Vivid Parramatta? Plans for major new Western Sydney festival announced

• The NSW Government has today announced a major three-year plan to uplift western Sydney’s creative industries.
• $5 million has been earmarked for grants, funding, as well as a brand new major festival celebrating the west’s arts scene.
• Details for the new festival are thin, but it may be on the same scale as multi-factor festivals like SXSW Sydney and Sydney Festival.
• READ MORE: State Library of NSW expands with new $1.5 million hub.

The NSW Labor government is committing $5 million to growing a western Sydney’s creative scene as part of a new three-year plan for the rapidly developing region. And this will include a brand new, western Sydney-centric lifestyle festival, pitched to be in the same league as the city’s biggest events, including SXSW Sydney, Sydney Festival and Vivid Sydney.

The reasoning is obvious. More funding is being poured into western Sydney in an aggressive attempt to uplift the oft-overlooked region’s viability for inbound tourism, as well as improve the overall lifestyle scene outside of the city.

Campbelltown’s Fisher’s Ghost Festival and Parramatta Lanes are, to date, two of the biggest yearly cultural events luring Sydneysiders out from the CBD and surrounds, but clearly more entries are needed on the calendar to align with western Sydney’s rapid development, especially given the Western Sydney International Airport is coming next year, along with landmark infrastructure like the metro and Powerhouse Parramatta.

The new, yet-to-be-named (or even conceptualised) festival was announced this week as part of the government’s three-year strategic plan (the “Plan for Western Sydney Arts, Culture and Creative Industries 2025 – 2028“) for building western Sydney into a major hub for arts and culture, leaning heavily on the region’s definitive sense of community and dense multi-cultural scene.

An “inclusive creative ecosystem”

“In short, the vision is to create a thriving and inclusive creative ecosystem in western Sydney that celebrates its diverse communities, drives cultural innovation and delivers social and economic value for everyone,” offered Arts Minister John Graham.

“To get there the key priorities are unlocking investment, putting First Nations’ culture at the centre, growing creative careers, strengthening creative ecosystems, better showcasing off western Sydney artists, and unlocking more cultural spaces.”

Aside from the rough sketches of a new major festival for western Sydney, we don’t know much about the event. What we do know, however, is how that $5 million will be broken down.

Reportedly, $2.15 million will be earmarked for a grant program that will require co-funding from local bodies, aimed at providing support for small and medium-sized creative businesses. A further $2 million will be dedicated to get the “right” western Sydney event partner onboard and deliver the structure of the festival. The rest is broken down as follows:

• $500,000 for five grants, up to $100,000, to First Nations artists and organisations from western Sydney.
• $350,000 in micro grants for the Western Sydney Arts Alliance

The Minns Labour government has long been an advocate for more priority spending out in the west, not just to get more tourists flowing to Sydney’s multi-cultural suburbs, but out of economic necessity. A 2024 report by Western Sydney University found that the creative sector in western Sydney had the potential to quadruple, enhance Sydney’s overall creative scene, create over 24,000 new jobs, and contribute an additional $6.4 billion per annum in economic output.

“Most of Sydney’s major arts institutions are a stone’s throw from the eastern harbour,” cited Graham.

“Western Sydney creatives deserve better, and this is practical plan to start addressing that balance.”

Western Sydney’s festival calendar is still very thin

To date, Western Sydney hasn’t had anything quite as big and internationally recognised as Sydney Festival and Vivid Sydney. While the upcoming Sydney Fringe Festival now has plenty of events out west

Parramatta Lanes

A free multi-day street arts, music and food festival that runs through a week in late October. Multiple areas of Parramatta are turned into hubs to showcase the boundless creative energy that can be found outside of Sydney CBD and surrounds.

Western Sydney Oyster Festival

An inaugural festival debuting in August 2025, hosted at Rooty Hill’s West HQ and pitched as the largest inland oyster “shellebration” in the state. It will be launched on World Oyster Day (August 5) and include weekly appearances by NSW’s top oyster farms and experts, all at the hatted CHU Restaurant by China Doll.

Lakemba Nights

Aside from Parramatta Lanes, this is the yearly event that has brought the most recognition to western Sydney’s culinary credentials. Each year, during the weeks of Ramadan, dozens of stalls are set up on Lakemba’s high street slinging everything from camel burgers to knafeh.

Cabramatta Moon Festival

The Cabramatta Moon Festival is one of the biggest celebrations of Southeast Asian culture in the country, bringing a vibrant, multi-faceted celebration to the streets of Cabramatta every September.

Parramasala

Parramasla focuses almost entirely on celebrating the strong South Asian cultural scene out in Parramatta and surrounding areas like Harris Park. It typically lasts for three days in March but, due to underfunding, hasn’t been a thing since Covid. John Graham has stated this week that he will be focused on bringing it back.

Fisher’s Ghost

The Festival of Fisher’s Ghost is tied to a tireless legend out in Campbelltown, fashioned as one of Australia’s premiere Halloween events with date typically running from October 31 to early-to-mid November. Think of it more like a 10-day carnival that’s been running in Campbelltown since 1956.