The City of Onkaparinga is seeking iconic and major festivals and events that showcase South Australia’s premier wine and coastal tourism region, with up to $30,000 available to event professionals through a new Destination Activation grant.

Applications for the event attraction grant are now open, with priority given to:

Winter, off-peak and nighttime events that attract more than 1,000 attendees.

• Events that encourage overnight stays in commercial accommodation and boost visitor spending in the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast.
• Events that market their event and the destination to encourage visitors to further explore the region.
• Events must occur in 2026, and the council’s Economic Growth and Tourism team will provide support to successful applicants including council navigation, marketing expertise and connections to local suppliers and businesses.

City of Onkaparinga Senior Tourism Advisor Viv Collins encourages event professionals to apply.

“We recognise the importance of events to attract people to the city, creating a vibrant destination and generating visitor spend,” she says.

“We’re seeking to invest in iconic and major events that can attract both South Australian and interstate visitors; with the ability to generate state, and even national, media coverage, delivering significant direct economic benefits to the region.

“We understand how challenging it can be to deliver events. We want to work with event professionals and build relationships and value in the Destination Activation grant beyond financial contributions.

“This will help events become more self-sustaining and instil confidence to continually evolve to attract new audiences.”

Event organisers must commit to contributing a minimum of 50 per cent towards the total event cost, which may comprise cash, ticket sales, sponsorships or in-kind support (e.g. materials).

A pre-application discussion is required to outline the proposed event, and applications are open until funds are exhausted.

Further application information is available by visiting the City of Onkaparinga website.