How to apply and participate with grant support
The National Multicultural Festival is proud to support community-led performances that celebrate cultural diversity, inclusion, and artistic expression. Through the National Multicultural Festival Grant Program, funding is available to help cover costs such as materials, transport, costumes, equipment, and rehearsal support. Travel and Public Liability Insurance grants are also available through the Grant Program.
This opportunity is ideal for community organisations or individuals who want to participate but need financial assistance to bring their performance to life. The grant program helps ensure that all communities have a platform to share their customs, traditions, and creativity—through music, dance, language, food, workshops, and cultural displays.
If you are applying for grant funding, please only complete the grant application. You are not required to submit an additional performer application
Performance categories
Stage performance
Showcase your talent on one of our festival stages. From music, bands, and choirs to dance, spoken word, roving performances, and ceremonies—this is your chance to captivate a live audience and celebrate culture through performance.
Community workshop
Engage festival-goers in hands-on cultural experiences. Lead an interactive session sharing your skills or traditions in arts and crafts, music, singing, dance, spoken word, drama, theatre, cultural demonstrations, yoga, martial arts, or meditation.
Cooking demonstration
Share your culture through food on our dedicated cooking stage. Whether you're a professional chef or a passionate home cook, showcase a signature dish, demonstrate traditional techniques, and tell the story behind your cuisine.
Parade participation
Join one of the festival’s most vibrant highlights. The Saturday parade winds through the festival with colour, music, and dance. Represent your community or culture and delight the crowd with costumes, movement, and joyful energy.
Cultural showcase
A cultural showcase is a curated stage segment featuring performances united by a shared culture, country, or theme—such as poetry, pop culture, or traditional arts. These segments celebrate cultural expression within a set time on stage.
Grant guidelines
Before applying, take a moment to review the grant guidelines. They cover everything you need to know—from how to apply and key dates, to funding categories, fees, responsibilities, and how applications are assessed. You’ll also find information on support available to help you participate.
Tips for applying
1. Prepare a complete and clear application
- Ensure your application includes all required performance and contact details.
- Clearly describe your act and its cultural significance.
- Provide promotional materials to help showcase your performance.
- Confirm your availability across the festival dates.
- Be clear about your technical needs and list any equipment, sound, lighting or staging requirements.
2. Align with festival values
- The festival is family-friendly, so all content must be suitable for general audiences. Performances will be assessed using Australian Classification ratings to ensure appropriate scheduling and content.
- Your performance should reflect and support the festival’s values of collaboration, diversity, inclusion and respect, and spirit of celebration.
3. Be authentic and engaging
- Share your personal or cultural story—audiences love to connect with performers on a deeper level.
- Highlight how your performance contributes to cultural exchange and community pride.
4. Apply early and ask for help
- Submit your application well before the deadline to ensure consideration.
- If you're unfamiliar with the process or need assistance (e.g. translation, tech support), reach out to the festival team—help is available.
5. Promote your involvement
- Once accepted, share your participation on social media and community channels.
- Use official hashtags and tag the festival to help build excitement and visibility.
Need help?
Applying to be part of the 2026 National Multicultural Festival should be exciting, not overwhelming. We're here to support you every step of the way.
Join one of our upcoming information sessions to get practical advice on how to apply, details on grant funding, and a chance to ask questions directly to the festival team.