THE Burdekin's iconic first cane fire will go virtual this year with residents able to enjoy the spectacle from the warmth of their own homes.
The region's signature event, which marks the start of the cane season, will incorporate the best of the Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival.
The virtual festival will take audiences behind the scenes of three key events including the first fire, hand cane cutting tutorials and cultural fair performances.
The event will kick off online at 7pm on June 1 each weeknight until June 20.
Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Lyn McLaughlin said delivering Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival 2020 online would serve as a reminder to the community that it was business as usual in the shire, as the agricultural sector prepared for its busiest time of year.
"Our council officers have been working behind the scenes for some time to deliver the 2020 Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival in a completely new way this year, so that our locals and visitors from across the country can still celebrate the start of crush season with us," Cr McLaughlin said.
"This is not a festival we could simply postpone: its position on the calendar is significant as it marks the start of our crush season with the first fire marking the first crop of sugarcane burnt in the Shire for the year.
"We will be taking audiences behind the scenes chatting to local growers, meeting some past Australian hand cane cutting champions for tips of the trade, being taught some of the dances we would have witnessed at the cultural fair, and being treated to incredible music performances from our 2020 festival headliners, Matilda Duncan and Josie."
The videos will premiere on the Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival Facebook.