Entertainment
6 June, 2026
Britishmania to invade city
A TRIBUTE show celebrating some of Britain’s biggest music acts of the 1960s and 1970s is coming to Cairns Performing Arts Centre.
‘Britishmania – A Tribute to the Greatest British Hits of the 60s and 70s’ will tour nationally with the Cairns performance scheduled for Friday 19 June.
Fronted by entertainer Glenn Starr, the two-hour production will feature songs made famous by artists including The Beatles, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard, The Bee Gees, The Animals, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman’s Hermits and The Searchers.
Mr Starr said the music from the British Invasion era continued to resonate with audiences because it represented a major turning point in popular music.
“I think because it was such a massive change in the music landscape, I think people still hold that dear to them,” he said.
“If you grew up with the songs, it’ll take you back to that time.
“These songs are just timeless and I think they’ll stay around.”
The show revisits music from the era known as the ‘British Invasion’, featuring songs including ‘Help’, ‘Penny Lane’, ‘Your Song’, ‘Summer Holiday’ and ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’.
Mr Starr said recreating the sound and atmosphere of the 1960s involved a mix of live musicians, backing tracks and modern stage technology.
“The use of technology makes things so much easier, especially for set design as well, because you can use LED screens and projectors and all that kind of stuff and use different visuals to help create that feel,” he said.
Mr Starr said audiences in Cairns could expect a broad mix of British pop and rock acts from the era.
“You’re going to be looking at the Mersey beat rivalry of The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Searchers,” he said.
“There’s some Cliff Richard in there as obviously Australia’s own Bee Gees … we’re gonna go as far as the early 70s with Elton John and The Rolling Stones as well.”
Mr Starr said he hoped audiences would leave the performance feeling uplifted.
“I hope people walk away just feeling like they had a really good night, we brought back some great memories, they had a good sing-along and were able to escape life for two and a half hours,” he said.
Bookings for the Cairns Performing Arts Centre show can be made via www.bit.ly/4uIFA0t or on 1300 855 835.
