It was a bumper first weekend of May for the NSW visitor economy, with tens of thousands of people attending regional events supported by Destination NSW, including the UKG IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie, Mudgee Classic, Narooma Oyster Festival and Tocal Field Days.

Last year the NSW Government released its review into the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 and committed to a new 2035 target of $91 billion in annual expenditure, a 40 per cent increase on the previous goal.

The review supports the sustainable growth of regional visitor economies, with ongoing investment in events essential to reaching the NSW Government’s new stretch goal.

Destination NSW helps event owners and communities to develop and grow events that enrich our state's year-round events calendar and reinforce regional NSW as a must-visit destination.

Destination NSW Acting CEO Karen Jones said: "Regional events are vital to the NSW visitor economy, bringing communities together and showcasing the unique character of our regions to visitors from across Australia and beyond. They create authentic experiences that inspire travel, drive overnight stays and generate economic benefits for local businesses.”

This year’s Narooma Oyster Festival, held from 2-4 May, saw around 67,000 oysters shucked and eaten, with demand outpacing supply.

Some of Australia’s fastest shuckers stepped up to help replenish supplies, each shucking 50 dozen oysters in just one hour - all while running their own stalls and before competing in the Australian Oyster Shucking Championships.

Among the shuckers was Sally McLean from Jim Wild’s Oysters, who went on to reclaim Gold in the Women’s Australian Shucking Championship.

The winner of the 2025 Australia’s Biggest Oyster Competition was 'Jack Junior' from the Clyde River, grown by Bernie and Sharryn Connell and weighing in at 2.53kg.

Festival Chair Cath Peachey told Narooma News the event attracted estimated attendance of around 10,000, a record high.

"We're certainly up at least 10 per cent on last year and in terms of visitor numbers," she said. "So we couldn't be more delighted, actually."

Tocal Field Days was held in the Hunter Valley from 2-4 May 2025, with event organisers describing it as the "best yet".

The event welcomes more than 18,000 attendees each year, who explore hundreds of exhibits and demonstrations.

Not just for farmers, Tocal Field Days features activities including animal petting zoos, interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, industry talks, food stalls showcasing local produce, artisan markets and entertainment.

About 2700 athletes converged on the Mid North Coast as Port Macquarie once again hosted Ironman Australia on 4 May. More than 10,000 supporters also attended to cheer on participants.

Sydney’s Natalie Van Coevorden and Finland’s Henrik Goesch claimed the women’s and men’s professional titles.

While recent heavy rain meant that the swim portion of the event was cancelled, athletes took part in a 90km ride and 21.1km run before finishing on Town Green in Port Macquarie.

This year’s Mudgee Classic hosted record numbers of cyclists, with nearly 500 people taking part in the 55km Dirty Mudgee gravel ride on 3 May, traversing the scenic roads surrounding the Central West town.

The hub of the weekend was the Event Village at the Glen Willow Sports Complex, which was open on both Saturday and Sunday. Visitors enjoyed live music, food and drinks.