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Stay. Play. Hear. Taste: AFCM strikes a new chord with luxury Cairns escapes

Australian Festival of Chamber Music

Australian Festival of Chamber Music partners with Crystalbrook Collection Cairns for exclusive rates and dining experiences 

 

Attention Australia – this year swap winter coats for warm ocean air because the internationally acclaimed Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) is inviting music lovers to experience world-class chamber music with five-star stays and tastes in tropical Cairns-Gimuy. IMAGES HERE

 

From 24 July to 1 August 2026, over nine glorious winter days in Cairns, AFCM will turn the Far North Queensland capital into a global chamber music capital, where world-class musicians, once-in-a-lifetime performances and unforgettable experiences unfold against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. Festival fans planning their tropical chamber music escape can now secure accommodation through a special partnership with Crystalbrook Collection Hotels and Resorts in Cairns. Special rates across its three locations have been announced, with each hotel and resort in easy walking distance of the Cairns Performing Arts Centre and the city’s vibrant waterfront dining precinct.

 

Guests can choose from art-inspired stays at Crystalbrook Bailey, the lively social energy of Crystalbrook Flynn, or the relaxed resort atmosphere of Crystalbrook Riley. Each hotel offers sustainable five-star comfort, distinctive design and the perfect base to enjoy nine unforgettable days of music, culture and tropical winter sunshine.

 

AFCM has secured exclusive room allocations and special Festival rates, with additional savings available for guests staying seven nights or longer.

 

The Festival has also announced the new Music & Menus, an offering of dining experiences cleverly named in tribute to the AFCM’s first year in Cairns.

 

At Crystalbrook Riley, Paper Crane Overture sets the stage with a chef-selected main course, paired with a house wine, beer, or soft drink for $35, available for pre-concert bookings between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. 

 

Crystalbrook Flynn has Flynn's Italian Intermezzo, a choice of three pastas, served with house wine, beer, or soft drink for $35, available for pre-concert bookings between 5:30pm and 6:30pm and at Crystalbrook Bailey, Arte offers The Sweet Serenade, a slice of cake and coffee for $12, or The Sonata Sandwich, paired with juice or coffee for $18. At CC’s Bar & Grill, The Maestro’s Table features a main course, served with house wine, beer, or soft drink for $55 for bookings between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. 

 

“Forget everything you think you know about classical music, because a whole new experience is taking place this year in Cairns,” said Artistic Director and acclaimed British violinist Jack Liebeck. “The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is built on surprise, storytelling and extraordinary musicianship,” said Liebeck. “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.”

 

International artists include Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn Stefan Dohr, French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca, Irish tenor Robin Tritschler and world-renowned ensembles including the Sitkovetsky Piano Trio. They are joined by leading Australian musicians including Piers Lane, Karin Schaupp, Lloyd Van’t Hoff, Charlotte Miles and many more, alongside emerging artists and new works from the AFCM Pathways Emerging Composer in Residence Sam Wu. Importantly, audiences will hear new commissions that connect past and present, including British composer Alex Turley’s new work for flute and string quartet.

 

Australian Festival of Chamber Music: 24 July – 1 August, 2026

Tickets on sale now at www.afcm.com.au | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | #afcm

AFCM is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Arts Queensland; Cairns Regional Council; the Ian Potter Foundation; and the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

 

About Crystalbrook Collection Hotels & Resorts

Crystalbrook is one of Australia’s leading sustainably considered and innovative independent hospitality companies. Each hotel in the portfolio carries an authentic expression of its location, a passion for responsible luxury, considered design and a twinkle of fun for a uniquely enriching experience.

 

Crystalbrook’s portfolio includes: 

• Crystalbrook Riley, Cairns, Queensland
• Crystalbrook Bailey, Cairns, Queensland 
• Crystalbrook Flynn, Cairns, Queensland  
• Crystalbrook Albion, Sydney, New South Wales 
• Crystalbrook Byron, Byron Bay, New South Wales
• Crystalbrook Kingsley, Newcastle, New South Wales
• Crystalbrook Vincent, Brisbane, Queensland
• Crystalbrook Sam, Adelaide, South Australia (opening 2026)
• Crystalbrook Aurora, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (opening 2027)
• Affiliate hotel: Sydney Harbour Hotel, Sydney, New South Wales
• The Group also owns and operates a collection of sixteen restaurants and bars, three Eléme Day spas, and Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina in Port Douglas.

 

Crystalbrook Collection and Ghassan Aboud Holding

Crystalbrook Collection is the luxury hospitality arm of Ghassan Aboud Holding. Founded in 1994 by international entrepreneur and philanthropist Ghassan Aboud, Ghassan Aboud Holding is a diversified global conglomerate with a strong presence across key sectors including automotive, retail, FMCG, hospitality, logistics, healthcare, facilities management, catering, and digital marketplaces. Guided by its mission of “Building a better future, together” the group has, for over three decades, remained committed to innovation, excellence, and creating value-driven experiences for customers and partners. Headquartered in the UAE, with offices in Australia and Belgium, Ghassan Aboud Holding is well-positioned to serve diverse markets with agility and impact.

Contact details:

For media enquiries please contact Kath Rose | 0416 291 493 | [email protected]