Festivals support puts Sydney on centre stage

The City of Sydney is supporting three major cultural events aimed at attracting visitors and promoting Sydney as a leading events capital.

Sydney Fringe Festival will receive $450,000 from the City over the next three years, while VIVID Sydney will receive $250,000 per annum in cash and value-in-kind from the City for the same period.

The inaugural Walsh Bay Arts Festival will receive $30,000 in cash and $20,000 value-in-kind for its event in December 2014.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City was working with the NSW Government to support festivals that attract almost a million local, interstate and international visitors to the city each year.

Lord Mayor Moore explained “the City is committed to supporting major events and festivals that inspire audiences with exciting new artworks, live music and performances.

“Festivals like these, along with the City’s own major events program, ensure that Sydney retains its status as a globally competitive and innovative city with a thriving creative culture. They help attract visitors who spend money on accommodation, retail and visit other attractions during their stay.

“Our own events such as New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year receive huge international coverage and each year attract many thousands of visitors to the city.

“These festivals inject tens of millions of dollars into the local economy each year, support small businesses and promote Sydney as an events capital on the world stage.”

VIVID Sydney is growing significantly in size and popularity each year, attracting huge international attention and Sydney Fringe Festival is fast becoming one of our largest arts and cultural events.

In 2014 VIVID Sydney will run for 18 days from 23rd May to 9th June and feature creative industry forums, outdoor exhibitions, contemporary music and brightly-coloured projections on Sydney’s landmark buildings. First launched in 2009, the event has grown exponentially and last year attracted more than 800,000 people.

The new Walsh Bay Arts Festival planned for December, aims to consolidate Walsh Bay as Australia’s leading performing arts hub. The district’s 12 performing arts companies will come together to deliver a program of family activities, dining, art, theatre, dance and music.

Sydney Fringe Festival will present hundreds of shows in dozens of venues across Sydney for three weeks in September. Running since 2009, the festival attracted over 46,000 people last year.

The City spends more than $4.3 million each year in support of major events, including VIVID Sydney, Sydney Festival, the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Biennale of Sydney and Sydney Film Festival.

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