Published Yesterday at 10:15 AM

Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation
The Honourable Andrew Powell

Delivering Destination 2045: backing Australia’s events capital

  • The Crisafulli Government is delivering for Queensland’s tourism industry with a new funding round for homegrown events.
  • First round of Homegrown  funding in 2026 supports events held from October 2026 to January 2028, including new Kickstarter funding stream.
  • The Destination 2045 strategy is securing Queensland’s reputation as the events capital of the nation after a decade of decline under Labor.

The Crisafulli Government is delivering on its vision to make Queensland the events capital of Australia, opening a new funding round to back homegrown events across the state.

The Homegrown program supports locally-born events that attract audiences from outside the region, drive overnight stays, and deliver real benefits for local communities through the state’s visitor economy.

Applications are now open for Round One 2026, including a new Destination Events Kickstarter stream which also supports promising returning events that have not been held in the past three years, helping them establish strong foundations, boost visitation, and progress toward future growth as significant showstoppers.

Through the Kickstarter stream, eligible events can access up to $25,000 per year for two years, supported by matching contributions from Local Councils or Regional Tourism Organisations to build strong local partnerships.

Supercharging the Crisafulli Government’s bold 20-year tourism plan, these new grants are set to build on the success of last year’s program which invested nearly $2 million in 40 events across Queensland, generating an estimated $213.5 million for the state’s economy.

Homegrown marks a fresh start for Queensland’s tourism industry which suffered a decade of decline under Labor, including a secret plan to gut tourism funding and deprive operators of sorely needed support.

Minister for Tourism Andrew Powell said the funding was part of the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to cement Queensland as Australia’s events capital.

“Queensland is the home of the holiday, and we’re backing the events that keep it that way,” Minister Powell said.

“These funds are about building a strong pipeline of Queensland events, from grassroots beginnings through to nationally and internationally recognised experiences as part of our Destination 2045 commitment to double the visitor economy to $84 billion a year.

“By opening Homegrown Round One for 2026 and introducing the new Kickstarter funding stream, we’re backing great local ideas earlier and helping them grow into events that attract visitors and deliver lasting economic benefits.”

Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Craig Davidson said the grants program reinforced the importance of long‑term support and strong partnerships in growing the state’s destination events.

“Homegrown continues to be a cornerstone of Queensland’s destination events strategy, supporting events that drive visitation, strengthen regional economies and build community pride,” Mr Davidson said.

“The new Destination Kickstarter Event Fund recognises that strong events don’t appear overnight, they grow over time with the right support, partnerships, and planning.

“By combining matched local investment, targeted marketing support and capability building, this new stream will help set up the next generation of visitor attracting events for long-term success.”

Applications for Homegrown Round One 2026, including the Destination Kickstarter Event Fund, are now open for eligible events to be held between October 2026 and January 2028.

Event organisers are encouraged to work closely with their Local Council and Regional Tourism Organisation and demonstrate how their event will attract visitors from outside the host region, encourage overnight stays and deliver measurable benefits to the local visitor economy.

For more information on eligibility, guidelines and how to apply, visit teq.queensland.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ruth McCosker, 0406 331 114