4.00pm – 10.00pm | Thursday 9 July
BUY TICKETS https://ciaf.com.au/ciaf-2026-opening-night

PROGRAM SCHEDULE
4:00 pm — Doors open
7.00 pm — Performances and exhibitions commence
10.00 pm — Event concludes

Featuring Circa Cairns, Djawarray, Kaybee, Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji Dancers & Naygayiw Gigi Dance Group, the 2026 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) ‘Reclamation & Regeneration’ will commence its 17th anniversary season with a spectacular Opening Night celebration across the entire Tanks Arts Centre precinct on Thursday, 9 July.

Set against a tropical rainforest backdrop, the evening marks the beginning of CIAF 2026 and the 17th season under the theme ‘Reclamation & Regeneration’, bringing together performance, visual art, music and a collective gathering on Country.

Guests will move through the precinct as the CIAF Art Fair Showcase and Artisans Showcase open concurrently, presenting works by more than 90 Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes artists, collectives and art centres from across Queensland, alongside over 130 First Nations businesses offering fashion, design, jewellery and cultural artefacts.

Opening Night features a headline performance by award-winning Zenadth Kes dance troupe Naygayiw Gigi (Northern Thunder), alongside a dynamic line-up First Nations artists from across the Queensland state, spanning reef and rainforest to desert, through to Cape York and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islands. Live music, contemporary performance, large-scale installations and digital projections will animate the historical site throughout the evening.

The night includes a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, curated feeds, activated spaces, and authentic cultural experiences. Opening Night is the only ticketed evening event of the Fair and traditionally sells out.

TICKET PRICES
Adults – $54.80
Concession – $44.30
Senior Card & Youth (3-17) – $23.30
Child (1-3 years) – FREE

BUY TICKETS https://ciaf.com.au/ciaf-2026-opening-night

Find out more and sign up to the CIAF eNews for latest updates at ciaf.com.au

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