QMF’s Dream Aloud Festival Returns to Gimuy (Cairns)

Fresh from winning global recognition at the 2025 Music Cities Awards in the United States, QMF’s Dream Aloud Festival returns to Gimuy (Cairns) on Saturday 18 October 2025, bringing an all-First Nations lineup to the lush surrounds of Munro Martin Parklands.

Now in its second year, Dream Aloud Festival has quickly established itself as the marquee event of QLD Music Trails – The Tropics, celebrating the world’s oldest living culture through music, dance, language and storytelling in the heart of Tropical North Queensland.

The Tropics Trail is a celebration of music, culture and Country across Tropical North Queensland, inviting music and culture lovers on a journey that spans from the coast of Gimuy (Cairns) to the cool mountain air on the Tablelands.

The Trail begins in Mareeba with Savannah in the Round (9 – 12 October), before sweeping into Gimuy (Cairns) for Shine on Gimuy (16 – 26 October), the Futures Summit, Blak Rising and Dream Aloud (17 – 18 October), and rounding out with Tablelands Folk Festival in Yungaburra (26 – 26 October).

The Tropics Trail is a celebration of music, culture and Country across Tropical North Queensland, inviting music and culture lovers on a journey that spans from the coast of Gimuy (Cairns) to the cool mountain air on the Tablelands.

The Trail begins in Mareeba with Savannah in the Round (9 – 12 October), before sweeping into Gimuy (Cairns) for Shine on Gimuy (16 – 26 October), the Futures Summit, Blak Rising and Dream Aloud (17 – 18 October), and rounding out with Tablelands Folk Festival in Yungaburra (26 – 26 October).

This year’s Dream Aloud program showcases some of the most exciting voices in Australian music.

Budjerah, the ARIA-winning singer-songwriter who supported Ed Sheeran on his 2023 Mathematics World Tour stadium shows, brings his soulful vocals and star power to the Tropics. He’s joined by Kaiit, the Papua New Guinea-born, Melbourne-based neo-soul sensation celebrated as one of the brightest voices of their generation.

Perth collective South Summit add their genre-defying blend of indie, rock and reggae, while First Nations hip-hop powerhouse 3% deliver raw energy and truth-telling. Rounding out the headliners is DENNI, whose music fuses Lutruwita (Tasmanian) Aboriginal culture with contemporary pop to create a sound that is both deeply rooted and boldly original.

Further highlights include Dubbzone, Kaweyova and Normey Jay, with the magnetic Zipporah hosting the event.

The festival will include a powerful Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony led by Songman Marun Carl Fourmile and Minjil, Traditional Owners of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji Peoples, grounding the celebration in culture, community and connection to Country.

Beyond the stage, the festival site will transform into a cultural hub with First Nations food, artisan markets, creative workshops and dance and language experiences, creating a rich and family-friendly celebration of culture.

The addition of the Futures Summit (Friday 17 October) at Tanks Arts Centre offers a new platform connecting young artists with mentors, industry leaders and community voices, delivered in collaboration with QMusic, Shine on Gimuy and Tanks Arts Centre.

Also on Friday night, Blak Rising takes over Tanks Arts Centre with a powerful lineup of emerging artists. Guided by the power of music and grounded in culture, this special evening invites audiences to gather and celebrate the next wave of First Nations voices, featuring Miss Kaninna, Jada Weazel, Dean Brady, R3B, Yirgjhilya and Tjaka.

QMF CEO Daryl Raven said the global accolade highlights the festival’s growing reputation at home and abroad.

“Dream Aloud has captured the imagination of audiences across Queensland and now the world,” Raven said.

“This is more than a festival – it’s a celebration of the world’s oldest living culture, a catalyst for connection and a powerful platform for First Nations voices.”

As a signature event of QLD Music Trails, Dream Aloud is one chapter in a decade-long vision connecting audiences with music, culture and place across Queensland.

Since launching in 2023, the Trails have generated global acclaim, boosted tourism and delivered unforgettable cultural experiences from the coast to the Outback.

The Tropics Trail will also see Savannah In The Round return to Mareeba Rodeo Arena in the Cairns Hinterland from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 October 2025 with four-days of country, pop and rock music.

Headline acts include international heavyweights Zac Brown Band, James Reyne and Dean alongside Aussie favourites Kasey Chambers, Daryl Braithwaite and The Black Sorrows.

Along Cairns Esplanade, presenting partner Shine on Gimuy Festival will light up the Gimuy Boulevard from Thursday 16 to Sunday 26 October 2025. In its third instalment, the Shine On Gimuy Festival will illuminate the city’s waterfront in a dazzling display of light installations, art sculptures, animations, and soundscapes.

Finally, rounding out the program of music and culture in the tropics, Queensland’s longest running folk festival, Tablelands Folk Festival returns Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 October 2025 to celebrate music, friendship and culture.

Tickets to The Tropics Trail events are available now at qldmusictrails.com

QLD Music Trails – The Tropics is proudly presented by Queensland Music Festival (QMF) with support from the Queensland Government, Cairns Regional Council and QUT.

Dream Aloud Festival is presented by QLD Music Trails, Shine on Gimuy and triple j.