Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Two Weeks Of Festival Fun For The Whole Family In July Colour, movement and ancient storytelling will collide under the open sky when the 2026 Mackay Festival of Arts begins on July 4th with an Indigenous-led contemporary circus spectacular. Living Sculptures: How the Birds Got Their Colours is created by ARC Circus Co in collaboration with Luther Cora and Yugambeh Aboriginal Dancers. Mayor Greg Williamson said the first fortnight of the 2026 Mackay Festival of Arts aligns with the school holidays, providing a wide range of events for the whole family to enjoy. “How the Birds Got Their Colours is a fantastic family-friendly show that will be held in our beautiful Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens,” Mayor Williamson said. “The show celebrates diversity, identity and shared humanity through song, dance and spectacular acrobatics,” he said. Also featured in the Mackay Festival of Arts’ opening weeks is the immersive family experience, Sea of Light. “This beautiful show allows kids and adults alike to use a UV torch as a paintbrush and paint or stencil a voyage that will leave glowing paths of light in their wake,” Mayor Williamson said. “Sea of Light artworks have been created by Aboriginal contemporary visual artist Elizabeth Close and are painted in light across the sea floor, reflecting the connection between land, sea, earth and water,” he said. Sea of Light will be on Wednesday 8th July to Saturday 11th July, at the MECC Plenary Halls. Another great show, just for the adults, will be the hilarious comedy showcase Late Nite PowerPoint. Following sell-out seasons at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe, this show features five comedians performing five different PowerPoints in a show that’s begging for technical difficulties. The Showcase will be on at Farview Tavern on Friday 10th July and at Club Northern Beaches on Saturday 11th July. ***DESIGNER NOTE – BREAKOUT BOX/HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING: *** Mackay Festival of Arts will also provide the following activities: On July 1st DBCT Kids’ Theatre Season Fractured Fairy Tales, where classic stories have been tipped upside down and are all in a muddle at the MECC Auditorium. On July 4th Malta’s culinary heritage will take the spotlight in Malta on a Plate at the Vintage Farmhouse Kitchen, Marian. On July 6th Cirque Nouvelle will thrill the whole family with acrobatics, juggling, aerials, balancing and jaw-dropping feats at the MECC Auditorium. On July 10th the NAIDOC Street Parade and Family Fun Day will again celebrate culture, community and connection at Queens Park. On July 11th all the flare of the Mackay Scottish Bluewater Fling will return to the Bluewater Quay. Plus, so much more. The second half of the festival will also be jam-packed with amazing events, including crowd favourites Wisely Wine and Food Day, Daly Bay Illuminate, Whitsunday Wealth Festival Hub and the Friends of the MECC Jazz Brunch. For more information on the full festival program, visit ourmackay.com.au/festivals
2.7-Tonne, $816 Million Drug Shipment Passed Through Whitsunday Waters A truck fire at Midge Point has helped expose what authorities describe as Australia’s largest cocaine importation plot, with investigators alleging a 2.7-tonne drug shipment worth $816 million passed through Whitsunday waters before being transported to Sydney. The investigation has so far resulted in six arrests and uncovered an alleged trafficking operation spanning hundreds of kilometres along the east coast. Record Setting Drugs Smuggled into Midge Point A major drug investigation that started at Midge Point has resulted in Australia's largest-ever cocaine bust, with authorities alleging a 2.7-tonne shipment uncovered in Sydney was imported through North Queensland as part of an organised crime operation. On Friday 19th June, AFP officers searched a semi-rural property in Londonderry where, after two men allegedly fled the scene, they discovered containers of cocaine hidden beneath the floor boards. The seizure had an estimated street value of $816 million. On May 30th 2026, at around 8:05, police were notified of a flatbed truck on fire right outside of a boat ramp on Jimmy Rocks Road, Midge Point. After a full investigation of the scene, police located 40kg of cocaine and later identified a 41-year-old Mackay man as the truck's owner, sending investigators on a trail that eventually landed them in Sydney. Six people have now been charged over their alleged involvement in the operation, including two Petrie residents and a New South Wales man accused of helping collect and move the drugs after they arrived near Midge Point. Police allege the group played various roles in the attempted importation and distribution network, charging individuals with offences related to possession of illicit drugs, or conspiracy to possess them. “This result highlights the strength of the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce and the importance of strong partnerships between frontline police, specialist investigators and our Commonwealth law enforcement partners,” Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Troy Pukallus said in an AFP media release on June 22nd. “This outcome has removed a significant quantity of cocaine and methamphetamine from the criminal market and prevented these dangerous drugs from causing further harm in Queensland and more broadly across Australia. “What began with the actions of Mackay police and the Mackay Criminal Investigation Branch following the discovery of drugs at Midge Point evolved into a sophisticated, multi-agency investigation targeting an organised criminal network. “Investigations of this scale require experience, persistence and collaboration, and I want to acknowledge the dedication of all officers involved in bringing this matter before the courts and protecting the community from the harm these drugs can cause.” The vessel suspected of importing the illicit drugs into Midge Point has been discovered and detained by authorities off the Solomon Islands.
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