In a year when some big name and or big city events were cancelled due to skyrocketing insurance and operational overhead costs, local festivals in regional central west communities continue to thrive, driving tourism and generating significant economic benefits.

Byron Bay lost its iconic Bluesfest just weeks before it was to be held earlier this year; Birdsville's Big Red Bash – billed as Australia's most remote festival – was cancelled, South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney (launched in 2023) was also canned, and more recently, the "hypersonic" dance music festival planned for Sydney and Melbourne was also axed.

Communities in central west NSW have been more successful at retaining their local events, however, able to tap into a pipeline of State Government funding over the past couple of years designed to support councils to carry out street closures for special occasions.

Narromine's Dolly Parton Festival and Gilgandra's Goin' To Gil Weekend/Under The Gums event both received support from their respective shire councils through the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program. The grants helped both regional councils significantly support their local events which in turn have driven economic growth and tourism in their respective areas.

Narromine mayor Cr Lachlan Roberts stressed the importance of this particular grant program to the town's local country music festival, which recently celebrated its fifth outing on October 10.

"The NSW Government’s Open Streets Program has played an important role in making the event possible, supporting an initiative that brings people together, activates our town centre and creates opportunities for local businesses and the wider community," Cr Roberts said.

The day-night festival attracted large crowds to Narromine, with the ticketed evening music festival at Cale Oval welcoming 1900 attendees, and visitors travelling from across NSW, Queensland, the ACT and beyond.

“The attendance at this year’s festival is a wonderful endorsement of its growing appeal. Welcoming visitors from across NSW and beyond creates a real sense of occasion, showcases the best of our community and provides a valuable boost to our local economy,” Cr Roberts commented.

The festival also brought broader economic benefits to the region, with all available accommodation booked out, bricks and mortar businesses enjoying good trade, and clubs and pubs reporting solid trade.

In late October, Gilgandra Shire Council published statistics around its successful three-day event, which ran from September 25-27. The evening Under The Gums concert sold 2203 tickets, 353 Level Up (VIP) tickets which the council declared to be "sold out", and 469 children's tickets. Just over half of the attendees were from the local area (54 per cent), while 46 per cent were from outside the region, council reported.

Gilgandra also published statistics around individual events held across the Goin' To Gil Weekend featuring events locally but also in the villages of Armatree and Tooraweenah. Some 274 registrations were received across the weekend events.

Gilgandra mayor Cr Nick White, reflecting on the success of the weekend, acknowledged the collective effort behind the weekend's success.

“An enormous amount of work happens behind the scenes to deliver events like these, and it's a real testament to the dedication and community spirit of everyone involved," he said.

"What a fantastic weekend for Gilgandra! It was wonderful to see our communities come together and welcome visitors from across the region and beyond," Cr White added.

Neil Alchin, Gilgandra Shire's Economic Development Manager, highlighted the positive outcomes for local businesses and the broader region.

“Events like Goin’ to Gil and Under the Gums are about much more than a great weekend of entertainment. They bring visitors into our region, support local businesses and showcase everything Gilgandra has to offer," he said.

“With 46 per cent of Under the Gums ticket sales coming from outside the region, it's encouraging to see the festival continuing to attract new audiences. We're looking

forward to building on this momentum and working with our local businesses and community groups to make future events even better.”