Council backs merger of city’s two biggest horse racing events

Council will support merger of the city’s two biggest horse racing events with a two-year, $150,000 funding agreement.

The newly rebranded Cairns Super Carnival will bring together two of North Queensland’s most iconic events – the Cairns Cup Carnival and the Cairns Amateurs Carnival – into a thrilling nine-day celebration of horse racing, fashion, entertainment, and food.

This year’s inaugural event will take place from 15 to 23 August, predominantly at Cannon Park with some smaller functions held at other venues around Cairns.

The racing program includes the national nationally broadcast nine-race program on Cairns Amateurs Race Day (Saturday 16 August), the Ladbrokes Newmarket Day (Friday 22 August) featuring an eight-race program, and the nine-race Red Beret Hotel Cairns Cup Day (Saturday 23 August).

Council had previously endorsed Major Events Sponsorship funding to the value of $225,000 ($75,000 annually) to support the Cairns Amateurs Carnival from 2024 to 2026.

With the merger of the Amateurs Carnival with the Cairns Cup from 2025, Council today endorsed its support for the new Cairns Super Cup Carnival by committing the existing $75,000 per year sponsorship to the Cairns Jockey Club to assist the delivery of the 2025 and 2026 events.

With infrastructure and event costs continuing to rise, merging the two events will create budget and operational efficiencies, reducing the previous events footprint – a strategic and cost-effective decision.