The Festival
A single day, built for six years.
A flagship First Nations cultural, tourism and workforce development programme on Wakka Wakka Country, in the South Burnett region of Queensland. Annual delivery from 2027 to 2032, on the road to the Brisbane 2032 Games.
A festival led by Country.
The Cherbourg Festival is a flagship First Nations cultural, tourism and workforce development initiative based in the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire, on Wakka Wakka Country, in the South Burnett region of Queensland.
The inaugural event will be staged on Saturday 18 September 2027 as a single day festival, operating as an annual programme over six consecutive years through to 2032. It is a direct cultural, tourism and economic contribution to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The project is led by the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council under Mayor Bruce Simpson, in partnership with a founding consortium of cultural, creative and government stakeholders.
Who it's for
The Cherbourg community first. The wider South Burnett next: Murgon, Kingaroy, Wondai and the towns that share these roads. Then visitors and partners from across Queensland, Australia and internationally as the programme grows.
Why now
Brisbane 2032 is the most significant cultural, economic and tourism opportunity for Australia in the coming decade. This festival is the proposed delivery vehicle for a sustained, scalable and accountable expression of state and federal First Nations commitments across the six year period.
Walking the path to Brisbane 2032.
A songline of six years, each one stepping into the next. The 2027 inaugural and the 2032 capstone hold the path open.
Outcomes for Cherbourg and the South Burnett.
01
Tourism & visitor economy
Anchor event in the Queensland regional calendar. Year on year growth in visitor nights across Cherbourg, Murgon, Kingaroy and the wider South Burnett. Regional dispersal beyond South East Queensland.
02
Workforce & employment
Direct event jobs in production, hospitality, security and creative leadership. Indirect jobs across accommodation, retail and food. A six year training and supply chain pathway into 2032.
03
Community & cultural
Sustained investment in Cherbourg cultural infrastructure, language maintenance and intergenerational transfer, with measurable participation by First Nations young people each year.
04
Legacy beyond 2032
Infrastructure, workforce capability, supplier relationships and partner networks established for the festival remain in Cherbourg beyond 2032 and support the ongoing cultural and economic development of the community.
Reported annually.
Year on year accountable reporting against the measures below, available to funders, partners and the wider community.
Visitor numbers, nights and expenditure across the South Burnett.
Direct and indirect jobs supported, including Cherbourg local participation.
First Nations artist engagement, commissions and earned income.
Training, accreditation and supplier participation outcomes.
Audience and media reach, including international media to 2032.
Community and cultural outcomes against the governance framework.
