The Australian Festival of Chamber Music has proven itself to be one of Queensland’s most powerful cultural tourism drivers – and things are only going to get better now they have shifted to Cairns from Townsville.
Of course, there is plenty of competition between these two cities, but Cairns has the edge as a tourist attraction and that can only be good for the AFCM, which has been kicking goals for years.
Lots of festivals talk themselves up but AFCM has crunched the numbers to prove it, injecting more than $3 million in direct and incremental expenditure for Queensland, generating more visitor nights last year and attracting high-value travellers who don’t just attend but stay longer, spend more and return year after year.
In 2025 the AFCM delivered 66,675 direct visitor nights across Queensland, with more than 55,000 in its host city, Townsville.
AFCM executive director Ricardo Peach says visitors are 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,” Peach says.
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“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.”
So, what’s the attraction? Well, with Cairns the new location, things are focussed and accommodation and events are all within walking distance. Then there are the beauties of the natural environment and the reef in winter. Oh, and I almost forget to mention … there’s the music, as Peach points out.
“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,” he says. “The musicians come for the music, the audiences come for the experience, and both return.”
In 2026, the festival enters an exciting new chapter relocating to Cairns wherem from July 24 to August 1, it will transform the tropical city into a global chamber music capital. Here, extraordinary performances will unfold against the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, creating a rare fusion of cultural and destination appeal.
State Tourism Minister Andrew Powell says the AFCM is a standout on Queensland’s cultural calendar and another reason visitors are choosing regional Queensland for their holidays.
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“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,” Powell says. “They bring visitors into our regions, fill local hotels and restaurants and support jobs for local Queenslanders. That’s exactly what the (State) 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 CEO Mark Olsen says hosting the AFCM is an opportunity to bring new visitors to the 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 says. “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.”
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Karin Schaupp
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Charlotte Miles
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Christian-Pierre La Marca
This year’s AFCM program is bold, cinematic and unafraid to take risks, from composers who met wildly dramatic ends in Horrible Histories, Composer Edition to Schubert’s Winterreise reimagined for the tropics, a lost Holocaust-era work completed 80 years on, and a sweeping multimedia tribute to the natural world. It’s chamber music with edge, story and serious emotional punch.
International artists this year include Berlin Philharmonic principal horn Stefan Dohr, French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca, Irish tenor Robin Tritschler and world-renowned ensembles including the Sitkovetsky Piano Trio. They are joined by leading Australian musicians including Piers Lane, Karin Schaupp, Charlotte Miles, Lloyd Van’t Hoff and others, alongside emerging artists and new works from the AFCM pathways emerging composer-in-residence Sam Wu.
Audiences will also hear new commissions that connect past and present, including British composer Alex Turley’s new work for flute and string quartet.
AFCM is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Arts Queensland; Cairns Regional Council; the Ian Potter Foundation; and the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia.
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music takes place in Cairns, July 24 to August 1.
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