We’ve always known Cairns for its beauty in the natural wonders with its gorgeous coral reefs, vast rainforests, and pristine beaches, but bubbling under the surface is its rise as a massive cultural hub for the arts, with music taking top hold, especially with their Cairns Summer Sounds events kicking off this February, with massive names gracing the stages throughout the city.
Kicking off the first weekend in February, Australia’s own alt-psych rock outfit Ocean Alley will hit the stage for two performances at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre Theatre, showcasing their infectious melodies, to a town that just begs for psychedelic surf rock.
One weekend later, APRA award-winning and ARIA nominated singer-songwriter Vera Blue will take over the CPAC Theatre stage with her enchanting folk electronica sound.
Rounding out Cairns Summer Sounds festival, the legendary RocKwiz Orkestra with the inimitable Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis will join the stage on the last weekend in February, including some to-be-announced very special guests.
With names like these legends, and with everyone starved for travel, Cairns reckons that this year will be even bigger than last, where over 6,000 music lovers flocked to the travel (and more recently foodie) paradise. Now, with the reoccurring Cairns Summer Sounds festival, it’s on the fast-track to being one of the centres of arts in Australia, gaining pace with Melbourne and Sydney.
View this post on Instagram
As Cairns Mayor Bob Manning has stated, the pandemic has hit everything hard, and he’s keen to see the throng of music lovers come together to support the arts:
“We all know that the arts and entertainment community was one of the hardest hit by the COVID pandemic, so it is fantastic so see the industry getting back on its feet and we are delighted to see these artists coming to Tropical North Queensland.”
Undoubtedly, it’s set to be a boon for the state economy, with the added benefit of ensuring that music fans are looked after following a difficult few years. As Assistant Tourism Minister and Member for Cairns Michael Healy explains, events such as the like Cairns Summer Sounds were important to the Palaszczuk Government’s Economic Recovery Plan.
“Events bring visitors to the region which benefits local tourism operators from accommodation providers to restaurants and hotels,” Mr Healy said in a statement. “Summer Sounds builds on the city’s reputation as destination for entertainment, as well as being home to some of the world’s best visitor experiences.
“We know when visitors come to Cairns for events, they make the most of their time here with an Indigenous cultural experience and a trip to the Reef, or our World Heritage-listed rainforests,” he adds. “Events like Cairns Summer Sounds support jobs and make an important contribution to our city’s visitor economy.”
While February is coming up quick, the city will also be putting on other great events throughout the year, cementing itself in the arts scene with Cairns Festival rolling from August 26th through September 4th, showcasing a full 10-day program with live music at every turn like Jaguar Jonze, Missy Higgins, and Tim Rogers, the Grand Parade on the Cairns Esplanade and Carnival on Collins at the Cairns Botanic Gardens.
With the entire country being a bit starved for travel these past two years, we’ve got plenty to be thankful for within our own country, and its time to dive into new experiences, and check out the local and national scene of music offered by Cairns between their Summer Sounds festival and their Cairns Festival.
View this post on Instagram
Cairns Summer Sounds 2022
Friday, February 4th-Saturday February 5th
Ocean Alley
CPAC, Cairns, QLD
Tickets: Ticketlink
Friday, February 11th
Vera Blue
CPAC, Cairns, QLD
Tickets: Ticketlink
Friday, February 25th-Saturday February 26th
RocKwiz Orkestra
CPAC, Cairns, QLD
Tickets: Ticketlink
