The culturally rich landscape of Laura in Far North Queensland is the setting for one of Australia's most well-established and vibrant cultural festivals.

The Laura Aboriginal Dance and Cultural Festival is a celebration of Indigenous arts, country and people.

The bi-annual Laura Festival is a glorious event for the Cape York community and, with its focus on cultural heritage, it is an important tool in fostering a sense of community spirit, well-being and pride.

In 2007, the Laura Festival marked its 30th anniversary in Cape York and is believed to be the longest running continual Aboriginal cultural festival in Australia.

The Festival's longevity and its strong commitment to family, tradition and ceremony play a vital role in showcasing Indigenous culture to the wider community.

The Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival is one of the most spectacular celebrations of Aboriginal art and culture and is fast becoming an international drawcard with people trekking to the Cape York wilderness from all over the world.

The 2007 Laura Festival received State Government funding of $170,000 from the Department of Education Training and the Arts, the Department of Local Government, Planning and Sport and the Department of Communities.

Performers and artists from Cape York and Gulf communities travel to the Festival to perform traditional dance, music and song and to display traditional arts and crafts. Cape York Arts Awards for Indigenous artists are given to the best artwork, runner-up and to an emerging artist.

The Laura region is home to some of the most significant Aboriginal rock art in the world, some dating back over 13,000 years, and festival-goers will have an opportunity to participate in rock art tours.

The biannual festival began in the early 80s when communities in the Cape York region decided to reunite for a weekend of song, dance and celebration. The fourteenth festival was held on the Ang-gnarra Festival Grounds, on the site of the traditional "Bora" grounds where the local Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people had congregated for time immemorial, from 22 to 24 June 2001. The theme of the Festival was Reconciliation.

The three day programme included more than 25 Aboriginal communities performing traditional dance and song, Art and Craft workshops, the Cape York Art Awards Exhibition, evening concerts, a didjeridu competition, boomerang and spear throwing. There were also guided tours to the nearby Quinkan Rock Art sites and a "Night Walk" for Reconciliation.

The 2005 Laura Festival attracted around 5000 people, of whom 3000 were from the Cape communities. The Festival received the Encouragement Award, Premier's Award for Reconciliation in the 2005 Queensland Reconciliation Awards for Business.

The Laura Festival is hosted by the Traditional Owners, the town of Laura and the Quinkan and Regional Cultural Centre.