Save the date: the best events in Queensland this June

Queensland’s endless summer isn’t just about glorious year-round beach days, it’s the jam-packed events line-up all year long, too.

June brings scrumptious food festivals, high community spirit at local shows across the state, events to challenge your limits and events to get involved and celebrate. Will we see you there?

Brisbane

Scenic Rim Eat Local Month: 1 - 30 June 2024

Brisbane’s biggest food bowl is giving you a backstage pass to the farms, wineries and food stories of the abundant Scenic Rim. Feast your way through the region in a huge month of festival fun including farm gate events, exclusive tours, long lunches and unique dining experiences. 

Eat Local Month’s signature event, the Winter Harvest Festival (29 June) is a relaxed and nourishing food festival that shines the spotlight on the best food, wine and beer produced in the Scenic Rim. Families and food lovers can enjoy fresh bites of all the wonderful food and produce, meet the producers, watch cooking demonstrations and more. In true Scenic Rim style, the Tractor Pulling Competition returns. 

Brisbane Marathon Festival: 2 - 4 June 2024

Lace-up your runners for the Brisbane Marathon Festival, which celebrates fun, fitness and the test of ultimate human endurance. This world-class event attracts elite and recreational athletes as well as encourages the local community to get out, get active and enjoy Brisbane City.

Moreton Bay Pride Fest: 8 June 2024

All that glitters is fabulous at the region’s biggest LGBTIQA+ celebration, as Pine Rivers Park comes alive with rainbow flags, love, empowerment and equality during World Pride Month. It’ll be a star-studded affair across three stages, as well as a skating rink, dance floor, markets, and a quiet zone with sensory activities, mental health support and space to chill out. Artist lineup announcement drops on 27 February. 

Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular: 15 – 16 June 2024

The Scenic Rim’s country town of Boonah welcomes the richest Clydesdale Show in the Southern Hemisphere, where over two action-packed days, grand champion Clydesdales are judged and their strong Aussie history as “the breed that built the nation” is celebrated. The festival includes plenty of fun from blacksmith demonstrations to wood chopping to the Queensland Whip Cracking Championships – along with Scottish traditions like pipes and drums, and of course, haggis!

Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Cairns Ecofiesta: 2 June 2024

Gather among Cairns’ lush tropical parklands for Queensland’s premier sustainability festival, Ecofiesta. Throughout the day attendees can join hands-on workshops, enjoy music performances, hear from the experts and explore the latest in green tech and sustainable living skills at the eco-expo. 

Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship: 16 June 2024

The Great Barrier Reef plays a stunning backdrop to the race that’s become the must-do on the IRONMAN circuit. Ocean swim beside a world-heritage wonder, bike race along coastline-hugging Captain Cook Highway from Cairns to Port Douglas, and run the Cairns boardwalk to finish in the heart of the city. 

The 2024 Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns will have qualifying slots to the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and Nice, France.

Gold Coast

Gold Coast Beach Parade: 2 June 2024

Want to make history – by going to the beach? The Gold Coast Beach Parade is a unique world record attempt for the greatest number of people in koala ear visors in a beach parade. A bit of fun on beautiful Burleigh Beach, enjoy the winter sunshine along this 3km walk where community spirit soars, all while promoting an important cause: saving endangered koalas. 

Cooly Rocks On: 5 - 9 June 2024

Travel back to the 50s and 60s as Cooly Rocks On swings in for another year of nostalgia, music and culture. This free beachside event includes a showcase of classic cars and hot rods, live music, vintage markets, the annual Cooly Rocks Pin-up Pageant, dance classes and more.

Cooly Rocks On is also one of two festivals held in Australia to host an official preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, with the winner heading straight to Elvis Week in Memphis, USA.

Australian Open Bowls: 8 - 21 June 2024

Make your way to the Gold Coast for the world’s biggest bowls festival. More than 3,500 bowlers from across Australia are expected to attend the Open, which is also the richest bowls event in the world too, with a staggering total of over AUD$284,000 prize money across the 13 disciplines. Get your team together: entry is open to any registered bowler.

Fraser Coast

Relish Food & Wine Festival: 1 June 2024

If you’ve dined in a Queensland restaurant you’ve undoubtedly already tasted a bounty of Fraser Coast produce, from Hervey Bay scallops to Fraser Island spanner crab. Go straight to the source at Relish, where local food, wine, beer and entertainment meet at Maryborough's  Portside Precinct and Queen’s Park. Come hungry – there are gourmet tastings, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, and so much more. 

Mary Poppins Festival: 30 June 2024

The Fraser Coast’s historic hamlet of Maryborough may be crowned the ‘heritage city’ – but most Queenslanders know it as where the tale of Mary Poppins first began. There’s no better time to explore than as the streets come alive with roaming entertainers, activities, competitions, sidewalk art and street theatre during Mary Poppins Festival. This is one for the kids-at-heart and little kids too!

Sunshine Coast

Pranafest: 31 May - 2 June 2024

Seeking a reset of mind, body and soul? Pranafest is an immersive wellness camping retreat that offers connection through yoga, music, art, culture and community. After an incredible turnout in 2023, the event returns to feature the Sunshine Coast's leading yoga teachers, breath-work facilitators, musicians, meditation experts and inspiring community leaders for a transformational experience like no other.

Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show: 14 – 16 June 2024

There’s nothing quite like the Sunshine Coast Show – three days of excitement for the whole family from the wood chopping to horse jumping, speed cars and the sparkle of fireworks. Whether your perfect day is meeting the animals at the nursery, rushing from dodgem cars to the ferris wheel at Side Show Alley, or wandering through the community handcrafts and cake competitions, there’s a perfect day waiting at the Show. 

The Whitsundays

Great Whitehaven Beach Run: 16 June 2024

Every June, keen runners take to the pristine sands of the famous Whitehaven Beach for one of the most spectacular races on our calendar: the Great Whitehaven Beach Run. This is a unique and memorable experience, and with five distance events to choose from including a challenging 21 kilometre half marathon and a two-kilometre or 500-metre Fun Run, it’s suitable for the whole family.

The Beach Run is part of the Hamilton Island Endurance Series (May - November) which also includes the Hamilton Half Marathon, Clash of the Paddles, Hamilton Island Triathlon and Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim.

Capricorn

Rocky Agricultural Show: 12 – 14 June 2024

The show rolls into Rockhampton for three high-energy days of country fun, where you can catch thrills at sideshow alley, catch live entertainment in the centre ring each night, meet the animals and more – don’t forget to pick up a showbag!

Townsville

Ampol Women’s State of Origin Game 3: 27 June 2024

Australia’s greatest sporting rivalry returns to Country Bank Stadium as the best female footy players square off in the ultimate fight for state pride. This is game 3, the series finale. Will Queensland take home bragging rights?

Outback Queensland

Outback Queensland Masters: 15 June - 21 July 2024

Spanning six epic locations across Queensland’s Outback, this is Australia’s most remote golf series. This truly unique event is an opportunity for amateur golfers, first-time golfers, friends, locals and travellers alike, to test their skills and experience the genuine spirit of the Outback – and have the chance to win the million-dollar hole-in-one challenge.  In 2024, the competition will stop at Birdsville, Boulia, Winton, Barcaldine, Charleville and Quilpie for the finale.

Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival: 21 - 29 June 2024

Celebrate Australian film and culture under the stars in the ‘Hollywood of the Outback’, Winton. Inspired by world-renowned Sundance, Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival includes nine days of movie screenings in Winton’s historic open-air theatre, and plenty of entertainment for the whole family, including film location tours.

Mackay

BMA Mackay Marina Run: 2 June 2024

Gear up and get ready to sweat for Mackay Marina Run, regarded as one of the most scenic running races in Queensland. Attracting runners from around Australia, the 21.1km course winds its way through Mackay, raising much needed funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. Those not up for the full distance can enter 5km and 8km races instead, with a 3km junior dash for the kids.

St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend: 21 - 23 June 2024

Costa Georgiadis and Matt Golinski are back to entertain the crowds, tantilise your tastebuds and show you how to live more sustainably at St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend. There’ll be cooking demonstrations from Matt, interactive workshops and eco-walks with Costa, arts workshops, bird watching, cultural experiences and live entertainment for the whole family – with the option to camp or glamp for the event. 

Need some inspiration on how to spend your winter getaway in Queensland? Take a look here.