Deadly Cup Rugby League Carnival among 27 Territory events to receive funding

The Northern Territory Government is set to support 27 events - ranging from community festivals to sporting events and Major Events - via the Event Funding Program (EFP) administered by Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC).

The events include the Deadly Cup Rugby League Carnival, fabAlice, Darwin Fringe Festival, World Table Tennis Youth Contender Darwin, Timor Cup, Galiwin’ku Community Festival and Alice Springs Beanie Festival.

Deadly Cup Rugby League Carnival is the brainchild of Deadly Enterprises director Shaun Tatipata and was organised as a community celebration of Indigenous peoples and culture, connecting families with services to promote health and wellbeing.

NTMEC Chief Executive Suzana Bishop shares “as well as the obvious economic benefits events bring, they also bring huge social benefits. They contribute to the liveability of a place, provide a valuable space for members of a community to socialise and connect, and deliver countless opportunities through employment and upskilling.”

A total of 42 applications were received, and an independent panel of industry experts provided guidance in the selection process, helping to appoint the events best positioned to drive tourism outcomes and connect communities.

The 27 events will take place across the NT, with two located in the Big Rivers region, six in the Central region, 13 in the Darwin region, one in East Arnhem, two events in the Top End and three in multiple locations.

The EFP included five categories – community, event development, major event, mass participation, and strategic funding. Four events received funding through the strategic funding category to support their growth and impact.

The 27 events feature seven not previously funded by NTMEC through the EFP – including Akaltye Festival 2023, Australian Veterans Golf Championships 2024, Nepal Festival 2023 and Stone Country Festival 2023.

Independent research has shown just 22 community events supported by NTMEC in 2021/22 were responsible for generating 110,194 visitor nights and an economic benefit of $30.6 million for the Northern Territory.

NT Minister for Major Events, Paul Kirby notes “The Event Funding Program is an important way of not only supporting the creation of new grassroots events, but also helping established events grow and develop.

“Our Events are vital to our economy. They encourage Territorians to get out and about and spend money with local businesses, and they play an important role in attracting visitors to the NT, which boosts our visitor economy.”

For a full list of successful recipients, and to sign up for ‘Industry Updates’ and be alerted when the next EFP round opens, visit ntmajorevents.com.au/

Image. Deadly Cup Rugby League Carnival. Credit: NRL NT