What’s happening?
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is heading into a new phase in 2026 after proving its tourism value in Queensland.
After a strong 2025 run in Townsville, the Festival will relocate to Cairns from 24 July to 1 August 2026. It is set to bring together major international and Australian artists, new commissions, and a program built around music, story and place.
AFCM Executive Director Ricardo Peach said the Festival had grown well beyond a standard concert series.
“Audiences aren’t just turning up for a concert; they’re building entire holidays around the experience, with hundreds extending their stays beyond their original plans. With more than 10,600 unique attendees in Townsville last year, AFCM is not a niche arts or music event; it’s a significant tourism engine with real, measurable impact, and we are thrilled to be hosting the event in Cairns this year.”
Why it matters?
The Festival is showing how arts events can drive real tourism dollars into regional Queensland.
It brings in visitors who stay longer, spend locally and often return. That makes it valuable for hotels, restaurants, tour operators and the wider visitor economy.
Peach said the audience profile also matters.
“It’s also attracting exactly the audience regional destinations are seeking. More than 80 per cent are over 50, travelling as couples or with friends, with high discretionary income and a strong appetite for premium, experience-led travel. Crucially, 89 per cent would recommend the Festival, and 91 per cent rate it as a great experience, driving powerful word-of-mouth and repeat visitation,” he said.
He said the programming itself plays a big part in that loyalty.
“Artistic Director and acclaimed British violinist Jack Liebeck delivers a program that balances global excellence with powerful storytelling, fresh commissions and deeply personal artistic connections, creating a Festival experience that is as emotionally resonant as it is world-class. The musicians come for the music, the audiences come for the experience, and both return,” said Peach.
Local Impact
For Cairns and Tropical North Queensland, the Festival brings a clear chance to lift visitor spending during the event period and beyond.
The move gives Cairns a major cultural event set against two of Queensland’s best-known natural assets, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. It also builds on the Festival’s strong record in Townsville, where the host city accounted for most of the 2025 visitor nights.
Queensland Minister for Tourism and the Environment Andrew Powell said the Festival added to the state’s regional tourism appeal.
“Events like the Australian Festival of Chamber Music shine a spotlight on places like Cairns and give people another great reason to visit this incredible part of our state,” Minister Powell said.
“They bring visitors into our regions, fill local hotels and restaurants, and support jobs for local Queenslanders. That’s exactly what the Crisafulli Government’s Destination 2045 plan is about, attracting visitors, encouraging them to stay longer, spend locally, and experience the very best of Queensland, from the reef to the rainforest and right through our vibrant regional cities.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said the Festival could introduce first-time visitors to the wider region.
“Loyal music lovers coming to Cairns for the first time will discover just how diverse our region is and will want to plan an extended trip in future years to better explore the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest,” he said.
“With more than 2000 tours departing from Cairns, there is a reef and rainforest adventure to suit everyone as well as many restaurants, cafes and bars to relax in and soak up our tropical lifestyle.”
By the numbers
- The Festival generated more than $3 million in direct and incremental expenditure for Queensland, showing its value beyond ticket sales alone.
- AFCM delivered 66,675 direct visitor nights across Queensland in 2025, with more than 55,000 of those nights recorded in Townsville.
- More than 10,600 unique attendees went to the Festival in Townsville last year, helping build repeat visitation and strong local spending.
Zoom In
This year’s program in Cairns is built to feel bold and emotionally direct.
It includes Horrible Histories, Composer Edition, featuring composers with wildly dramatic endings. Schubert’s Winterreise will be reworked for the tropics. Audiences will also hear a lost Holocaust-era work completed 80 years later, plus a sweeping multimedia tribute to the natural world.
The line-up includes Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn Stefan Dohr, French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca, Irish tenor Robin Tritschler, and the Sitkovetsky Piano Trio. They will perform alongside leading Australian artists including Piers Lane, Karin Schaupp, Lloyd Van’t Hoff and others.
Emerging talent also remains part of the Festival’s identity. New works will include contributions from AFCM Pathways Emerging Composer in Residence Sam Wu.
Melbourne-born cellist Charlotte Miles, now based in Germany, returns after making a strong impression at the 2025 Festival. She was also among the 66 cellists selected for the first round of the Queen Elisabeth International Cello Competition, widely seen as the top cello competition for players aged 18 to 30.
Audiences will also hear new commissions that connect past and present, including British composer Alex Turley’s new work for flute and string quartet.
Zoom Out
AFCM is becoming a clear example of how cultural events can help shape regional tourism strategy.
Rather than relying only on sun and scenery, Queensland is pairing destination appeal with premium cultural experiences. That helps regional cities attract visitors with strong spending power and longer travel plans.
The Festival’s results suggest that arts tourism is not a side story. It is becoming part of the main tourism economy in regional Queensland.
What To Look For Next?
From 24 July to 1 August 2026, Cairns will show how far AFCM’s tourism pull can grow in a new host city. The mix of music, reef and rainforest appeal could set the tone for its next chapter in Queensland.
