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More than a million sunflowers will bloom at this Scenic Rim festival in May 

Credit: Getty/Gaitanides

Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
This feel-good festival offers dazzling golden fields, family-friendly fun and the chance to pick your own blooms – all for a charitable cause.

Fields of sunshine yellow will once again light up the Scenic Rim this autumn as the Kalbar Sunflower Festival returns from 1–3 May 2026. 

Held in the country town of Kalbar, around an hour and 15 minutes south-west of Brisbane, the much-loved event transforms eight hectares of farmland into a sea of more than one million sunflowers, all backdropped by the Scenic Rim’s gorgeous mountain scenery. Attracting more than 13,000 visitors each year, the festival makes for a vibrant and memorable day trip from Brisbane.  

This year’s program promises a giant sunflower maze and all-new Dinosaur Land activation, plus live music, food trucks, educational community workshops and a range of free children’s activities. 

A festival with heart

kalbar sunflower festival
Snap a pic among more than one million blooms. (Credit: Kalbar Sunflowers)

Beyond the beautiful blooms, the event has a deeper purpose: honouring community, generosity and togetherness in times of hardship. Since its beginnings, Kalbar Sunflower Festival has raised funds for cancer and palliative care across south-east Queensland. Visitors can pick their own sunflowers for $2 a stem (or purchase a pre-cut bunch), with all proceeds from sunflowers, raffles and certain activations donated to charity partners. This year, organisers are focusing on raising money to provide cuddle beds for hospitals across the region – special beds that allow families to lie together during palliative care, creating precious moments of closeness when they matter most. 

The festival’s story itself is rooted in resilience. In 2021, local farmers Jenny and Russell Jenner were facing one of Queensland’s longest droughts in living memory. With their usual crops struggling in the dry conditions, a simple idea sparked inspiration: sunflowers thrive with little water and their vibrant colour brings instant joy. From that moment, the seeds of the festival were planted. 

Later that year, Russell was diagnosed with Stage 4 Oesophageal Cancer. Rather than step back, he became even more driven to foster positivity, raising more than $115,000 for cancer care at the 2022 and 2023 festivals. While Russell sadly passed away in 2023, Jenny remains determined to continue farming, supporting the personal cause and bringing joy to visitors through the annual festival. Since 2022, Jenny and the team have raised more than $435,000. 

“This event showcases the unique connection between our state’s vibrant communities and the diverse regions they call home," says Andrew Powell MP, the Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism. “Events like the Kalbar Sunflower Festival bring people together, celebrate local culture and contribute significantly to the community’s pride and economy." 

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The 2026 festival program

kalbar sunflower festival installation
The festival brings together community engagement, creativity and nature. (Credit: Kalbar Sunflowers)

From murals to reflection gardens, petting farms to photo ops, the Kalbar Sunflower Festival offers buckets of entertainment for all ages.  

Kids will be heading straight for the Children’s Hub, where they can meet furry friends at the petting farm, enjoy a range of creative crafts and take snaps in the dedicated kids’ photo booths. There will also be face painting, Carissa the Bubble Princess and a station for making seed bombs under the guidance of the Urban Utilities team. Plus, an all-new Dinosaur Land area and a sensory and fairy garden will bring extra enchantment. 

But there’s plenty of fun for adults, too. Find your way through the sunflower maze, add your own flourish to the community mural painting and check out the variety of food and drink vendors, as well as the revamped market stalls. Also new this year is the paid Sunflower Stage area ($15 per person), where visitors can bring a picnic blanket or camp chair, enjoy a drink from Boonah Brewery Co and listen to a lineup of talented musos.  

Ticket information

Tickets go on sale in March 2026. With visitor numbers capped and previous years selling out quickly, organisers recommend booking early to secure your spot. 

Entry is $35 for adults (18+) and $15 for teens aged 15 to 17, while children aged 14 and under attend free (no ticket required). 

Tickets include entry to the farm, access to the sunflower fields, free children’s activities and a range of festival activations throughout the grounds. 

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Eleanor Edström
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or hunting down Sydney's cosiest cafes.
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Tropical islands, good food & world-class shows: Your eventful guide to a holiday in Townsville

    Lee Mylne Lee Mylne
    Continue
    Townsville is buzzing as the events capital of North Queensland, with a host of festivals, international sporting and arts events on offer.

    Perched between the Coral Sea, the towering pink monolith of Castle Hill, and fringed by ancient rainforest ranges, Townsville North Queensland is a genuine tropical playground.

    Here, find postcard-worthy landscapes all the way from nearby Magnetic Island to inland swimming holes and waterfalls – all dotted with an array of endemic wildlife. Get the heart racing with adrenaline water sports. Soak in a world-class arts scene. And take advantage of a culinary offering that punches well above its weight.

    And, then there’s the fact that Townsville has fast become the destination to an outstanding line-up of events – from live music to top-level sporting contests.

    Whether you have a weekend or weeks, there’s plenty here to fill your tropical getaway.

    Day 1: An eventful day

    Morning

    The Strand in townsville
    Explore The Strand.

    Daily flights offer easy connectivity from all capital cities to Townsville Airport, and within 10 minutes’ drive, you’re in the city centre. Start your stay by recharging with breakfast or coffee at the city’s newest spot, Botaniq Cafe, on the ground floor of the award-winning Bridgewater restaurant on the banks of Ross Creek.

    Start exploring on a breezy walk along the 2.5-kilometre foreshore of The Strand. Here, a waterfront path stretches all the way to the headland of Jezzine Barracks parklands. Admire more than 35 sculptures and artworks, as well as stunning views from the top of the park. Further along, Queens Gardens, established in 1870, offers a cool retreat and is Townsville’s oldest botanic garden.

    Stroll Gregory Street, off The Strand, for boutiques, homeware stores, cafes and restaurants, or follow a self-guided street art walking trail through the city centre, stopping to admire colourful works by big-name artists including Queenslander Fintan Magee.

    Afternoon

    concert in front of castle hill townsville events
    Time your trip for one of many Townsville events.

    For a casual lunch, stop in at Balabite for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired street food. Build your own pita with a choice of fillings, before enjoying a relaxing afternoon in preparation for one of Townsville’s big events.

    Whether it’s a concert from a big-name international band – think Foo Fighters or Guns ‘n’ Roses – or a night cheering on the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup, there’s plenty to entertain you.

    Time your visit for events like the Townsville Folk Festival (June 12-14), Supercars Townsville 500 (July 10-12), Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week (August 27-September 2), North Australian Festival of Arts (September 25 – October 11) or see the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup (coming in 2027).

    Day 2: Island dreaming

    Morning

    Pilgrim Sailing magnetic island
    Take a lunchtime sailing trip with Pilgrim Sailing.

    Fuel up with breakfast at Cbar on The Strand, looking out to your destination for the day: Magnetic Island (or ‘Maggie’ to the locals). Catch a quick ferry to spend the day exploring walking trails through national park, choosing from 23 beaches and trying a hand at the island’s water sports.

    The Forts Walk is the best place to see wild koalas in Australia, and you’re likely to find friendly wallabies at the Nelly or Geoffrey Bay headlands. Try guided snorkelling with Aquascene Magnetic Island or Pleasure Divers, or take a land-based tour with MI Ride Discovery Tours to the secluded west coast of the island.

    Pilgrim Magnetic Island offers four-hour lunchtime sailing trips aboard a 58-foot luxury yacht, dropping in to some of Magnetic Island’s remote bays for snorkelling or swimming and including gourmet grazing platters, drinks and ocean views.

    Afternoon

    picnic bay on magnetic island
    Head to Picnic Bay for delicious dining.

    Refuel after a morning of adventure. Seasalt Arcade at Picnic Bay has several good options. Savour craft brews and Latin tapas at Maggie Island Brewery, opt for bagels and light bites at Lava Lava cafe or fine dining at Restaurant Elsie.

    Now, it’s time to choose your own adventure. Stay the whole day on Maggie, or return to Townsville, where there’s plenty more to discover.

    Head to The Docks at Flinders Street Wharves for lunch. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the beach or join Poseidon Adventures for water sport adventures.

    Evening

    Ardo's Rooftop townsville
    End your day watching the sunset from Ardo’s Rooftop.

    However your day looked, end it with cocktails and canapes at Townsville’s Ardo Rooftop. Find something more substantial at the hotel’s elegant but casual Chef-hatted Japanese restaurant Terasu, where each dish is a work of art.

    Day 3: Natural delights

    Morning

    couple holiding hands at the top of castle hill in townsville
    Join the locals for an early walk to the peak of Castle Hill. (Credit: My Colourful World)

    Join the local early morning pilgrimage to hike up Castle Hill for the best 360-degree views in town, before heading to breakfast at Spirited Goat for gourmet treats and locally brewed coffee.

    A trip to Townsville wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the outer Great Barrier Reef. For those with time, Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive runs full-day trips to the Museum of Underwater Art for snorkellers and divers to admire the reef’s stunning collection of submerged sculptures on John Brewer Reef, about two hours by boat from Townsville.

    Afternoon

    Shorehouse restaurant townsville
    Stop into the award-winning Shorehouse.

    Round off your Townsville getaway with lunch at Shorehouse, awarded Best Restaurant in the North Queensland People’s Choice Awards every year since 2023. Dine on the deck to catch the breeze and sample modern Asian cuisine as you watch the world go.

    Keen for something more to extend your stay? There are always more adventures –new, familiar and with a twist – in the events capital of the North.

    Plan your eventful visit to Townsville North Queensland at townsvillenorthqueensland.com.au.

    More than a million sunflowers will bloom in the Scenic Rim in May  - Australian Traveller