Creative Communities, Tourism and Night-Life Boost

The arts and night-time economy will get a boost in the 2024-25 NSW Budget, with $1.66 billion allocated to support free museum entry, events and festivals, and a wide a range of arts and cultural institutions, ensuring NSW remains an attractive and lively place.

The funding will support jobs across the creative, tourism and night-time sectors and is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to revamping the night-time economy and creative industries, and building better communities that improve the lives of people in NSW.

Plans for Sustainable Creative Communities

The 2024-25 Budget invests in creative people and enterprises, including:

• Destination NSW: $324.5 million to deliver the events calendar across metro and regional NSW, including Vivid Sydney, SXSW Sydney, Mundi Mundi Bash, Parkes Elvis Festival and a range of sporting events, and drive the refreshed Visitor Economy Strategy 2030
• Arts and Cultural Funding Program: $73 million to support grassroots and community arts organisations
• Screen and Digital Games: $35 million for the Made in NSW Fund, as well as ongoing investment to provide certainty for the Post-Production and Visual Effects rebate scheme
• Night-Time Economy: $26.9 million to support the development of vibrant, safe and diverse night-time precincts across the State and the delivery of the refreshed NSW 24-Hour Economy Strategy
• Music: $18.5 million for Sound NSW to deliver programs that drive audience and international market development, strengthen the live music industry and champion NSW artists.

Reform

• From 1 July 2024, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport will formally come into effect. The new Department will provide a renewed focus to grow the creative industries in NSW, and enable more people to pursue careers in arts, culture, entertainment, and experience tourism
• A new Visitor Economy Strategy for Destination NSW will prioritise the development of a ‘Foundation events’ category, recognising and supporting the role that key events play, such as New Years Eve, Sydney Festival, Lunar New Year, NRL Grand Final, Sydney Film Festival, and Sydney Fringe, play in the events calendar of the State
• The NSW Government will deliver further reforms to support venues, event organisers and councils as part of its ‘Vibrancy’ agenda, including legislating to make it easier to host events and festivals, and streamlining planning processes that are restricting cultural activity
• The NSW Government will reform the Arts and Cultural Funding Program to deliver a simpler, fairer, and faster model for arts funding that will drive long-term growth and sustainability for the sector.

More to come.