Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) 2026: Opening Night

The 2026 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) – Reclamation & Regeneration will commence with a spectacular Opening Night celebration across the entire Tanks Arts Centre precinct, featuring a Smoking Ceremony, vibrant dance performances, live music, thought-provoking art installations, digital projections, and delectable food.

Set within rainforest and botanical surrounds, attendees will enjoy the concurrent opening of the Art Fair Showcase and Artisans Showcase, presenting over 30 exhibitors, including art centres, commercial galleries and independent artists across Tanks 3 and 4. These spaces will be filled with a diverse array of powerful artworks responding to the 2026 curatorial theme Reclamation & Regeneration. Along the promenade, the Artisans Showcase will feature more than 40 First Nations businesses across two pavilions, offering fashion, design, jewellery and cultural artefacts.

As night falls, digital projection artworks animate the exterior facades of the Tanks, interacting with the surrounding landscape and enhancing the site’s natural and architectural textures. Live performance and music continue in Tank 5, while curated food and gathering spaces invite audiences to move, pause and connect throughout the evening. This preview event promises an unforgettable night of art, culture and connection, celebrating the rich heritage and contemporary expressions of Queensland’s First Nations artists.

Join us for the largest gathering of Queensland’s First Nations artists in the world, where artists from rainforest, reef, desert and freshwater Country come together.

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Price

Price Guide

When

Thu 9 Jul 2026

Venue Opens

4.00pm

Doors open

Show Time

7.00pm

Interval

No

Duration

3hrs

Supporting Act(s)

Rating

PG - Parental Guidance

Seating

Unreserved Seating/Standing

Food

Yes

Bar

Full Bar

Companion Card

Yes, click for more info

Ticket Collection

The Box Office opens at the advertised Venue Opens time for ticket collection and enquiries.

Seating Plan

Seating Plan

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Warnings:
Contains strobe lighting and audience participation

Anyone under 18yrs must be accompanied by a parent or guardian

We wish to advise Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander viewers that the event may contain images and voices of people who are deceased. Care and discretion is advised when accessing the content within Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes Communities.