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Destination NSW Annual Report 2023-24Operations & performanceEvents

Events

Events make a significant contribution to the NSW visitor economy and support thousands of jobs.

State of Origin

The Events division was responsible for developing and delivering a calendar of sporting, arts and cultural events during the 2024–25 financial year to position Sydney and NSW as the events capital of the Asia Pacific.

These events made a significant contribution to the NSW visitor economy and supported thousands of jobs. They played a critical role in bringing visitors to Sydney and regional NSW for day trips and extended stays, while also enhancing the social wellbeing of NSW residents.

There are five teams within the division:

  • Culture, Entertainment and Creative Industries Events
  • Sport and Destination Events
  • Business Operations
  • Vivid Sydney
  • Australia Day

Event investment

Event investment is driven by the Culture, Entertainment and Creative Industries Events; Sport and Destination Events; and Business Operations teams.

Their core function is to strategically assess and manage major event investments to drive economic growth and the NSW Visitor Economy.

The teams secured 48 events and delivered 76 events during the 2024–25 financial year, including TCS Sydney Marathon 2024.

In November 2024 it was announced that the TCS Sydney Marathon was joining the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors series from 2025, following its candidacy being supported by Destination NSW.

This achievement means Sydney has joined the ranks of the great marathon cities of the world – New York City, Boston, London, Chicago, Tokyo and Berlin – with its elevated status projected to inject an estimated $300 million into the NSW visitor economy over the next decade.

In the 2024–25 financial year, Destination NSW continued to lead the implementation of the ‘10 World Cups in 10 Years’ initiative. In January 2025 it was announced NSW would host 17 Men’s Rugby Union World Cup 2027 matches, more than any other state, including both semi-finals and the final.

Music and cultural festivals supported by Destination NSW continued to drive visitor economy growth in regional NSW, including Deni Ute Muster, which attracted almost 20,000 people to the plains of Deniliquin for the 2024 event, with the majority of festivalgoers choosing to camp onsite; and the 53rd Tamworth Country Music Festival, which cemented its title as Australia’s largest celebration of country music.

Destination NSW also supported the return of the Sydney Royal Easter Show to the Sydney Showground from 11–22 April 2025. The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW reported a total of 850,000 entries through the gates across 12-day event, with opening day breaking a decades-old attendance record with more than 60,000 attendees.

In late 2024, Destination NSW supported the takeover of Australian Fashion Week by the Australian Fashion Council.

Australian Fashion Week 2025 reinforced Sydney’s position as the heart of Australian fashion, bringing together designers, industry and fashion enthusiasts from around Australia and internationally in celebration of creativity and innovation.

View all events supported by Destination NSW in the 2024-25 financial year here.

Case study: Regional Event Fund

Delivered by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s Regional
Event Fund program aims to increase visitation and economic benefit to regional events and communities with grants focused on event delivery, event marketing or growth initiatives.

Since its inception in 1996, the Regional Event Fund has supported more than 530 events with more than $14 million in funding, helping to turn events like the Deni Ute Muster and the Parkes Elvis Festival into bucket list regional experiences.

A total of $1,436,660 was committed by the fund during the 2024–25 financial year, supporting 68 events across the state.

Applications for the 2025–26 financial year round of Regional Event Fund opened in March 2025 across three streams:

  • Incubator Event stream: supporting the establishment of new events
  • Flagship Event stream: supporting the marketing of emerging events to increase their profile and encourage visitation
  • Event Development stream: supporting the strategic development of established events as drivers of tourism

The successful recipients were announced in June 2025. From
community festivals to cultural and sporting events, these 61 recipients will share in funding that will help boost local economies, attract visitors from outside the region and promote vibrant communities across the state.

Learn more here.

Vivid Sydney

The Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival, Vivid Sydney, is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW.

The 15th Vivid Sydney was held from 23 May–14 June 2025 and
featured the creative direction of 'Vivid Sydney Dream’.

The festival welcomed 2.54 million attendees and 100 per cent of the Vivid Light Walk was free for all to enjoy, with 44 light installations and 3D projections.

The Vivid Food pillar included three sold-out Vivid Sydney Dinner events curated by Nigella Lawson in the Metro Muru Giligu Tunnel in Martin Place.

Vivid Fire Kitchen returned to The Goods Line offering a ‘Fire and Spice’ experience where visitors enjoyed dishes from some of the world’s top chefs, showcasing Sydney’s rich culinary scene and positioning Sydney as the ultimate destination for food lovers.

Vivid Music produced an expanded program with new venues including the City Recital Hall, Metro Theatre and Oxford Art Factory.

Tumbalong Nights returned to Darling Harbour with a focus on free music across Sydney’s diverse communities and First Nations artists singing in language.

Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House hosted performances from more than 50 cutting-edge and legendary international and Australian artists.

Vivid Ideas provided a thought-provoking agenda. Highlights included a series of in-conversation events featuring entrepreneur Martha Stewart, TIME Magazine creative director D.W. Pine and award-winning actors Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally.

Case study: Vivid Sydney gives back

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation was the official charity partner for Vivid Sydney 2025.

Funds raised went straight to the frontline of children’s health, supporting the 159,000 sick kids who pass through the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network each year, comprising Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick; The Children’s Hospital at Westmead; Kids Research; The Newborn & Paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS); and Bear Cottage.

Throughout the festival, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation had an installation on the Vivid Light Walk in Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour called Dream Scene (pictured above). Attendees could draw their own dream, add it to the evolving interactive mural and watch it transform in real time.

A Sydney Sick Kids Day event was also held at the Dream Scene installation on 5 June.

The OzHarvest Refettorio ‘Our Shared Dream’ dinner series, in collaboration with Vivid Sydney 2025, welcomed acclaimed chefs Neil Perry, Paul Farag, Karima Hazim, Matt Moran (pictured above), Jacqui Challinor, Aunty Beryl and Gabriel Del Conti to transform rescued ingredients into gourmet dishes.

The guest chefs donated their time and worked collaboratively with Refettorio chefs to serve four-course menus to more than 380 guests across seven events.

This ‘pay it forward’ concept saw proceeds from ticket sales enable OzHarvest Refettorio to serve more than 2,100 meals during its lunchtime service to vulnerable people.

Australia Day in Sydney

Following Machinery of Government changes within the NSW Premier’s Department, the Australia Day in Sydney program and the Australia Day Council of NSW moved into Destination NSW, effective from 1 July 2024.

Destination NSW and the Australia Day Council of NSW worked together in partnership with the National Australia Day Council to present a progressive, inclusive and contemporary program for Australia Day in Sydney 2025.

Guided by the overall national theme of Reflect, Respect, Celebrate, tens of thousands of people came together to enjoy free events and activities.

Destination NSW delivered all aspects of the Australia Day in Sydney 2025 program including creative direction, production, operations, and promotions and communications.

The free-to-attend, day-long program took place across Barangaroo, Sydney Harbour, Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House, The Rocks and Darling Harbour.

Events such as the Dawn Reflection and WugulOra Morning Ceremony encouraged the community to reflect and respect our shared history and First Nations cultures.

Australia Day in Sydney 2025 proudly placed accessibility and inclusion at the forefront of the event program to ensure everyone could participate.

Initiatives included haptic vests for Deaf guests to ‘feel’ the beat at the Australia Day Live concert, Auslan interpreters at events, access to quiet rooms, as well as wheelchair basketball and a silent disco activation for people with physical, sensory or cognitive disability.

The Australia Day Live concert also featured a performance by Sync or Swim, with all band members having a lived experience of disability.

Highlights

  • 3,500 free tickets allocated for Australia Day Live concert
  • Record 1.84 million ABC TV broadcast viewers
  • Strong positive sentiment on both social media
    (88 per cent) and earned media (99.6 per cent).

Year ahead

The Events division’s strategic focus during the 2025–26 financial year
will remain firmly on driving visitor economy growth through a diverse major events calendar across NSW.

Sporting event highlights will include two British & Irish Lions Tour matches, TCS Sydney Marathon and Sydney Sail Grand Prix on the iconic Sydney Harbour.

Major events will include UFC Fight Night, Street League Skateboarding, the NRL Grand Final, Bathurst 1000 and international fixtures featuring
the Socceroos and Matildas.

Destination NSW has also secured the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Destination NSW will continue supporting key destination events across the NSW events calendar, including the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Deni Ute Muster, Ultra Trail Australia and the Parkes Elvis Festival.

This ongoing support of events is in addition to investment in exciting
new event concepts to be held across NSW such as Titanique in Sydney and Strummingbird in Newcastle.

Destination NSW and the Australia Day Council of NSW will continue to evolve the Australia Day in Sydney program that is the best expression of our national identity and encourages us to explore the meaning of what it is to be Australian.

Vivid Sydney will return from 22 May–13 June 2026. The Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival will once again transform the Harbour City across the pillars of Light, Music, Ideas and Food, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in cutting-edge creativity and bold storytelling.