Entertainment
14 August, 2026
Japan Bon Dance Festival returns to Fogarty Park
CAIRNS will come alive with Japanese food, music and dancing this Saturday as the Cairns Japan Bon Dance Festival returns to Fogarty Park.
Hosted by the Japanese Society of Cairns, the free community festival celebrates Japanese culture and centres on Bon Odori, a traditional form of communal dancing where everyone is encouraged to participate around the festival’s yagura stage.
Food stalls open at noon, ahead of an opening ceremony at 12.30pm and a packed afternoon of entertainment.
Performers include Cairns Taiko, Akabanaa & Smile with Kids, Japanese Play Group & Street Elements, Tensho Ren and Mugendai, with seven Bon dancing sessions interspersed throughout the day.
Mayor Amy Eden and Japanese consul Shingo Higashimoto are scheduled to address the crowd at 4.40pm.
The celebrations will build towards a fireworks display at 8pm, followed by a final Bon dance, before the festival closes at 8.30pm.
The annual event is one of Cairns’ major multicultural celebrations, with the Cairns Regional Council providing the Japanese Society of Cairns with $18,000 for this year’s festival.
The Cairns Japan Bon Dance Festival will be held this Saturday 15 August, from 12pm to 8.30pm at Fogarty Park, Cairns. Free entry.
