culture
From Little Theatre to CPAC: the history and development of Cairns' theatre scene
Cairns' performing arts landscape has grown from a single community stage in 1954 to a network of dedicated venues hosting national touring productions.
How we reported this
Cairns has built a theatre scene that spans more than seven decades, from the founding of Cairns Little Theatre in 1954 to the modern Cairns Performing Arts Centre, the region's leading venue. Today the city offers a range of stages, from intimate community spaces to a 941-seat proscenium theatre with full orchestra pit.
Community roots: Cairns Little Theatre and the Civic Theatre
The foundations of Cairns' performance culture were laid by community groups. Cairns Little Theatre has operated as a non-profit community theatre since 1954, providing a flexible space for local productions. A major milestone came in 1974 when the Cairns Civic Theatre opened. Built as a dedicated municipal venue, it now hosts more than 100 shows annually, ranging from local amateur productions to national touring extravaganzas [3][5].
A new centrepiece: Cairns Performing Arts Centre
The opening of the Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) marked a step change for the city's arts infrastructure. CPAC is now the region's leading performance venue, featuring a 941-seat proscenium theatre with an orchestra pit and a configurable 400-seat studio theatre [1][10]. Its 2026 program has drawn audiences with productions such as Bluey's Big Play (March 27), Tom Gleeson: Out of Touch (June 20), and The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight (February 17), according to event listings [2].
Smaller stages: Bulmba-ja Arts Centre and Rondo Theatre
Alongside CPAC, several other venues round out Cairns' performance ecosystem. Bulmba-ja Arts Centre operates as a dedicated theatre, gallery and creative development space, actively supporting the local arts scene [4]. The Rondo Theatre offers a flexible performing space that can be configured 'in the round' or as a thrust stage, giving directors and performers a different kind of intimacy than the larger houses [5].
What the local scene looks like now
With venues spanning from the 1974 Civic Theatre through to the modern CPAC complex, Cairns now has stages suited to everything from amateur community shows to national touring productions. The city's theatre infrastructure reflects a steady development, from a single community theatre group in the 1950s to a network that includes purpose-built municipal and state-level venues. For anyone looking to catch a show in Cairns, listings from CPAC and other venues offer a year-round calendar of performances across drama, comedy, music and family entertainment [9].