MAREEBA RODEO – CAMPING, TICKETS & TRAVEL GUIDE 

Experience one of Far North Queensland's great country weekends — then make a road trip of it.

Dust, horses, cowboy hats, bucking bulls and thousands of spectators packed around the arena — Mareeba Rodeo shows visitors a completely different side of Tropical North Queensland.

Held every July on the Atherton Tablelands, approximately an hour's drive from Cairns, the Mareeba Rodeo is one of the region's biggest annual events and has been part of the local calendar for more than 75 years.

This isn't simply a couple of hours of bull riding.

The weekend combines serious Australian rodeo competition with camping, live entertainment, bars, food and market stalls, sideshow alley, family activities and the traditional Mareeba Downtown Parade.

And if you're travelling by campervan, you can make the rodeo just one part of a much bigger Atherton Tablelands adventure.

Usually: July

Location: Kerribee Park, Mareeba

Address: 614 Mareeba–Dimbulah Road, Mareeba QLD 488

From Cairns: Approximately 65 km / around 1 hour

Event size: Historically around 10,000–14,000 visitors during major rodeo weekend

Camping: Yes — camping is available at Kerribee Park, including special rodeo-weekend camping

Great for: Rodeo • camping • families • country culture • Australian experiences • Atherton Tablelands road trips

WHAT IS THE MAREEBA RODEO?  

Mareeba Rodeo is one of the biggest celebrations of country life in Far North Queensland.

The first Mareeba Rodeo was held in 1949, and more than 75 years later it remains one of the major events on the Australian rodeo calendar.

The event moved to its current home at Kerribee Park in 1979, where a purpose-built rodeo complex includes arena lighting, grandstand seating and stockyards.

Competitors travel from around Australia to compete, while thousands of spectators arrive from Cairns, across Queensland and further afield.

It's serious rodeo competition — but it's also a country festival.

You don't need to know anything about rodeo to enjoy it.

Come for the horses, bulls, country atmosphere, entertainment, food, bars, sideshows and the experience of seeing one of regional Queensland's great traditional events.

HOW BIG IS MAREEBA RODEO?  

This isn't a little local country show

Mareeba Rodeo has traditionally attracted more than 10,000 people during its major weekends.

The scale is particularly noticeable on Friday.

Organisers reported in 2026 that approximately 4,000 people can already be camped at Kerribee Park on Friday night.

Mareeba itself is a relatively small Tablelands town, so rodeo weekend completely changes the atmosphere.

If you're planning to come for the rodeo, organise your campervan and camping early.

WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT MAREEBA RODEO? 

This is proper Australian rodeo competition.

Depending on the year's program, events can include:

Bull Riding

Probably the event everyone waits for. Cowboys attempt to stay aboard powerful bucking bulls while being judged on both rider and animal.

Saddle Bronc

One of rodeo's classic events, combining strength, balance, timing and technique on a bucking horse

Bareback Bronc

No saddle — just the rider, rigging and a seriously athletic bucking horse.

Barrel Racing

A fast timed event where horse and rider race a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels.

Steer Wrestling

Competitors race alongside a steer before attempting to bring it to the ground against the clock.

Roping Events

Precision, horsemanship and speed rather than simply staying aboard.

Junior Events & Cowpokes

The next generation gets involved too, making the rodeo much more family-oriented than many first-time visitors expect.

State of Origin Rodeo

One of the Saturday-night crowd favourites, with interstate rivalry brought into the arena.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST RODEO 

One of the best things about Mareeba Rodeo is everything happening around the arena.

Recent programs have included:

Live entertainment

Two bars

Great Northern Hill Bar

Food stalls

Market stalls

Sideshow alley

Animal farm

Duck races

Cowpokes

Agricultural show areas

Family entertainment

The atmosphere builds throughout the day and continues into the evening.

If you've never experienced an Australian country rodeo before, don't rush in for one event and leave.

Give yourself the weekend.

CAN YOU CAMP AT MAREEBA RODEO?  

Yes — and this is one of the reasons a campervan works so well for this event.

Kerribee Park is a campground throughout the year and becomes a major camping area during rodeo weekend.

The normal campground has:

More than 100 powered sites

Plenty of unpowered sites

Hot showers

Toilets, including accessible facilities

Laundry

Mobile phone reception

Dump point for campground residents

Wild kangaroos regularly around the grounds

Rodeo weekend operates under separate camping arrangements.

For the 2026 rodeo, camping inside the grounds was unpowered during the main event weekend.

Campers could begin arriving from Wednesday, with the rodeo camping ticket covering the main Friday and Saturday nights according to the ticket purchased.

Always check current camping information before travelling.

WHY A CAMPERVAN MAKES SO MUCH SENSE

For some events, a campervan is simply an alternative way to travel.

For Mareeba Rodeo, it can become part of the experience.

You can drive from Cairns, arrive at Kerribee Park, set up your camp and be surrounded by the atmosphere of rodeo weekend.

No driving back down the Kuranda Range late at night.

No searching for a taxi.

No packing up after the rodeo and immediately returning to Cairns.

And when the rodeo finishes, your accommodation and transport are already with you.

That's when the second half of the trip begins.

GETTING TO MAREEBA FROM CAIRNS

Mareeba is approximately one hour from Cairns by road.

Most visitors travel from Cairns via Kuranda and the Kennedy Highway.

It's an easy sealed-road trip suitable for conventional vehicles and our campervans.

The drive also takes you from the humid coastal lowlands into the higher, drier country of the Atherton Tablelands.

If you're flying into Far North Queensland, Cairns is the natural starting point.

Collect your campervan in Cairns, stock up and head into the Tablelands.

HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD YOU ALLOW?

You could drive from Cairns to Mareeba, watch the rodeo and return.

But you'd miss much of what makes this such a good trip.

Our suggestion: 3–5 days minimum

Friday — Cairns → Mareeba

Collect your campervan, travel up through Kuranda and arrive in Mareeba.

Settle into camp and enjoy the Friday rodeo atmosphere or Downtown Parade.

Saturday — Mareeba Rodeo

Give the entire day to the rodeo.

Arena action, food, sideshows, entertainment and Saturday-night events.

Sunday — Slow morning

Have breakfast, pack up and start exploring the Tablelands.

From here, don't automatically head back to Cairns.

Keep going.

TURN THE RODEO INTO AN ATHERTON TABLELANDS ROAD TRIP

This is where hiring a campervan really pays off.

Mareeba sits at the northern gateway to one of Far North Queensland's best road-trip regions.

DAY 1 – CAIRNS → KURANDA → MAREEBA

Travel from Cairns through the rainforest around Kuranda and into the drier country around Mareeba.

If time allows, explore Kuranda before continuing to Kerribee Park.

MAREEBA RODEO WEEKEND

Stay at the rodeo grounds and immerse yourself in the event.

Enjoy the Downtown Parade, rodeo action, entertainment and country atmosphere.

Then, instead of returning to Cairns...

head deeper into the Tablelands.

MAREEBA → GRANITE GORGE → ATHERTON

Granite Gorge is close to Mareeba and famous for its huge granite boulders and Mareeba rock-wallabies.

Continue towards Atherton and explore the surrounding countryside.

Great for:

Wildlife • walking • scenery • photography

ATHERTON → LAKE TINAROO → YUNGABURRA

Head towards Lake Tinaroo before continuing to historic Yungaburra.

Around Yungaburra you can explore:

Lake Eacham

Lake Barrine

Curtain Fig Tree

Peterson Creek Platypus Viewing Platform

Crater Lakes National Park

It's completely different from the dry country around Mareeba — and that's part of what makes the Tablelands so interesting.

YUNGABURRA → WATERFALL CIRCUIT

Continue south towards Millaa Millaa and one of the Tablelands' most famous drives.

The Waterfall Circuit includes:

Millaa Millaa Falls

Zillie Falls

Ellinjaa Falls

Then explore more waterfalls and swimming areas before eventually returning to Cairns.

FIRST TIME AT AN AUSTRALIAN RODEO?

You don't need cowboy boots.

But nobody will look twice if you wear them.

Expect:

Dust

Big crowds

Country music

Horses everywhere

Very loud cheering

Cold drinks

Food stalls

Families

Cowboy hats

Fast competition

A genuinely Australian country atmosphere

The rodeo is competitive sport rather than a staged tourist performance.

Many of the cowboys and cowgirls competing in Mareeba travel the Australian rodeo circuit, and the event has attracted competitors from across the country.

That's a big part of its appeal.

IMPORTANT CAMPING INFORMATION

Rodeo weekend camping is extremely popular.

In previous years, camping has reached capacity.

A few things to know:

Camping tickets and rodeo admission are separate requirements.

For recent events, each person required the appropriate event ticket and each vehicle required its own camping ticket.

Sites aren't normally saved for friends arriving later.

Campers are directed to the next available site.

Rodeo weekend sites may be unpowered.

Don't assume your normal Kerribee Park powered site arrangements apply during the rodeo.

Arrive early

The earlier part of rodeo week is much easier than arriving at the last minute with thousands of other visitors.

Check current rules.

Camping arrangements, arrival times, site dimensions and prices can change annually.