General News
28 October, 2026
Auto show creates records
THE 2026 Cairns Show Auto Spectacular has recorded growth in attendance and entries.
Organisers said more than 3500 people came through the gates, with more than 150 individual car and motorbike entries taking part across the event.
Entrants travelled from across Queensland, joining an impressive field of locally-built vehicles and strong representation from local car clubs.
One of the stand-out vehicles of the weekend was John Bonaccarsi’s newly-built Ford Falcon XA ute – ‘XANGRY’– which took out both car of show and the people’s choice award among a swag of other trophies.
XANGRY also secured an exclusive Meguiar’s MotorEx Superstars finalist invitation, alongside Brad Jenkins’ 1973 XA Ford Falcon, giving both vehicles the opportunity to progress to one of Australia’s premier automotive showcases.
Niko Pormmnitz’s 1968 Holden HK Monaro was also recognised with the elite grand champion award for its exceptional workmanship, presentation and attention to detail.
The event also delivered an outstanding result for its official charity partner, with the annual
The charity auction raised more than $12,500 for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
A Cairns Show Association spokeswoman said the continued growth in attendance and entries reflected the strength of the motoring community and the support behind the event.
“The auto spectacular is driven by the people behind it – the entrants who invest countless hours into their vehicles, the local clubs, volunteers, judges, sponsors and exhibitors who help bring the event together – and the public who continue to support it,” she said.
“The Cairns Show Association extends a sincere thank you to all volunteers, judges, sponsors, entrants, exhibitors, local car clubs and attendees who contributed to the success of the 2026 event.”
The full list of 2026 Cairns Show Auto Spectacular award winners will be published on the Cairns Show website soon.
