Record international lineup set for Cairns Indigenous Art Fair

Now in its 17th year, the massive, city-wide festival brings stories to life through dance, theatre, masterclasses, and contemporary fashion.

A new runway at the mill

While the heart of the festival remains at the Tanks Arts Centre, this year's CIAF Fashion Performance is branching out to The Mill, a rugged, industrial timber site on Yirrganydji Country.

The 75-minute production functions as a live performance piece where garments are presented as wearable fine art. 

Under the theme "Reclamation & Regeneration," the showcase integrates contemporary garment design with choreographed movement, live music, and digital projections to convey narratives of cultural identity, climate resilience, and healing.

The record-breaking lineup features 24 designers, including three Indigenous Taiwanese designers sharing ancestral needlework and guest designers from Indigenous Fashion Week New York, who will share the stage with Queensland’s finest local talent and collectives.

To honour this growth, CIAF is introducing its inaugural Fashion: Textile & Design Awards. 

Featuring $20,000 in prize money across categories like Textile Innovation, winners will be announced on Friday, July 10, judged by a panel of industry leaders.

The festival hub: Tanks Arts Centre

While fashion unfolds in Stratford, the main hub at Tanks Arts Centre kicks off early on Tuesday, July 7, with The Boy Who Found His Way Home by Jillian Boyd-Bowie, a one-night-only theatre work celebrating Torres Strait Islander identity, starring acclaimed actor Jimi Bani.

Following the preview, the official Opening Night on Thursday, July 9, launches CIAF's largest-ever Art Fair Showcase and Artisans Market. 

Headlined by award-winning dance troupe Naygayiw Gigi, the site-wide celebration features immersive cultural activations and curated food experiences across the Tanks precinct.

The hub then opens fully from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12, debuting new intergenerational spaces like the Púuna Play Space and the “Elders Lounge” (Welcome Blak Home) for yarning over tea and classic vinyl. 

Visitors can also dive into the “Mark Makers” program, featuring hands-on masterclasses in traditional shell necklace making and ancestral Paiwan embroidery.