MEDIA RELEASE - Shine On Gimuy Festival On Hold For 2026
MEDIA RELEASE - 15th July 2026
Community mourns festival visionary Rhoda Roberts OAM and reimagines next chapter of festival
It is with heavy hearts that the Shine On Gimuy team would like to share that the event will not proceed in 2026. The Shine On Gimuy festival family are taking time to mourn the profound loss of their visionary Artistic Director Rhoda Roberts OAM, who passed away in March this year.
The 2026 pause will also create space for Cultural Guides, Executive Producers, Creative Directors and key stakeholders to revisit, reimagine and recharge the festival’s future -carrying forward the strengths, lessons and stories from Shine On Gimuy’s journey from 2022 to 2025 and setting sights on the road to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.
“Rhoda’s unwavering passion for arts and culture laid the groundwork for Shine On Gimuy,” said Merryn Hughes, Shine On Gimuy Founder and Executive Producer. “Her passing leaves a profound gap for our festival family and for the wider community. In 2026, taking time to mourn, cherish what we built together, and come together with purpose is the right way to honour Rhoda’s legacy.” The decision follows a highly successful 2025 festival season, which welcomed record attendance - over 100,000 festival goers from across the region, Australia and internationally, converged on the Gimuy/Cairns Boulevard, to share in the First Nations cultural celebration.
“2025 showed the power of this festival - people travelled to be part of it, and the energy across the program was extraordinary. Shortly after our beloved Rhoda passed away, she worked with us right to the very end. That is how important this festival was to her,” Ms Hughes said. “That’s exactly why this is a pause, not a farewell. It’s a year to listen, to reflect, to honour and to shape the next chapter with ambition and care.” Throughout 2026, Shine On Gimuy will focus on consultation and planning to support a strong, lasting future for the festival. Cultural Guides will continue meeting with Creative Directors and Producers to share insights that will help shape future festivals for the community.
“Together, 2026 is the time to lock in our ambitions, dreams and goals,” she said. “Cultural Guides, Creative Directors, Producers and partners have invaluable knowledge from the early years of Shine On Gimuy. Bringing those voices together is how the original vision is respected, while making sure what comes next is truly special.”
Shine On Gimuy sincerely thanks all supporters to date, including funding partners and sponsors, for their ongoing commitment, as well as the artists, staff, volunteers and community members who helped deliver the festival from 2022 to 2025 and who have continued to grow in numbers.
Further updates will be shared as planning progresses across our website and social media channels throughout the year. “We’d like to take this opportunity to express our deepest of thanks to all of our corporate and funding partners to date, we couldn’t have grown the event to the size we have without your support,” said Ms Hughes.
Corporate, Funding & Supporting Partners: Arts Qld | Department of Premier & Cabinet | Cairns Regional Council | Australian Government | Flying Arts Alliance (Regional Arts Australia) | TEQ | Tourism Tropical North Queensland | Creative Australia | QMF | CIAF | Crystalbrook Collection | Danae Jones Consulting | Bumma Bippera | CityLife Media | Impress Art Graphic Designs | Northsite Galleries | BoneMap | Salthouse | Google | Shine On Productions | On Country Events & Production | Marigold Enterprises | The Production Office | Brooks World Events | Final Touch Productions | Bukal Consulting | Minjil | QMusic | Jam Pro Lighting | Lotsa Printing | Cultural Guides Past & Present: Professor Henrietta Marrie AM, Lydia Miller, Linc Walker, Elverina Johnson, Dr. Gerry Turpin, Francine Hollingsworth, Ernie Brimm, David Hudson, Sandra Levers and Teho Ropeyarn.
KEY NOTES:
• Shine On Gimuy Festival will not take place in 2026.
• 2026 is dedicated to review, consultation and future planning with key stakeholders Cultural Guides and the community in the lead-up to Brisbane Olympic Games 2032.
• Over 100,000 attendees converged on the Gimuy/Cairns Boulevard in 2025 to experience the Shine On Gimuy Festival, taking attendance numbers to their highest level in the festival’s history.
Shine On Gimuy Set To Light Up Cairns
Shine on Gimuy Artstory Light Walk. Photo by Mitch Lowe.
Lighting up the Gimuy Boulevard along Cairns Esplanade from Thursday 16 to Sunday 26 October, 2025, the third annual Shine On Gimuy festival will illuminate the city’s waterfront in a dazzling display of light installations, art sculptures, animations, and soundscapes.
Led by Artistic Director, Rhoda Roberts AO, under the guidance of a dedicated committee of Cultural Guides, Shine on Gimuy will deliver an invigorating and immersive line-up of music performances, cultural dance, comedy, and conversations in a celebration of First Nations peoples, arts and cultures.
While Shine On Gimuy’s main program of events will run from Thursday 16 to Sunday 26 October the KINSHIP themed Artstory Light Walk on Gimuy Boulevard will remain in-situ until festival close on Sunday 26 October.
“Our thematic for this year is Kinship. Our First Peoples have operated under sacred kinship systems for thousands of years. These systems not only show how we are deeply connected to Country and family, but they also lay the foundations for life balance, through the key pillars of kindness, generosity, and humility. Kinship reminds us that we are all interconnected—it guides our stewardship, from our totemic relationships to the care of Country, waterways, and Sky Country. This year’s Shine carries that theme, inviting all to connect and gain a deeper understanding of who we are. We hope you will join us in honouring these enduring connections, “ said Rhoda Roberts AO.
From 16 to 26 October, the Cairns Esplanade will transform into a Festival Hub on the Eastern Events Lawn and Gimuy Boulevard will come alive with an array of multi-arts activations which the entire family, attendees of all backgrounds, the Bama community, and visitors to Tropical North Queensland, alike, will find entertaining, immersive and informative. Crystalbrook Collection, a major supporter of the event will also be host to special deals for local families and visitors to the region to stay and dine and take in the festivities.
Artstory Light Walk. Photo by Mitch Lowe.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Fiona Simpson said the Crisafulli Government was proud to support Shine On Gimuy.
“The festival on the on the Cairns waterfront amplifies the voices of our First Peoples by celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, whether that be through music, spoken word, artwork, or performance,” Minister Simpson said.
“The Crisafulli Government’s support of Shine On Gimuy and the Queensland Music Trails’ Tropics Trail highlights our commitment to showcasing our state’s unique stories and cultural identity, but also to deliver valuable social and economic outcomes for all Queenslanders, particularly those working in the Arts sector.”
Cairns Mayor, Cr Amy Eden, said Shine On Gimuy is a powerful expression of the cultural heartbeat that defines Gimuy/Cairns as northern Australia's arts and culture capital.
“This festival doesn’t just spotlight the extraordinary creativity of our First Nations communities - it invites the whole nation to witness the stories, spirit, and strength that shape who we are.”
“It fills me with pride to see our city light up the national stage, sharing the deep cultural roots and rich connection to Country that make Gimuy/Cairns unlike anywhere else,” Mayor Eden said.
Shine On Gimuy is produced by Queensland-based events company, Shine On Productions.
The Shine On Gimuy festival will be FREE ENTRY for all to attend and is the cornerstone First Nations element of The Tropics Trail, presented by QLD Music Trails.
Shine On Gimuy is proud to be a Presenting Partner of Dream Aloud (a ticketed event)— this program will shine a light on musical artists and singer-songwriters from the region, as well as headlining major talent: https://qldmusictrails.com/events/dream-aloud/
Stay tuned to Shineonproductions.au/gimuy (as well as Shine On Gimuy’s Facebook and Instagram profiles) for full program information.
Cairns Local News: Indigenous Program Draws 50,000 Visitors
Thank you to Cairns Local News for helping to share the outcomes of a very successful Shine On Gimuy Festival 2024.
National Indigenous Times: Shine on Gimuy Festival celebrates Indigenous culture with dance and art
Joseph Guenzler - October 24, 2024
The second edition of the Shine on Gimuy multi-arts light festival attracted almost 50,000 visitors over its 10-day program, showcasing Indigenous art, song, dance, culture, and wisdom.
The festival began on 3 October with an event called Calling Country, which brought together Tropical North Queensland's Indigenous clans to honour kinship, culture, song, and dance.
It concluded with giant illuminated sculptures along Cairns Esplanade.
Under the direction of Rhoda Roberts AO and a team of Cultural Guides, Shine on Gimuy featured a diverse array of illuminated art installations, music performances, cultural dance, comedy, and discussions celebrating Indigenous arts and cultures.
Ms Roberts said the magnificent public art installations that comprised the Artstory Light Walk stunningly depicted First Nations Peoples' intrinsic social ecology, which informed the 2024 curatorial theme, Entwined.
"With around 50,000 visitors, Shine on Gimuy ensures a space where we all feel special, with the lights illuminating the essence of our culture," she said.
"It's a gathering that enhances local businesses and the tourism sector while honouring the ancient lands of the Yidinji and celebrating First Nations' cultural legacy."
"The spatial perceptions of the Indigenous realm–the philosophy and language–and our Cultural customs and nuances are all wonderfully entwined."
Gimuy Walabura Yidinji dancers performed throughout the festival. Hosted by the Gimuy Walabura Yidinji people, the event featured cultural dances performed on a sand circle at sunset, overlooking the waterfront of Gimuy/Cairns.
The ceremony highlighted the talents of 150 performing artists and drew over 1,500 attendees, including Traditional Owners, Elders, and community leaders.
Cultural producer, Lydia Miller, said the festival showcased the unique diversity and cultural richness of the region's First Nations peoples including the rainforest Bama nations of Yidinji, Gunggandji, Djabugayndi, and Yalanji.
"Our brothers and sisters from across the country joined us in this celebration," she said.
"We are genuinely entwined, and our art, culture, and connection to the Country testify to the ancient and modern story of our continued existence as the world's oldest living culture.
"Shine on Gimuy achieved another beautiful celebration in 2024, of First Nations art, song, dance, culture and words of wisdom."
Presented in collaboration with Triple J, the highlight of Shine on Gimuy was the inaugural Dream Aloud concert by the Queensland Music Festival (QMF).
This event featured top Indigenous artists, including Baker Boy, Bumpy, and King Stingray.
Held under the stars at Munro Martin Parklands on 5 October, the concert attracted an audience of 2,000.
Cairns Regional Council Mayor, Amy Eden, said Shine on Gimuy not only highlighted the "rich heritage of our First Nations peoples but also brought significant economic benefits to our city".
"As council's recent Our Cairns 2024 survey findings showed, our community loves arts and culture events and the role they play in fostering a sense of unity and pride in our city," Ms Eden said.
"Cairns Regional Council is proud to support such an impactful and inspiring event."
The event is proudly presented by Shine Productions, with support from the Cairns Regional Council, the Queensland Government, the federal government, and various other partners.
Koori Mail: Shining A Light On Culture
Our friends at the Koori Mail who page us a front-page cover, in covering the wrap of Shine On Gimuy Festival 2024!
Read more by subscribing: www.koorimail.com/subscribe
Cairns Local News: Shining bright
The people of Gimuy (Cairns) were left wanting more after the second iteration of Shine on Gimuy attracted 45,000 people to its assortment of events showcasing the unity of First Nations communities, their entertainment and culture.
The exciting program of Shine on Gimuy showcasing the best of Far North Queensland’s First Nation’s communities was a roaring success in its second year, adding new artists, more entertainment and more education for visitors and locals to experience last weekend.
Events went on from October 3-6, but the Artstory Lightwalk by the Eastern Events Lawn will remain on until Sunday.
“Our audience averaged at 45,000 people for the 10 days. This represents an increase up from 33,000 in 2023,” said the festival’s cultural producer Lydia Miller.
“People were saying that they tripled their profits at the Blak Markets, we know that our collaboration with Queensland Music Festivals in Dream Aloud was very well attended, so was our Calling Country and Music Makers,” said the festival’s cultural producer Lydia Miller.
“I think there’s a learning occurring in our society, where people go, “we’re here together, so how do we develop a greater understanding and appreciation of each other?”, and it’s great that we can offer this to our communities as well as to incoming visitors.”
One of the most important events of the festival this year was the debut of Dream Aloud at Munro Martin Parklands promoting emerging Indigenous artists like Baker Boy, King Stingray and Bumpy.
“Dream Aloud was extremely exciting, Munro Martin is a great venue, we also had markets there and it was great to have the volume all the way up,” Ms Miller said.
“I think Dream Aloud within that space was incredibly successful. People came and enjoyed themselves, and stayed for three, four, five hours which is terrific.”
Ms Miller thanked the community, sponsors, and cultural guides for making the event possible.
By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez
SBS: Shine on Gimuy invites people to walk in the lights of Cairns
As festival goers enter the Shine on Gimuy (Cairns) artstory light walk, the artistic visions of three local First Nations artists come alive, transformed into light sculptures.Shine on Gimuy will illuminate the esplanade in a display of light installations, art sculptures, animations, and soundscapes with the main program of events running from October 3-6 and the artstory light walk remaining in place until October 13.
Led by artistic director Rhoda Roberts and guided by a dedicated committee of cultural guides, Shine on Gimuy includes an immersive line-up of music performances, cultural dance, comedy, and conversations in a celebration of First Nations peoples, arts, and cultures.
“This year’s 'entwined' theme reflects the interconnectedness all First Nations peoples share and our intrinsic and inseparable connection to our Country," Ms Roberts said.
"This sensory spectacle will entrance visitors.” Light installations showcase the artworks of Marun Carl Fourmile, Merindi Schrieber and Doreen Collins.
Marun Carl Fourmile, from the Gimuy Wallaburra Yidinji nation, pays homage to the warriors and custodians with his light sculptures; his grandfather, Yie-Nie, was the King of Gimuy.
His four large-scale, cylindrical installation pieces feature King Yie-Nie’s shield design and the ‘blurry’, a sacred, curved woomera associated with the ancestral creation story of the Great Barrier Reef, from just after the last Ice Age.
“My Elders used the curved woomera and would put it at the bow of the boat, as a blessing for the vessel and to calm the waters,” Marun Carl Fourmile said.
The cassowary – known in the Kuku Yalanji language as ‘kurranji’ – is of great cultural importance to the region.
Doreen Collins has reimagined the cassowary as an 8 metre tall light sculpture.
“Kurranji could once fly, having great wings," she said.
"It would travel all over across Sky Country but, as it travelled from the rainforest areas to the coast, those wings got stuck in the mud flats. "Unable to free itself for a long time it slowly began to lose its wing feathers, then they were gone. "Kurranji had to use its feet to get out and walk and now their remaining feathers are black from the mud and this bird had to navigate a new world on land.”
At the Salt House Festival Hub, First Nations voices will serenade attendees into the evenings in conjunction with a daily Deep Wisdom Conversations series, an opportunity to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices leaders on Country, truth-telling, sovereignty and other issues.
Shine On Gimuy’s comedy night on Saturday, will feature showmen Sean Choolburra and Andy Saunders.
Baker Boy and King Stingray - who are in the running for an ARIA for best Australian live act - are performing in a Dream Aloud concert on Saturday at Munro Martin Parklands, MCed by comedian Steph Tisdell. The Shine On Gimuy festival is the cornerstone First Nations element of the Tropics Trail, presented by Queensland Music Festivals as part of the Queensland Music Trails initiative.
The Music Makers program includes artists the Briscoe Sisters, Mau Power, Victor Steffensen, Yirgjhilya Lawrie, Kee’ahn, Broden Tyrrell, Jessie Grainer Chong, and DJ Bala Will.
ABC Radio National ‘AWAYE’
Shine on Gimuy will celebrate First Nations art and culture with light installations, art sculptures, animations, and soundscapes, and a full festival program with music performances, cultural dance, comedy, and conversations.
The festival's artistic director Rhoda Roberts is a celebrated arts executive. She’s programmed many arts festivals, including Festival of the Dreaming, Boomerang Festival, and Parrtijma.
She shares what drew her to Shine on Gimuy, and explains the importance of spotlighting local talent.
Shine on Gimuy is on in Cairns until Sunday 13 October. Tickets and more information here.
Listen to the full interview here!
Interview by Rudi Bremer.
Cairns Local News: Gimuy festival connection
THE art, the culture and the entertainment have arrived in Gimuy (Cairns) with the second iteration of the First Nations festival Shine on Gimuy showcasing colour, music and storytelling until Sunday.
By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez
Mau Power will be performing at the Shine on Gimuy hub at Salt House on Saturday. Picture: Supplied Mau Power will be performing at the Shine on Gimuy hub at Salt House on Saturday. Picture: Supplied A jam-packed program is running after the launch of the festival on Thursday with an array of entertainment and educational options – free and ticketed – including music, conversations, comedy and much more.
With the theme ENTWINED, all stories, all paths and all voices lead to Gimuy and the voices of the Yidinji people who will immerse attendees in a First Nations experience like no other.
Shine on Gimuy artistic director Rhoda Roberts AO said the festival had lots in store for this weekend.
“I think people will be excited by our light installations and audio soundscapes, with three new artists as they head down throughout the Esplanade,” she said.
“We have artists from Wujal Wujal, and local based artists. Our opening is with spirit guardians that reflect on the king of Gimuy and his traditional markings, done by his grandson Carl Fourmile. Our next artist is Merindi Schribier a musician and amazing weaver and our third is a young emerging artist Doreen Collins. That’s our difference from last year.
“There’s a lot happening on Saturday. We have our partnership with Queensland Music Festival with the Dream Aloud concert at Munro Martin Parklands, with a great lineup from King Stingray to Baker Boy, Bumpy and Kee’ahn for our younger demographic.
“So at our festival hub at Salt House for a different demographic we have a comedy night with music, which is super exciting because lots of people don’t get to see our dry and self-deprecating humour. We have Sean Choolburra and Andy Saunders with a new show. There’ll be a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour.”
There’ll be lots more to see over the weekend with amazing shows by Circa Cairns – Circa Youth Circus – music performances, Deep Wisdom Conversations at Salt House, slam poetry by Rob Waters, music by Mau Power, Kee’ahn, DJ Bala Will and more.
“This year our theme is Entwined, we’re all entwined and connected to everything so we hope for our audience to come, get chill, look at incredible transformative artworks, hear some great bands, take in some talks and walk away knowing that we have more similarities than differences and sees how diverse our culture is,” Ms Roberts said.
For the full program, visit www.shineonproductions.au/gimuy
Australian Rural & Regional News: Shine on Gimuy 2024 kicks off
The light installations are installed, and following last night’s rehearsal for Calling Country ceremony – Shine on Gimuy kicked off on 3 October 2024 – with a Friday to Sunday program of music, poetry, comedy and conversations and more at the Salt House HQ.
The stunning light installations that comprise the Artstory Light Walk will be in place until 13 October.
The Cassowary (right) is an artwork by emerging Wujal Wujal artist Doreen Collins, with sculpture made by Koah artist Jacob McGrath, who spent 200 hours fabricating this beauty. Merindi Schrieber’s dilly bags (bilge) disks also took around 300 hours – it is a stunning outdoor exhibition.
See the whole program of Shine on Gimuy events here.
Cairns Local News: Gimuy to shine again
THE second annual Shine On Gimuy festival will illuminate the city’s waterfront in a dazzling display of light installations, art sculptures, animations and soundscapes from October 3 to 13.
The second iteration of the Indigenous festival led by artistic director Rhoda Roberts under the guidance of a dedicated committee of cultural guides, Shine on Gimuy will deliver an invigorating and immersive line-up of music performances, cultural dance, comedy and conversations in a celebration of First Nations peoples, arts and cultures.
While the main program of events will run from Thursday, October 3 to Sunday, October 6, the ENTWINED themed Artstory Light Walk on Gimuy Boulevard will remain in-situ until the festival closes on Sunday, October 13.
“This year’s ENTWINED theme is reflective of the interconnectedness all First Nations (and Bama) peoples share, as well as our intrinsic and inseparable connection to country. Visitors will be entranced by this sensory spectacle,” Ms Roberts said.
From October 3-6 Salt House will become the official hub of the festival on the eastern events lawn and Gimuy Boulevard will come alive with an array of multi-arts activations which the entire family, attendees of all backgrounds, the Bama community, and visitors to Tropical North Queensland, alike, will find entertaining and immersive.
Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden said Shine On Gimuy was a testament to the rich cultural tapestry that defines Gimuy/Cairns as the regional ‘arts and culture capital of northern Australia.
“This festival, not only celebrates the creative brilliance of our First Nations communities, but also strengthens the bonds that unite us all,” she said.
“I’m immensely proud to see our city shine on the national stage, showcasing the deep connections to country and cultures that make Gimuy/Cairns truly unique.”
Shine On Productions will bring a jam-packed program of entertainment, culture and education over three days. For its performative aspect The Music Makers program (ticketed) will shine a light on musical artists/singers-songwriters from the region, as well as headlining major talent such as Briscoe Sisters, Mau Power, Victor Steffenson, Yirgjhilya Lawrie, Kee’ahn and Broden Tyrrell.
For a full program, visit https://bit.ly/3MWmHD5
By Isabella Guzman Gonzalez
Cape York Weekly: Lost artwork brought back to life
After losing all of her paintings in the Tropical Cyclone Jasper flood, a Wujal Wujal artist is seeing her work come to life in the form of an eight-metre tall light sculpture.
Selected as one of this year’s artists for the Shine on Gimuy multi-arts light festival in Cairns, Doreen Collins will share the story of the cassowary with visitors, based on an original painting that was unfortunately washed away.
Ms Collins, who has since relocated to Cairns after the flood event, said it was heartbreaking to lose so many paintings, but added the festival was another chance to show her work and tell her story.
“[It’s] exciting, it’s another opportunity for people to see my artwork that was lost,” she said.
“I did the sketch of it and they’re building it now.
“I’m excited to share my culture because it’s a part of who I am.”
In only its second year, Shine on Gimuy brings First Nations artists from across Tropical North Queensland region together with a team of fabricators to create a magnificent light show.
“It’s about how do we showcase blak excellence in arts and cultures, as well as the region itself to help stimulate visitation, and bring people from all across the world to this beautiful part of Queensland,” event marketing and partnerships co-ordinator Jack Wilkie-Jans said.
“Artworks that are obviously a great deal smaller when the original artworks come to us can be transformed into major light sculptures.
“This has never been done in Cairns before; artists who are emerging and established working together with a team of expert fabricators to bring together something that is just so dazzling.”
Mr Wilkie-Jans said three artists with completely differing styles would be brought together by colourful lights to decorate Gimuy Boulevard, the entryway to the festival.
“They reflect the colours of the tropics, they reflect the colours of the reef, and more importantly, they reflect what’s in the heart and mind and cultures of these artists,” he said.
The Shine on Gimuy festival will begin on 3 October as the dazzling works light up the Esplanade in Cairns.
By Chisa Hasegawa
ArtsHub: Shine on Gimuy returns to illuminate tropical city in 2024
Led by arts festival supremo Rhoda Roberts AO, Shine on Gimuy centres illuminated displays by First Nations creatives.
Shine on Gimuy, a First Nations light festival, will return for its second annual event from 3-13 October along Cairns Esplanade to illuminate the city’s waterfront with light installations, art sculptures, animations and soundscapes.
Rhoda Roberts AO will lead the festival as Artistic Director, bringing along her experience as the Creative Director of Parrtjima Festival, a major light experience in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in the NT to Far North Queensland.
From 3-6 October, the Salt House bar and restaurant will transform into the Shine on Gimuy Festival Hub, where an array of multi-arts activations will welcome visitors...*
National Indigenous Times: First Nations light festival - Shine On Gimuy - to illuminate Cairns
"The Shine On Gimuy festival is set to illuminate the Gimuy/Cairns Esplanade's 'Gimuy Boulevard' (Queensland) for another year.
Showcasing a display of light installations, art sculptures, animations, and soundscapes, the full festival program will feature music performances, cultural dance, comedy, and conversations in a celebration of First Nations peoples, arts and cultures.
Running from October 3 - 13, the event is supported by the Queensland government, Arts Queensland, Cairns Regional Council, and Australian government.
Shine On Gimuy is a multi-arts light festival led by Artistic Director, Rhoda Roberts AO, under the guidance of a dedicated committee of Cultural Guides.
From October 3-6, the Salt House bar and restaurant (Festival Hub), the Eastern Events Lawn and Gimuy Boulevard will become host to an array of multi-arts activations..."
Thanks to the National Indigenous Times for your coverage: Read more here!
‘City to ‘Dream Aloud’ in ‘24, Cairns Local News
A NEW First Nations contemporary music festival will be staged in Cairns in October following the success of the first Shine on Gimuy last year. By Nick Dalton
One of the displays at last year's Shine on Gimuy. One of the displays at last year's Shine on Gimuy.
Dream Aloud is a key event in the ‘Tropics Trail’, part of the state-wide Queensland Music Trails (QMT) program backed by the Queensland Government.
The Tropics Trail is scheduled to take place in October each year and also includes events such as the Yarrabah Music Festival, Shine On Gimuy, and Savannah in the Round.
A Cairns Regional Council report said the trail was a tourism destination initiative offering audiences an itinerary that celebrated the region’s people, places and culture through music, aiming to position Cairns as a premier cultural tourism destination in Australia. “Dream On is produced by Queensland Music Festival (QMF) in collaboration with Shine On Productions (SOP) and under the curatorial guidance of leading Indigenous producer, Rhoda Roberts,” it said.
“The event will incorporate First Nations contemporary music against the backdrop of Cairns.
“The event will spotlight the rich cultural heritage and dynamic musical traditions of Australia’s First Nations people including nationally renowned artists.”
It will include a traditional Welcome to Country performed by Traditional Owners and Custodians, accompanied by a traditional dance performance and smoking ceremony. First Nations artisan stalls will sell ceramics, paintings, textiles, carvings, and local produce.
“Dream Aloud will serve as a platform for emerging local talent to showcase their stories and voices, including providing a platform for the 2024 winner of the Yarrabah Music and Cultural Festival’s ‘Battle of the Bands’,” the report said.
Cr Trevor Tim told last week’s regional council meeting that the event was “a great idea, a great concept”.
Cr Rhonda Coghlan said she was surprised how successful economically and culturally Shine on Gimuy was last year.
She said it was “visually spectacular” and “lifted the city up”.
Cr Brett Moller said it would add to a program to make Cairns the regional arts capital of Northern Australia.
The council has approved $240,000 in funding to support the two First Nations entertainment events. A two-year funding agreement of $160,000 will support the Shine On Gimuy 2024 and 2025 events plus a contribution of up to $80,000 for Dream Aloud 2024.
www.cairnslocalnews.com.au/city-to-dream-aloud-in-24-2024-06-14
Channel 9 ‘My Way’ Documentary
My Way is a lifestyle leisure program like no other in Australia. Showcasing first hand stories from tourism operators, business founders and savvy enthusiasts, My Way finds the inner hero in everyday Australians, and recognised Shine On Gimuy as an inspiring First Nations Festival worthy of sharing its story to Australia. Shine On Gimuy was showcased on My Way program in November 2023 this 15 minute expose features interviews with Executive Producer Merryn Hughes, Artistic Director Rhoda Roberts and Artist Michelle Yeatman, whilst showcasing the ArtStory Walk, Performances and Calling Country Ceremony. It reached a national audience of over 500,000 people.