Five regional festivals across NSW will receive funding to establish and grow audience reach thanks to the NSW Government’s Regional Festival Funding program.

First Nations Peoples at Giiyong 2018. Photo by David Rogers.
Create NSW’s inaugural strategic initiative is aimed at strengthening both emerging and well-established flagship regional festivals by building capacity and resilience for future success.
Flagship Festival Funding Recipients
Cementa Festival in Kandos and Giiyong Festival in Jigamy, near Eden will receive $150,000 per year over the next three years (total investment for each festival is $450,000).
With multi-year investment, these festivals will continue to be a well-renowned platform for the talented artists who perform and a firmly established highlight on the community’s calendar for many years to come.
Foundation Festival Funding Recipients
Three festivals: Byron Music Festival in Byron Bay, Coastal Twist LGBTIQA+ Arts & Culture festival on the NSW Central Coast and the Orange Chamber Music Festival in Orange will each receive $50,000 for their 2023 program.
This funding will support these grassroots festivals to build on early success and become more established for years to come. These festivals played a crucial role in restoring community spirit in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and successive natural disasters that have devastated so many towns across the State.
Image: Chelsy Atkins by David Rogers Giiyong Festival 2018.