Burdekin Cultural Fair featuring First Fire - Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival

The Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival showcases the Burdekin region’s people, produce and culture whilst celebrating the Burdekin as the Sugar Cane Capital of Australia. The Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival features two headline events including the Burdekin Cultural Fair featuring First Fire on Friday night and the Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships on Saturday. 

The Burdekin Cultural Fair celebrates the diversity of the Burdekin region bringing together a diverse range of cultures, offering different food, activities and entertainment for everyone to enjoy. Kids can enjoy cultural experiences like hair braiding, flag making, indigenous painting and drumming circles, while on-stage performances transport visitors and locals to different corners of the world. Join us to celebrate food, fun and family while singing and dancing along with the belly dancers, Greek dancers, Indian dancers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers and Chinese Lion. 

Don't miss the highlight of the night, the lighting of the first fire of the 2025 sugarcane crushing season! The Burdekin is one of the few regions in the world that still burns the sugarcane paddock before harvesting, providing a unique sensory experience - from the roar and crackling of the crop to the sweet scent of the burning sugar and the intense heat of the fire as it tears through the paddock. 

Relax and enjoy live performances while you devour delicious food from an array of food stalls. Before the season's first fire lights up the sky, take a seat at the long tables and start chatting with a local or spread out under the big Australian night sky with your picnic blanket. The Burdekin's warm nights and country hospitality await!