After an electrifying debut in 2025, Cairns Hatchlings, presented by Yahoo, will be back in 2026!
Set to the vibrant backdrop of the Cairns Crocodiles Festival, the program will once again provide an outlet for Asia-Pacific talent with between three and eight years of industry experience across the advertising, marketing and media to showcase what they are made of on the world stage.
Entries for Cairns Hatchlings, presented by Yahoo, are open now!
Cairns Hatchlings will hatch, spotlight and nurture the next generation of industry leaders, giving them a platform to prove themselves on real-world briefs in front of some of the biggest names in the business.
No matter your craft, there’s a place for you. The 2026 program welcomes back the Audio, Design, Digital, Marketing, Media, PR and Video categories, with new categories Out of Home, Publishing, and Strategy joining the party.
The big draw card? Finalists will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on a brief from the UN Foundation, as well as a trip to Cairns.
Cairns Crocodiles is shouting with flights and accommodation all fully covered.
Charity Partners Line Up For Round One
This year, Round One briefs come from an inspiring line-up of charity partners:
- Canteen, helping young people find the flipside of cancer.
- UnLtd, the social purpose organisation uniting the industry to tackle youth disadvantage.
- MOOD Tea, providing people (like you) with a simple way to make a difference to youth mental health.
- Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD), transforming lives through music, mentoring and the national Live Like MMAD challenge.
- Women on a Mission (WOAM), combining epic expeditions with powerful storytelling to empower women survivors of violence and abuse.
These briefs are live challenges with real stakes, demanding creativity that balances empathy, professionalism and measurable impact to make a real-world difference.
A Global Stage For Round Two
The stakes get even higher in Round Two. Held live at the Cairns Convention Centre, finalists will fly in (flights and accommodation fully covered by Cairns Crocodiles) for an unforgettable experience.
Across a 24-hour sprint (or 48 hours in the Video category), teams will tackle briefs under pressure from our Round Two charity partner, the United Nations Foundation.
That means Hatchlings finalists will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create ideas for a cause shaping global change, and will get to do so with the picturesque backdrop of sunny far north Queensland behind them.
Last year’s competition saw some of the industry’s best up-and-coming leaders compete with winners from across Havas Red, Thinkerbell and Google, to name a few. Check out their award-winning work here!
Key dates
- Entries Open: Wednesday 17 September 2025
- Round 1 Deadline: Thursday 5 February 2026
- Round 1 Late Deadline: Thursday 12 February 2026
- Finalists Announced: Thursday 5 March 2026
- Round 2 Live Briefing: Tuesday 12 May 2026 (Cairns Convention Centre)
- Round 2 Live Pitches: Wednesday 13 May 2026
- Round 2 Video Pitches & Awards: Thursday 14 May 2026
Cairns Hatchlings is a purpose-driven showcase of all that Asia-Pacific’s best and brightest have to offer on the national stage. If you’ve got three to eight years of industry experience, a teammate to tackle briefs alongside, and the guts to put your ideas forward, this is your moment.
