Everything you need to know to apply and participate
Whether you're an emerging talent or a seasoned performer, there's a place for you at the National Multicultural Festival. We welcome applications from a wide range of genres, including music, dance, song, spoken word, performance art, roving performers, and ceremonial presentations.
This opportunity is ideal for individuals, groups, or organisations who are self-funded or supported by other means. Whether you're a community group, a professional artist, or a passionate volunteer, we invite you to be part of this vibrant, family-friendly celebration of culture, creativity, and connection. The festival embraces diversity and inclusion, encouraging participation from all cultural backgrounds, artistic traditions, and identities.
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.
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.
Looking for grant support?
If you're seeking grant support to help bring your cultural performance or activity to life, we’re here to help. Discover funding opportunities and resources to support your participation.