Tanks Arts Centre

The heartbeat of contemporary arts in Cairns. Experience Cairns' leading contemporary arts and entertainment venue located in the lush Cairns Botanic Gardens precinct. History, nature and culture entwine at this iconic heritage listed site, which takes its name from three WWII oil storage tanks, completed in 1944 for the Royal Australian Navy, decommissioned in 1987 and creatively transformed into an innovative multi-use arts centre by Cairns Regional Council. Open since 1995, Tanks continues to present a diverse program of live music, performance, visual arts, market days, workshops and more, and is consequently firmly entrenched in the creative fabric of Cairns and the surrounding Wet Tropics region. The main performance space, Tank 5, has a licensed bar and standing capacity of 650 (seated 480). The rugged, oil-stained poles and sheer concrete walls imbue the venue with a Gothic charm that never fails to impress both performers and patrons. Expect to see the best local, national and international performers and touring shows, plus a few surprises!