Not-for-profit community and religious organisations, including those from the Filipino-Australian community, are being encouraged to apply for a new round of funding that supports multicultural events across New South Wales.
The NSW Government has committed $1 million through the Stronger Together Festival and Event Grants Program to help community-led events that celebrate the state’s rich cultural diversity. Grants between $5,000 and $20,000 are available to support food and music festivals, cultural showcases, religious celebrations, and other gatherings that bring people together.
NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said the program reflects how creative communities across the state have become in expressing and sharing their heritage.
“Whether it’s an art display or night markets, community groups in NSW are getting more creative in how they showcase their rich cultures to the wider community,” Mr Kamper said.
The program aims to strengthen social cohesion and harmony across NSW, with multicultural events now reaching nearly 40% of the state’s population—an increase from 31% in recent years.
Kamper added that the grants cater to a wide variety of groups, from smaller grassroots initiatives to large-scale festivals, ensuring that communities of all sizes can participate.
In this first round of funding, $500,000 has been allocated for events taking place between 1 September 2025 and 31 March 2026. A second round will open later in the year for events scheduled between April and September 2026. The grants are administered by Multicultural NSW on behalf of the state government.
Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said these grants are particularly valuable for local councils and community organisations working to build stronger, more inclusive neighbourhoods.
“Local festivals give the people of Parramatta the opportunity to experience different cultures, building harmony from the ground up,” she said.
“This funding will help ensure locally organised events are viable, and this will be a huge benefit to our vibrant community,” Davis added.
Applications close at 5 pm on Monday, 7 July 2025. Community groups interested in applying can find more information at multicultural.nsw.gov.au/stronger-together-events-festivals.
