Funding to ensure delivery of Victorian regional sporting, cultural and entertainment events

The Victorian Government’s $38 million Regional Events Fund aims to ensure more regional communities across the state can attract, stage and deliver sporting, cultural and entertainment events, thereby increasing tourism to boost local economies.

The Regional Events Fund provides strong economic benefit by attracting more people to visit the regions, expanding the length of time visitors stay in the area, and increasing the amount of money spent in local communities.

Visit Victoria Chief Executive Brendan McClements notes “The Regional Events Fund will support events across Victoria that will give people even more reason to explore and discover what our State has to offer.”

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos today visited Ballarat to announce the new Food, Fire and Light Festival which will light up Sovereign Hill this October and announce the latest round of the state government’s Regional Events Fund.

Grants of up to $500,000 will be open to organisers of festivals, sports events, exhibitions and more to attract and grow events of international or national significance while grants of up to $50,000 will be available for marketing and support of events that attract intrastate and interstate visitors.

Since 2016, the Government’s Regional Events Fund has supported more than 350 events across regional Victoria.

From the Riverboats Music Festival on the Murray, Lost Trades Fair in Bendigo, Great Ocean Road Running Festival, Grampians Grape Escape, the East Gippsland Winter Festival, ChillOut Festival in Daylesford, and Ballarat Marathon, we’re making sure Victoria’s jam-packed calendar of events is enjoyed by every community throughout the state.

The Government’s support for regional events across the state is a key pillar of Victoria’s $37.8 billion visitor economy.

Applications for the Regional Events Fund, delivered by Visit Victoria, will open next week at corporate.visitvictoria.com/events/regional-events

Image top: Riverboats Music Festival held February 2024; Image above: Great Ocean Road Running Festival will see over 10,000 runners tackle the 2024 event 18th & 19th May 2024