Events drive tourism across Queensland

Events across Queensland will receive a funding boost as part of a strategy to attract more visitors to Queensland.

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said 45 events will receive more than $2 million under round 11 of Tourism and Events Queensland’s Destination Events Program (QDEP).

“Events act as a drawcard for visitors and that’s good news for local communities because they deliver an economic boost and support local jobs,” Ms Jones said.

“Since the start of the program in 2015, we’ve invested more than $8 million supporting a total of 256 events, which has delivered strong benefits to Queensland’s $25 billion tourism economy.

“Many of these events have become iconic to Queensland and give visitors a taste of our Queensland destinations and experiences.

“Our aim is to get people to come to the event and then stay on to experience even more of what our regions have to offer.

“Thanks to an increase in funding from $2 million to $3 million from 2018-19 we’ve also been able to support more events this round that demonstrate potential for growth and the ability to continue attracting strong visitor numbers.

“These range from music and indigenous festivals to marathons and lifestyle events hosted from May to September 2019.

“These events form part of the It’s Live! in Queensland calendar, which is now worth $780 million to the state’s economy.

The funding supports event organisers with marketing costs, strategic plan development, and hiring staff in addition to event infrastructure.

Under QDEP there are three funding rounds per year. The next round is open until 28 February 2019 for events held between September 2019 and September 2020.

For more information on QDEP please visit: https://teq.queensland.com/events/events-support/queensland-destination-events-program

Events to receive QDEP funding include:

• McDonald's Brisbane Marathon Festival Brisbane 31 May 2019 – 2 June 2019 $23,500
• MELT 2019: Festival of Queer Arts and Culture Brisbane 28 June 2019 – 7 July 2019 $15,000
• Redcliffe KiteFest Brisbane 24 August 2019 – 25 August 2018 $15,400
• Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular Brisbane 15 June 2019 – 16 June 2019 $10,000
• Abbey Medieval Festival Brisbane 13 July 2019 – 14 July 2019 $103,500
• Quandamooka Festival Brisbane 1 June 2019 – 31 August 2019 $95,000
• Scenic Rim Eat Local Week/Winter Harvest Festival Brisbane 29 June 2019 – 7 July 2019 $150,000
• Childers Festival Bundaberg 25 July 2019 – 28 July 2019 $30,500
• Fitzroy River Barra Bash (new) Capricorn 22 May 2019 – 26 May 2019 $10,000
• Paradise Lagoons Campdraft 2019 (new) Capricorn 2 May 2019 – 5 May 2019 $23,400
• Rockhampton River Festival Capricorn 12 July 2019 – 14 July 2019 $25,000
• The CQUniversity Village Festival Capricorn 9 August 2019 – 11 August 2019 $25,000
• Gemfest 'Festival of Gems’ Capricorn 8 August 2019 – 11 August 2019 $40,000
• Mary Poppins Festival Fraser Coast 28 June 2019 – 7 July 2019 $10,000
• The Hervey Bay Oceans Festival Fraser Coast 10 August 2019 – 18 August 2019 $15,000
• Boyne Tannum Hookup 2019 (new) Gladstone 3 May 2019 – 5 May 2019 $20,000
• Captain Cook 1770 Festival in 2019 Gladstone 24 May 2019 – 26 May 2019 $10,000
• Cooly Rocks On Gold Coast 5 June 2019 – 9 June 2019 $50,000
• Surfers Paradise LIVE Gold Coast 2 May 2019 – 5 May 2019 $105,000
• Motorcycle Beach Races (new) Mackay 8 September 2019 $10,000
• River Sessions (new) Mackay 29 June 2019 $15,000
• Half Way There - Charleville Shindig (new) Outback Queensland 5 July 2019 – 6 July 2019 $15,000
• Boulia Camel Races Outback Queensland 19 July 2019 – 21 July 2019 $90,000
• Outback Festival Outback Queensland 24 September 2019 – 28 September 2019 $60,000
• Blackbutt Avocado Festival (new) Southern Queensland Country 14 September 2019 $10,000
• Hampton Festival (new) Southern Queensland Country 17 May 2019 – 19 May 2019 $19,800
• Historic Leyburn Sprints Southern Queensland Country 17 August 2019 – 18 August 2019 $22,000
• Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival Southern Queensland Country 18 July 2019 – 28 July 2019 $13,000
• Opera at Jimbour Southern Queensland Country 27 July 2019 $20,000
• 7 Sunshine Coast Marathon (new) Sunshine Coast 1 August 2019 – 4 August 2019 $12,000
• Goomeri Pumpkin Festival 2019 Sunshine Coast 26 May 2019 $15,000
• Horizon Festival Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast 23 August 2019 – 1 September 2019 $20,000
• Noosa Classic 2019 (new) Sunshine Coast 18 August 2019 $15,000
• Queensland Garden Expo Sunshine Coast 12 July 2019 – 14 July 2019 $120,000
• Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival (new) Townsville North Queensland 30 May 2019 – 2 June 2019 $12,500
• McDonalds Townsville Running Festival Townsville North Queensland 4 August 2019 $80,000
• Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week Townsville North Queensland 29 August 2019 – 4 September 2019 $135,000
• Townsville Triathlon Festival Townsville North Queensland 16 August 2019 – 18 August 2019 $50,000
• Cooktown Discovery Festival Tropical North Queensland 14 June 2019 – 16 June 2019 $10,000
• The Gulf Country Frontier Days Festival Tropical North Queensland 15 August 2019 – 18 August 2019 $20,000
• Tour of the Tropics (new) Tropical North Queensland 2 August 2019 – 4 August 2019 $15,000
• Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Tropical North Queensland 12 July 2019 – 14 July 2019 $280,000
• Port Douglas Carnivale 2019 Tropical North Queensland 17 May 2019 – 26 May 2019 $38,000
• Whitsunday Reef Festival The Whitsundays 1 August 2019 – 4 August 2019 $15,000
• Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sailing The Whitsundays 8 August 2019 – 15 August 2019 $150,000

Source: Tourism & Events Queensland https://teq.queensland.com/