From 24 July to 1 August 2026, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music will take place in Cairns-Gimuy, Queensland. The nine day event will feature a variety of chamber music performances set near the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef.
The 2026 lineup includes a mix of international and local artists. Global performers travelling to the festival include Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn Stefan Dohr, French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca, Irish tenor Robin Tritschler, and the Sitkovetsky Piano Trio. They will be joined by Australian musicians such as Piers Lane, Karin Schaupp, Lloyd Van’t Hoff, and Charlotte Miles.
The festival program features several fresh commissions, including a new piece for flute and string quartet by British composer Alex Turley. Audiences will also experience new works from the AFCM Pathways Emerging Composer in Residence Sam Wu. There are also specific performances on offer such as Horrible Histories, Composer Edition, inspired by the BBC TV series.
Artistic Director Jack Liebeck announced the program, highlighting how the selected performances balance environmental reflection, remembrance, and unique narratives.
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is built on surprise, storytelling and extraordinary musicianship. From comic tales of composers’ untimely ends to deeply moving works of remembrance and environmental reflection, these concerts represent the breadth, imagination and emotional power at the heart of this year’s Festival.
Tickets for this year’s festivities are set to go on-sale starting 2 March 2026 via the official Australian Festival of Chamber Music website.
