, Kuranda, Manunda, Palm Cove, Parramatta Park, Redlynch, Smithfield.
9 matching events listed in the next 60 days. Admission prices are shown where supplied.
Classes & Workshops
Fri, 30 Oct, 10:00 am AEST
Parramatta Park · From $89
Looking for something FUN to do in Cairns? This is it. Gain hands-on skills as you paint your ceramic bowl and explore creative designs. A super fun class! The instructors were extremely helpful. Highly recommended! Cairns Showgrounds, De Jarlais Downstairs Function Centre Includes Turkish tea service with treats Check website campaigns and secure your spot!
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Classes & Workshops
Fri, 30 Oct, 10:00 am AEST
Parramatta Park · From $99
Looking for something fun to do in Cairns? This is it. Gain hands-on skills as you assemble geometric patterns and lay tesserae. A super fun class! The instructors were extremely helpful. Highly recommended Cairns Showgrounds, De Jarlais Downstairs Function Centre. Includes Apple tea service with Turkish delights Check website campaigns and secure your spot
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Live Music & Concerts
Sat, 31 Oct, 8:00 pm AEST
Cairns City · Check price with organiser
As much as Marty has been trying to embrace early retirement – he's bored so he's going to be the 54 year old man that he is. Fun, sexy, charming and humble. Let's share moments and memories from his life. Audiences will laugh, they'll cry, they'll need a two-hour park. (Guests won't cry). (They'd almost get away with an hour park, not quite) He's back! Comedy powerhouse Marty Sheargold returns with his brand-new stand-up show — The Red Card Tour. Known for his razor-sharp wit, masterful storytelling, and unfiltered takes on life, Marty's taking aim at everything from modern madness to middle-age misfires. Whether guests have followed him on television, radio or stage, or are discovering him for the first time, this is the chance to see one of Australia's most iconic comedians live at his absolute best.
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Food & Drink
Tue, 3 Nov, 11:30 am AEST
Cairns City · From $149
Celebrate Melbourne Cup Day on the Cairns Esplanade with Giddy Up, Flynn at Crystalbrook Flynn. Bringing together food, fashion and live entertainment, the event offers two distinct experiences across Boardwalk Social and Whiskey and Wine. At Boardwalk Social, guests can move between themed food stalls and boutique bars, with roaming canapés and a food and beverage package. Live entertainment, DJs, Fashions on the Field with prizes and race coverage on the big screens complete the afternoon. Upstairs, The Stables by Three Wolves takes over Whiskey and Wine for a premium experience featuring exclusive cocktails, Champagne, roving food and cheese platter stations. Guests can enjoy dedicated live entertainment in air conditioned comfort, with access to the Boardwalk Social celebrations also included. Giddy Up, Flynn offers a lively way to experience Melbourne Cup in tropical Cairns. This event is for guests aged 18 and over.
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Food & Drink
Tue, 3 Nov, 12:00 pm AEST
Cairns City · From $239
Spring luxe with a couture accent. Race day takes centre stage in the Grand Ballroom this Melbourne Cup. Hosted by Australian television favourite Toni Pearen, an afternoon of fashion, flavour and live entertainment awaits, with Taittinger on arrival, gourmet food stations, a beverage package, Fashions on the Field, lucky door prizes and all the action of Melbourne Cup Day. Dress for the occasion and settle in for a celebration designed to go well beyond the race.
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Festivals & Fairs
Fri, 6 Nov, 12:00 am AEST
Cairns City · From $20.5
Experience extraordinary cinema when the Travelling Film Festival returns to Cairns. The Opening Night film is the must-see hit Aussie made documentary Whistle which follows all the quirks, egos and soaring notes of the World Whistling Championships. Cairns Audiences will be some of the first in the world to see some of the biggest films of the year including the two biggest award winners out of Cannes; Palme d'Or winner Fjord starring Oscar nominees Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan, and Grand Prix winner Minotaur - the searing Russian thriller which also won the Sydney Film Festival Official Competition. Plus Oscar contenders La Bola Negra, the dazzling Spanish epic, featuring Penelope Cruz, Glenn Close and Julio Torres, and Polish master Paweł Pawlikowski returns with Fatherland starring Sandra Huller. And featuring one of the late Sam Neil's final performances is the hilarious new Aussie comedy The Fox, also starring Olivia Colman, and Jai Courtney. These are just some of the ten acclaimed and awarded films from around the world at exclusive screenings, plus five award winning Aussie short films you need to see!
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Live Music & Concerts
Sat, 7 Nov, 7:00 pm AEST
Manunda · From $45
Back by popular demand! It's the biggest ladies only sing and dance along party and it's all about empowering women, celebrating music, creating unforgettable moments of laughter, connection, and good vibes! This is permission to belt it out, let it go, and live a main character moment in the safest, sparkliest space imaginable. Expect power anthems, belly laughs, and dance floor moments that connect participants with fellow queens. From Dancing Queen to I Will Survive, Footloose to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, attendees will be singing and dancing to the greatest, feel good hits of all time. Come with sisters, a mum, a work crew or fly solo and finish the night with a brand new friendship circle. No need to remember lyrics - they'll be on the screen. There'll be giveaways and prizes, competitions and dress-ups (encouraged!) and of course, singing and dancing! So don't miss out on a much-needed night out because it's more than just a sing-along - it's a sisterhood. Please note: This is a strictly 18 and over, ladies only event.
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Markets & Expos
Sun, 15 Nov, 9:00 am AEST
Cairns City · Free admission
The Pier Markets provides a place where passionate stallholders and small business owners can gather together monthly under one roof and showcase their wares to the Cairns community. The markets are held every month of the year, in an air-conditioned centre. They’re putting the fun back into market days and providing locals with a new and exciting event that is growing again to become the premier market event in our stunning region. They have free entertainment for the family, including a jumping castle and face painting! Roaming Wild will also be here, where you can see a variety of animals and hold them, too! And don't forget the undercover parking is free for 2 hours.
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Live Music & Concerts
Tue, 8 Dec, 7:30 pm AEST
Cairns City · From $60
Monty Franklin and Troy Kinne are joining forces for an unforgettable night of comedy this December! Monty Franklin is an Australian born stand-up comedian and actor based in Los Angeles. Monty's online videos pointing out the 'perils' of being an Australian living in America, have massed over 1 billion views. He was the first Australian to have their name added to the wall of the The Comedy Store in Hollywood. Troy is best known for his sketch comedy TV shows Kinne (Ch7) and Kinne Tonight (Ch10), that earned him Logie Award nominations. Viral 'Kinne clips' from these shows have been shared all over the world, resulting in over 1 million followers on social media. Join this iconic Australian duo for a hilarious night of comedy to bring in the festive season. Perfect for your end-of-year Christmas function!
View event60 places in this selection. Opening hours, access and admission vary; check the place details.
Image: Cairns Regional Council
Entertainment Venues
Cairns
Cairns Performing Arts Centre is the beating heart of Tropical North Queensland's vibrant arts and culture scene. From major theatre shows and music concerts to more intimate local performances, The Cairns Performing Arts Centre is the venue that connects regional Queensland to national and international touring artists and companies. In 2018, Cairns Performing Arts Centre raised the curtain for its official opening, an enormous redevelopment project taking over from the much-loved Cairns Civic Centre. The new, architecturally-designed venue includes a proscenium arch theatre, complete with an orchestra pit able to accommodate an entire symphony orchestra. With 941 seats in the house, the theatre offers premium viewing regardless of where you are seated. Cairns Performing Arts Centre also houses a studio theatre, which can seat up to 400 people and can be reconfigured by the automated flooring system, enabling the presentation of a multitude of events. Florence Social, located on the ground level of the foyer, is a perfect meeting place to catch up with your loved ones while enjoying refreshments before the performance begins and during a performance interval. Cairns Performing Arts Centre now welcomes everyone to experience arts and culture in the tropics through the curated season of its exceptional program each year.
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Galleries, Museums and Collections
Cairns City
Tomb of the Pharaohs is a new ancient Egypt blockbuster attraction now open in Cairns. This indoors experience provides visitors with a journey through 11 of the most lavishly decorated tombs and temples of ancient Egypt. Each recreated tomb is filled with hieroglyphic wall inscriptions, stele engraved plaques, mummified human and animal remains, and over 450 meticulously crafted museum items made in Egypt using traditional sculpting and goldsmithing methods. Visitors will experience tombs filled with the Kings and Queens burial treasures as if they were the very first archaeologist to chance upon these remarkable finds before the antiques were looted or removed. World-first displays of Queen Nefertari's gold burial objects and the solid silver accoutrements of King Psusennes I and Sheshong II are revealed within the attraction. This journey provides a mesmerising way to learn about one of the richest civilisations that ever existed and see the astonishingly beautiful burial items Egyptian royalty accumulated in preparation for the afterlife.
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Image: Cairns Aquarium and Reef Research Centre
Amusement and Theme Parks
Cairns City
Cairns Aquarium is Australia's newest and most spectacular aquarium. It is the only aquarium in the world to exclusively showcase the stunning aquatic wildlife from Tropical North Queensland's two World Heritage-listed areas – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. Journey through the waterways from freshwater rivers flowing through the rainforest, into the mangroves and finally into the depths of the Great Barrier Reef. Discover 11 amazing North Queensland ecosystems from the world's most ancient rainforest to the world's largest coral reef to discover 71 different exhibits showcasing this region's extremely rare and incredibly unique species. Experience animal presentations, habitat talks, interact with a marine touch tank and see daily shark and ray feeds. Go Behind-The-Scenes and experience hand feeding Cownose Rays on a Marine Life Encounter including a visit to see the animals being cared for at the Cairns Turtle Hospital. Aquarium by Twilight, join us for an after hours 2 hour guided tour with a wildlife educator. Complete your evening with a optional three-course dinner, against a a stunning sea life backdrop at Squire's Loft Restaurant. Night at the Aquarium, Cairns' best after-dark experience on an 1.5 hour exclusive after-hours guided night tour. Gain an understanding of nocturnal animals' behaviours in Tropical North Queensland's aquatic environments. Complete your night with an optional 2 course dinner the onsite aquatic Squire's Loft Restaurant.
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Image: NorthSite Contemporary Arts
Galleries, Museums and Collections
Cairns City
NorthSite is Tropical North Queensland's leading contemporary arts organisation, featuring five exhibition spaces, a retail store and printmaking studio. Located within the Bulmba-ja Arts Centre in Gimuy/Cairns, NorthSite presents more than 30 high-quality exhibitions and public programs each year, with a focus on contemporary and Indigenous art and design from the wet tropics, Cape York, the Gulf, Torres Strait and Asia Pacific regions. NorthSite Store specialises in hand crafted jewellery and ceramics, textiles, artist books and paintings with a distinctive Tropical North Queensland flavour. A wide range of fine art prints by leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are available for sale as well. All are locally sourced, high-quality artworks that celebrate the vibrant creativity of the region. NorthSite puts the artist and the unique creative spirit of Far North Queensland at the heart of everything it does. NorthSite Art Studios, near the Botanic Gardens in Edge Hill, is the only professional printmaking facility of its kind in Tropical North Queensland. It's printmaking programs serve artists from remote Indigenous communities and the Cairns region, specialising in traditional printmaking practices like lino printing, screen printing, etching and lithography. You can find NorthSite on the ground floor at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre, 96 Abbott St, just across the road from Cairns Aquarium. Entry is free and everyone is welcome!
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Natural Attractions
Cairns
Whale Bommie is a giant coral head located off the southern side of Milln Reef. This popular Cairns dive site has something for everyone. While the main bommie varies in depth from 5 metres to 22 metres, more experienced divers can also explore a scattering of smaller bommies in depths to 26 metres! All these bommies feature pretty corals, including gorgonian fans, soft corals, whip corals and sea whips. A great variety of reef and pelagic fish can be seen on every dive at Whale Bommie. Common species include angelfish, lionfish, trevally, sweetlips, trumpetfish, pufferfish, fusiliers, parrotfish and barracuda. Inspect the many caves and ledges for crayfish, squirrelfish and barramundi cod, and the sand for stingrays, gobies and shells. Whale Bommie is also a good place to see turtles, octopus and whitetip reef sharks.
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Amusement and Theme Parks
Cairns City
Get set for a blast of arcade fun at iPlay Cairns – the ultimate destination for good times in the city! And here's the sweet deal – the store is a goldmine featuring none other than Baskin-Robbins! Picture this: ice cream, arcade games, and a soundtrack of non-stop laughter – can it get any better than that? It's a winning combo for an unbeatable good time! Hurry up, grab your pals, and make your way to iPlay Cairns for a rendezvous with endless fun!
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Image: Cairns Museum
Galleries, Museums and Collections
Cairns City
The Cairns Museum has amazing stories to share about living in the tropics. Stories of heat, sweat and hard work. Of cane, railways, rainforests and reefs; of White Australia, Aboriginal resistance and European isolation. Tales of tourists, hippies and local celebrations, amidst humidity, cyclones, toads, mould and mozzies. Situated in the central business district of Cairns, the air-conditioned Museum's incredible collection holds the secrets and memories of the people, places, events and changing environment of Far North Queensland. Housed in a quintessential tropical building with a traditional wraparound verandah, Cairns Museum is the coming together of old and new. Its contemporary interior, spread over three levels offers fluid spaces and modern amenities. The Cairns Museum's friendly local guides look forward to sharing their insights into Cairns' history, lifestyle and cultures with you.
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Image: Crystalbrook Collection
Spas and Retreats
Cairns City
Eléme Day Spa has been designed for the ever-evolving, ever-changing, magnificent you. Embracing both nature and science from Australia and beyond, Eléme Spa's stellar menu is designed to flex, so their therapists can personalise each treatment to best suit you… your body, your skin, your mood on the day of your visit.. So whether you're in need of a facial, super-circulation stimulation, mammoth detoxification, skin firming, smoothing or the ultimate muscle-melting rubdown, they've got you covered. Say goodbye to the world of fussy and fluffy and think fresh and fabulous and walk out your best, dazzling self.
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Amusement and Theme Parks
Cairns City
Cairns residence and visitors alike will enjoy a ride on The Reef Eye. At 35m high, it is an awe-inspiring sight with the gondolas that provide wonderful 360 views of the surrounding. The Reef Eye is the perfect experience for thrill seekers and easy rides alike. Excitement for all the family, young and old. This brand-new, state of art beautifully elegant Ferris Wheel with fully enclosed gondolas is an activity not to miss.
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Image: Steven Kenny
Galleries, Museums and Collections
Cairns City
Gift of Glass is extremely passionate about the creation of glass art and offers live glassblowing viewing on the premises every evening. Come and see hot glass art being created from start to finished piece. You will see the flame worker melt glass rods and tubes to more than 1200c and then shape the molten glass into a variety of pieces, from glass animals and ornaments to pendants and sculptures. Gift of Glass is located in the heart of Cairns in Far North Queensland, between the Great Barrier Reef and the Rainforest, where they gather most of their inspiration for their glass art creations. Gift of Glass also has a Retail area where Glass Art and souvenirs can be purchased for that take-home experience.
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Spas and Retreats
Cairns City
Eléme Day Spa at Crystalbrook Flynn is designed for the ever-evolving, ever-changing, magnificent you. Inspired by warming and cooling therapies to aid detoxification and promote good health, their menu is designed to flex so their therapists can personalise each treatment to best suit you… your body, your skin, and your mood on the day of your visit. So, whether you're in need of super-circulation-stimulation, mammoth detoxification, skin firming, smoothing, lifting, fixing or the ultimate muscle-melting rubdown, they've got you covered.
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Image: TEEG
Amusement and Theme Parks
Cairns City
Whether you're melting, dodging a tropical downpour, searching for low-stress, family-friendly fun, or simply craving a break between snorkelling tours, we're your indoor entertainment holiday hero. Located on Abbott Street, Timezone Cairns offers that sweet spot where parents can relax, kids can burn off energy, and everyone can reconnect without sunscreen, sand or soggy towels. Think 75+ arcade games, a dedicated chill zone, and our much-loved Spin Zone bumper cars. A trip to Timezone Cairns would not be complete without ColourGrid, the ultimate interactive challenge, testing players' speed, skill, teamwork and sharp reflexes while bringing everyone together for a fun and competitive experience. Visitors love us for the boredom-busting fun; locals rely on us for school-holiday sanity. Couples come in for cute (and competitive) dates, and families stop by to escape the humidity and make memories that don't involve squinting into the sun. Start with a round of ColourGrid, smash some high scores, test your reflexes, and then wander into the Winner's Vault to redeem your hard-earned spoils of victory (also known as Powertickets). Think plushies, gadgets, unique collectibles – holiday souvenirs that won't melt, go mouldy, or require checking for sand. So, put us on your must-visit list: Timezone Cairns is everything that's cool, colourful and feel-good about a holiday done right!
View placeTourism listings supplied by the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse. Listings retain their existing detail URLs.
