Entertainment
8 November, 2026
5000 enjoyed Diwali Mela 2026
MORE than 5000 people gathered at Fogarty Park on 24 October 2026 for Cairns Diwali Mela 2026, marking a strong turnout for the cultural celebration in its second year.
Presented by Cairns Hindu Samaj Inc. (CHS), the event brought together residents and visitors for an evening of cultural performances, music, food, entertainment and fireworks, celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
Cairns Hindu Samaj president Chaitali Nayak said the event was created to celebrate Hindu traditions and share them with the wider community.
“Diwali Mela was created not only to celebrate our traditions, but to share them with the whole Cairns community,” Ms Nayak said.
“To see more than 5000 people from so many different backgrounds celebrating together was incredibly special.”
CHS secretary Kumi Sharma said the growing interest among local businesses, volunteers and community members was especially encouraging.
“One of the biggest changes we noticed this year was that people were coming to us asking how they could be involved, whether that was sponsoring the event, volunteering, contributing prizes or supporting it in other ways,” Ms Sharma said.
The celebration also drew participants from outside Cairns, including stallholder Renu Sharma, who travelled from Townsville.
“We came from Townsville to be part of the Diwali Mela and had a really positive experience. The event was well organised, and it gave us a great opportunity to meet new people and introduce our business to the Cairns community,” Ms Sharma said.
Attendee Lisa Diggins welcomed the opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to celebrate together. “It was wonderful to see so many people from across Cairns come together to celebrate Diwali,” she said.
