The 2026 Cooktown Discovery Festival has wrapped up after a spectacular weekend of live music, community celebration, culture, creativity and good old-fashioned Cooktown hospitality, attracting record crowds from across the region and beyond.
Across three action-packed days, festivalgoers enjoyed a diverse program of events, activities and entertainment that celebrated the unique character, history and spirit of Cooktown and Cape York. An estimated 800 people attended Friday night’s festivities, while approximately 1,500 people packed the precinct on Saturday evening, creating one of the biggest festival crowds in recent years.
This year’s festival was marked by near-perfect Cape York winter conditions. Despite showers in the days leading up to the event, skies cleared on Friday before giving way to a spectacular sunny Saturday. Aside from the slightest misting of rain early on Saturday evening—which certainly didn’t stop the record crowd from dancing the night away—the weather helped create an unforgettable atmosphere throughout the weekend.
The favourable conditions, combined with a packed festival program, drew strong visitation to Cooktown, with local hotels and motels fully booked on Saturday night and caravan parks and camping grounds reporting occupancy levels of approximately 90 per cent.
Festival highlights included:
- Acclaimed Cape York artist Djawarray opened his Saturday night set with Binal, immediately drawing crowds to their feet with his powerful blend of contemporary music, storytelling and culture. Fresh from being named Regional Artist of the Year at the Queensland Music Awards, Bertie and his band delivered a standout performance before Australian rock favourites Kingswood kept festivalgoers dancing long into the night.
- The Big Run for Little Athletics, where reigning champion Ollie Boltz broke his own Goliath of Grassy Hill record in the Open Category, completing the gruelling climb in an incredible 14 minutes and 19 seconds.
- A vibrant Street Parade showcasing the creativity and community spirit of Cooktown, with Cooktown Men’s Shed taking out Best in Parade, Cooktown Kindergarten winning Best Community Group, Endeavour Christian College awarded Best School, and Justin Webster’s 1949 Mixed-Bitsa Mud Racer recognised as Most Creative Team or Individual.
- The ever-popular Unfenced Asylum Challenge, once again delivering plenty of laughs and good-natured competition as participants tackled a uniquely Cooktown obstacle course inspired by the region’s colourful history and characters.
- Outstanding performances from local musicians and entertainers across the festival program, including finalists from Cook Shire’s Got Talent and the Hope Vale Barefoot Ballerina’s performing live on the main stage.
- A strong field of competitors in the Busking Competition, bringing live music and entertainment to the streets of Cooktown throughout the weekend, with The Mixies taking out the Open Category and young poet Julian Slykerman winning the Junior Category
- A very special, inaugural performance of the Stronger Together Community Choir, who were brought together to celebrate connection, resilience and community spirit following the devestating floods that impacted the region following Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023.
Cook Shire Council Mayor Robyn Holmes said the success of the festival reflected the incredible effort of volunteers, community groups, sponsors, performers, local businesses and Council staff.
“The Cooktown Discovery Festival is much more than an event—it’s a celebration of who we are as a community and what makes this part of Australia so special,” Mayor Holmes said.
“To see hundreds of people enjoying our town, supporting local businesses, celebrating local talent and creating memories together is something we can all be incredibly proud of.”
Mayor Holmes said the festival continued to strengthen Cooktown’s reputation as one of regional Queensland’s premier event destinations.
“Visitors came from near and far to experience everything the festival has to offer, but they also experienced the very best of Cooktown—our history, our culture, our natural beauty and, most importantly, our people.”
“Many visitors tell us they come for the festival and end up staying longer than planned. That’s one of the greatest compliments we receive because it means they’re discovering everything else our region has to offer.”
Mayor Holmes also thanked the many individuals and organisations who worked behind the scenes to bring the event to life.
“Events of this scale simply don’t happen without the dedication of volunteers, community groups, performers, sponsors, emergency services, Council staff and local businesses. On behalf of Council and our community, I thank everyone who played a role in making this year’s festival such a success.”
The Cooktown Discovery Festival continues to play an important role in supporting the local economy, driving visitation and showcasing Cooktown and Cape York to new audiences.
Early feedback from attendees, businesses and performers has been overwhelmingly positive, with accommodation providers reporting strong bookings throughout the weekend and local businesses benefiting from increased visitation and spending during the festival period.
As the final stages are packed away and the dust settles on another successful festival, planning is already underway for next year’s event.
For more information and future updates, visit: www.cooktowndiscovery.com.au
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Pictured above: Festivalgoers packed the Cooktown Discovery Festival precinct on Saturday night as Australian rock favourites Kingswood delivered a high-energy headline performance to a record crowd of approximately 1,500 people.
