SAVANNAH IN THE ROUND – CAMPING, TICKETS & TRAVEL GUIDE 

Live music, camping, bull riding and tropical nights — where the Outback meets the Tropics.

Savannah in the Round is one of Far North Queensland's biggest destination music festivals, bringing major Australian and international artists to Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands every October.

But Savannah isn't simply a concert.

It's several days of live music, onsite camping, bull riding, food, bars and country festival atmosphere — with thousands of people setting up camp beside the festival grounds and making a weekend of it.

And because Mareeba is surrounded by waterfalls, crater lakes, rainforest, wildlife and historic Tablelands towns, Savannah is an easy event to turn into a much bigger Far North Queensland road trip.

Usually: October

Location: Mareeba Rodeo Arena – Kerribee Park

Address: 614 Mareeba–Dimbulah Road, Mareeba QLD 4880

From Cairns: Less than 70 km from Cairns Airport • allow around 90 minutes during current Kuranda Range roadworks

Festival length: Four days including Thursday's opening concert

Camping: Yes — directly beside the festival precinct

Children: 12 and under currently free with a child ticket, excluding VIP

Great for: Live music • camping • couples • groups • families • country culture • road trips • Atherton Tablelands adventures

WHAT IS SAVANNAH IN THE ROUND?  

Imagine a major music festival dropped into country Far North Queensland.

That's Savannah.

The festival combines country, rock, pop, blues and roots music with bull riding, camping and the atmosphere of a big country weekend.

It began in Mareeba in 2021 and has quickly developed into one of Tropical North Queensland's major annual events.

Multiple stages operate throughout the festival, with headline artists appearing alongside Australian favourites, emerging musicians and local performers.

There's also the Great Northern Bull Riding Series, food, bars and festival entertainment.

You can come for one day.

But if you want the full Savannah experience, this is an event made for staying.

HOW BIG IS SAVANNAH IN THE ROUND? 

Savannah has grown very quickly.

In 2023, more than 17,100 attendances were recorded across the festival.

In 2024, there were more than 26,500 attendances across three days.

And in 2025, the festival recorded more than 32,000 attendances across four days, its biggest event to that point.

Importantly, that's cumulative festival attendance rather than 32,000 different people.

Saturday night's major headline show drew around 10,000 people into the arena.

This isn't a small local music weekend anymore.

It's a genuine destination festival bringing visitors from around Queensland, interstate and beyond.

And a lot of them stay.

That's one of the reasons campervans work particularly well here.

WHERE IS SAVANNAH IN THE ROUND?

Savannah is held at the Mareeba Rodeo Arena at Kerribee Park, around 7 km outside Mareeba.

The venue sits on the Mareeba–Dimbulah Road and is less than 70 km from Cairns Airport.

Mareeba is on the northern Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns.

The landscape feels completely different from the coast.

Leave the lush tropical lowlands around Cairns, climb through rainforest and emerge into Mareeba's much drier, open country.

It's where the tropical coast begins to meet the Outback — which explains Savannah's slogan:

Where the Outback meets the Tropics.

GETTING THERE FROM CAIRNS

Most visitors flying into Far North Queensland arrive through Cairns Airport.

From Cairns, the usual route is:

Cairns → Kuranda Range → Kuranda → Mareeba → Kerribee Park

Under normal conditions, Mareeba is roughly an hour from Cairns.

For 2026, however, Savannah recommends allowing approximately 90 minutes from Cairns because of roadworks on the Kuranda Range.

From Port Douglas, the festival currently suggests approximately 75 minutes.

If you're flying into Cairns, collecting a campervan gives you your airport transport, festival accommodation and post-festival road-trip vehicle in one.

CAMPING AT SAVANNAH

This is where Savannah becomes particularly interesting for campervan travellers.

Camping isn't an afterthought here — it's part of the festival.

The official campgrounds are immediately adjacent to the festival site.

Facilities include: Toilets, Showers, 24/7 security, Medical support

Campers also receive access to a free shuttle between the festival grounds and Mareeba town centre from Thursday through Sunday.

That means you can park the van, set up camp and leave it there.

No driving back to Cairns after the music finishes.

No trying to find transport late at night.

No hotel commute every morning.

You're already at Savannah.

HOW BIG IS THE CAMPGROUND?

Big.

In 2024, Savannah hosted approximately 4,800 campers across around 2,000 campsites.

Demand became so strong that the festival expanded its campground substantially for 2025, adding hundreds of additional large sites and increasing potential camping capacity to around 7,200 people.

That tells you something important about Savannah:

People don't just attend.

They camp.

For a visitor coming from interstate or overseas, a campervan is therefore one of the most natural ways to experience the festival.

WHY A CAMPERVAN WORKS SO WELL FOR SAVANNAH

This is one event where we don't really have to force the campervan connection.

The festival itself encourages camping.

You arrive with your accommodation

Collect your campervan in Cairns, stock up on groceries and drive directly to Mareeba.

Camp beside the festival

Once you're set up, there's no need to commute between Cairns and Mareeba every day.

Your fridge and food are with you

Festival food is part of the fun, but being able to make breakfast, coffee and simple meals at your own camp can make a multi-day festival much easier — and cheaper.

You have your own bed

After a full day of music, crowds and dancing, you don't have to crawl into a little tent.

You're already packed for the next adventure

When Savannah finishes, you don't need to return to Cairns, check out of a hotel and organise another vehicle.

Start the engine.

The Atherton Tablelands are already around you.

WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE?

October is late dry season in Mareeba.

It's generally warm, sunny and considerably drier than tropical Cairns.

Savannah advises visitors to expect average October conditions around:

Daytime high: 30°C

Night-time low: 16°C

with historically very little rain during the month.

That makes it excellent festival and camping weather.

But there's one thing visitors often underestimate:

the temperature change after sunset.

A 30°C afternoon can turn into a considerably cooler Tablelands night.

Bring:

Hat

Sunscreen

Reusable water bottle

Light clothing

Closed shoes

Warm jumper or jacket for night

Something warm enough for sleeping

And remember that October sun in Far North Queensland is strong.

Shade, hydration and sunscreen matter.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU COME FOR?

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU COME FOR?

If you're travelling all the way to Cairns for Savannah, I wouldn't make it a three-day trip.

Minimum: 4–5 days

Arrive in Cairns, collect your van, travel to Mareeba and enjoy the full festival.

Better: 7 days

Add several days exploring the Atherton Tablelands.

Best: 10–14 days

Combine Savannah with the Tablelands, Cairns, Port Douglas, Daintree or Mission Beach.

That's when the cost of travelling to Far North Queensland starts giving you much more than simply a festival weekend.

A GREAT SAVANNAH CAMPERVAN TRIP

DAY 1 – ARRIVE IN CAIRNS

Collect your campervan.

Stock up on groceries and anything you need for the festival.

Stay around Cairns or begin heading towards the Tablelands.

DAY 2 – CAIRNS → KURANDA → MAREEBA

Drive up through the rainforest-covered mountains towards Kuranda.

Explore Kuranda if you have time, then continue into the drier country around Mareeba.

Arrive at Savannah and set up camp.

DAYS 3–5 – SAVANNAH IN THE ROUND

Now park the van.

Live music.

Bull riding.

Food.

Bars.

Festival atmosphere.

Late nights.

Slow mornings.

This is why you're here.

AFTER SAVANNAH – DON'T DRIVE STRAIGHT BACK TO CAIRNS

You're already on the Atherton Tablelands.

Keep going.

MAREEBA → GRANITE GORGE

Just outside Mareeba, Granite Gorge is known for huge granite boulders, walking tracks and wild Mareeba rock-wallabies.

It's an easy first stop after the festival.

Best for: Wildlife • walking • scenery

MAREEBA → LAKE TINAROO → YUNGABURRA

Continue south into greener Tablelands country.

Explore: Lake Tinaroo, Yungaburra, Curtain Fig Tree, Peterson Creek Platypus Viewing Area, Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine

This area feels completely different from Mareeba despite being only a relatively short drive away.

YUNGABURRA → WATERFALL COUNTRY

Continue towards Millaa Millaa and explore the famous Waterfall Circuit:

Millaa Millaa Falls

Zillie Falls

Ellinjaa Falls

There are many more waterfalls and swimming holes throughout this part of the Tablelands.

Spend another night rather than rushing through.

WANT A BIGGER ROAD TRIP?

Savannah can easily become the centrepiece of a longer Far North Queensland holiday.

NORTH

Mareeba → Mount Molloy → Port Douglas → Daintree → Cape Tribulation

Combine the festival with beaches, Great Barrier Reef trips and ancient rainforest.

SOUTH

Mareeba → Atherton → Millaa Millaa → Innisfail → Mission Beach

Combine the Tablelands with waterfalls, cassowary country and tropical beaches.

BACK TO CAIRNS

Take your time returning through the Tablelands and finish with a Great Barrier Reef trip from Cairns.

Your festival ticket gets you Savannah.

Your campervan opens up everything around it.

COME FOR SAVANNAH. STAY FOR FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Savannah in the Round is a pretty good reason to come to Mareeba.

But it's an even better excuse for a Far North Queensland road trip.

Fly into Cairns, collect your campervan, head up into the Tablelands and spend four days camping beside one of Queensland's fastest-growing music festivals.

Then when the final song finishes, don't rush back to the airport.

Wake up in your campervan and start exploring.

Cairns → Kuranda → Savannah in the Round → Mareeba → Granite Gorge → Lake Tinaroo → Yungaburra → Lake Eacham → Waterfall Circuit → Cairns

Or keep going north towards Port Douglas and the Daintree.

The festival might be why you booked the flight.

The road trip could be the part you remember just as much.