Cairns Festival 2026 Exhibition Call Out
Cairns Festival Exhibition 2026 Artists’ Brief – Artists Are Encouraged to Pitch Concepts Now!
At Cairns Festival 2026, Tank 4 Gallery at Tanks Arts Centre will transform into a fully immersive adult art playground – bold, tactile, humorous, surprising, and just a little bit cheeky.
Interaction is the brief. We’re looking for artists to create works that people can touch, play with, step into, add to, or become part of. The more engaging, unexpected and joy-inducing, the better. Think hands-on experiences that spark curiosity, invite laughter, and leave festival-goers grinning, talking, and coming back for another go.
For ten vibrant days, Tank 4 will be a hub of movement, noise, colour and discovery – a space where audiences don’t just observe art, they experience it. This is a chance to experiment, test ideas, and push beyond traditional exhibition formats in a space that rewards creativity and bold thinking.
Artists may propose a concept for the entire Tank 4 gallery, or for a defined space within the gallery alongside other artists. Applications are welcome from individuals or groups.
Concept Options
- Pleasure & Play – art that explores joy, tactility and indulgence
- Rules Are Optional – interactive works that invite rule-breaking and experimentation
- Grown-Ups Only (Mostly) – playful adult themes without exclusion
Experience Features:
- Interactive installations
- Social games or challenges – riddles, puzzles, mazes
- Bar-adjacent or lounge-style integration, DJs, immersive soundscape elements.
- Instagrammable moments without being superficial
Key Dates & Info
- Concept proposals due: Thursday 19 March
- Exhibition installation: Monday 24 – Friday 28 August
- Exhibition launch: Friday 28 August
- Exhibition dates: Friday 28 August– Sunday 6 September
- Deinstallation: Monday 7 September
Criteria
Concepts will be selected against their adherence to this brief, and following criteria:
ORIGINALITY
Some of the cleverest concepts are very simple, but their attraction is their originality. If an audience hasn’t seen anything like it before, they’re much more likely to want to visit, and talk about what they’ve experienced. Get weird, stay funky.
ENGAGEMENT
During Cairns Festival, there will be much to see and do at Tanks Arts Centre. People will come to one event, stay for another, and find something unexpected in between. Tank 4 should be a place for seeing and doing. Perhaps there’s a game to play, a thing to make (or break), a team to join, a creative contribution to leave behind. Get ‘em out of their seat.
VISUAL AESTHETICS
Artistic components of this exhibition should have a cohesive visual theme with high aesthetic value. Make our eyes pop and our hearts flutter.
PROVOCATION
Festival audiences expect to see things they wouldn’t ordinarily find in a gallery or a theatre. They’re not looking for their usual cup of tea, and their minds are open to be challenged. Feel free to explore neglected topics and obscure observations. Don’t be afraid to lead your audience to think differently. Lead them on an adventure of pleasure, play, heaven, and the depths.
SUSTAINABILITY
Please consider the lifecycle of your work. Can elements be reused, repurposed, recycled, or reinstalled elsewhere? Is there a life for your work beyond Cairns Festival? Can it be offered to other festivals and events beyond Far North Queensland?
FEASIBILITY
Ideally, the exhibition is to be delivered and installed in the week of Monday 24 – Friday 28 August 2026 with a launch event on Friday evening 28 August.
For more information or answers to your questions, please contact Tanks Curator, Chris Stannard on 4032 6609 or TanksCurator@cairns.qld.gov.au
Image: Artist India Collins at Fever Dreams exhibition 2025
 |  |  |