The Regional Event Fund was established in 1996. The program is a mechanism to grow regional visitation by assisting events that contribute to the unique character of regional NSW to market themselves to visitors from outside of their Local Government Area.

Destination NSW manages the fund and provides support to regional events through three streams:

Incubator Event stream: New events in their first or second years can receive up to $20,000 of seed funding to support activities that are likely to establish an event as a driver of visitation.

Flagship Event stream: Emerging events running for over two years can receive grants of $20,000 to increase their profile and encourage visitation. Events that have already received the maximum of three annual grants will be eligible for grants of $30,000 over three years.

Event Development stream: Established and proven events that have previously received and completed triennial funding through the Flagship Event stream can receive grants of up to $50,000 to support growth initiatives in the event’s strategic plan.

The grants offered through the Regional Event Fund identify investment in regional events as key to growing the NSW regional visitor economy. Since its establishment the Regional Event Fund has distributed more than $14 million to more than 450 events.

Recipients

Recipients of the Regional Event Fund Incubator Event stream 2024/25

Event nameOrganisation name
BeatlesfestLiving Eyes Pty Ltd
Brews & BluesBadlands Brewery Pty Ltd
Buangla Music & Arts Festival ORDINARY GROUP PTY LTD
Bundanoon Folk FestivalBundanoon Folk Festival Association Inc.
Clearly Presents 'Land of Milk & Honey' KIAMA MUSIC & ARTS PTY LTD
Cobar Grey Mardi GraCobar Shire Council
Dark Sky Festival - Lord Howe IslandDanielle Nicolson T/A Love Lord Howe
Dine in the BinesRyefield Enterprises Pty Ltd
Heartbeat of the HunterTocal Field Days Association
Illuminate 2025 Port Stephens Council
International Women's Day Event SeriesR Saunders Pty Ltd
Let's Surf Lake Mac Pro JuniorVintcorp Pty Limited
MAKE GOOD Festival Bundanon Trust
National Freestyle Mountain Bike ChampionshipsGreenvalleys Mountain Bike Club
Naturellementwe are neighbourgood
OpenField Arts FestivalOpenField Arts Festival Inc.
Orange Rainbow FestivalOrange City Council
Pilliga UltraFor Wild Places Foundation Limited
Ride WollongongElite Energy Pty Ltd
River Sounds Gig Big Pty Ltd
Rock'n the BrookMuswellbrook Shire Council
Savour The TweedThe Tweed Tourism Company
Shakespeare Under the Stars NewcastleWhale Chorus Incorporated
'Shuck & Shell', Barrington Coast Sustainable Seafood FestivalWonderland Trader Pty Ltd
Stranded in the SnowysPerfect Music Events Pty Ltd
Tamworth Barbeque FestivalTamworth Regional Council
The New England Garden Festival IncThe New England Garden Festival Inc
Ultra Trail Jervis BayThe Trustee for R & A Australia Investment Trust t/a Ultra Trail Jervis Bay
Winter Seasonal Harvest Food FestivalAruma Services

Recipients of the Regional Event Fund Flagship Event stream 2024/25

Event nameOrganisation name
A Little Bit of BrokeBroke Fordwich Wine & Tourism Association Incorporated
Australian Alpine Ascent (Triple AAA)Elite Energy Pty Ltd
Australian Surf Championships - Shortboard, Bodyboard & ParaSurfing Australia
Bathurst Heritage Trades TrailBathurst Regional Council
Casino Truck ShowRichmond Valley Council
Cementa FestivalCementa Inc
EAT Festival The EAT Fellowship Incorporated
Festival of WWagga Wagga City Council
Girrakool Blues 2025Girrakool Blues Foundation Limited
Glenreagh Timber FestivalGlenreagh Timber Festival Incorporated
Glenworth Grazing Glenworth Valley Leisure Pty Ltd
Gravel N Granite 2025The Saddlers Mountain Bike Club Tenterfield Inc
Henty Machinery Field DaysHenty Machinery Field Days Co-operative Ltd
It's On! Under the Gums 2024 | Goin' to Gil WeekendGilgandra Shire Council
Lakeside FestivalLakeside Festival Incorporated
Moama LightsMurray River Council
Mount Panorama PunishTightrope Events PTY LTD
Murray River Festival of GolfBarooga Sports Club Limited
Murrumbateman Field DaysMurrumbateman Community Association
New AnnualNewcastle City Council
Newcastle Fringe FestivalNewcastle Fringe Festival Inc
Port Kembla Festival 2025ORDINARY GROUP PTY LTD
Sawtell Chillifest Sawtell Chamber of Commerce
Sculptures in the GardenSculptures in the Garden
Snowies Multisport FestivalAllura Pty Ltd t/a In2Adventure
StoryFest 2025StoryFest Inc
Strawberry Fields FestivalStrawberry Music Group Pty Ltd
Subsonic Music FestivalSubsonic Music Festival Pty Ltd
The Bay GamesStronger Alliance Pty Ltd
The Gum BallDashville
Tocal Field DaysTocal Field Days Association
Walcha Motorcycle RallyWalcha Council
Winter Fire Festival TDO Limited (Trading as Orange360)
Winter Wine FestivalCrooked River Winery Pty Ltd
Words on the Waves Writers Festival 2025Words on the Waves

Recipients of the Regional Event Fund Event Development stream 2024/25

Event nameOrganisation name
Cobargo Folk Festival Yuin Folk Club Inc
Orange Wine Festival Orange Regional Vignerons Association Incorporated