The Allan Labor Government is continuing to back Victoria's vibrant multicultural communities, with more support to host festivals and events that celebrate culture, heritage and inclusion.
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt today announced that 111 organisations will share in more than $780,000 in funding to deliver multicultural festivals and events across metropolitan and regional Victoria from 1 July to 30 September 2025.
The Multicultural Festivals and Events (MFE) Program and the Regional Multicultural Festivals and Events Fund support communities to celebrate culture and heritage in meaningful ways, while sharing the richness of Victoria's multicultural identity with the broader public.
Both programs help communities honour and share their cultural traditions, while encouraging all Victorians to come together, learn from one another and celebrate the diversity that strengthens our state.
Victorians come from more than 300 ancestries, speak 290 languages and follow almost 200 different faiths, providing our state with a rich and unique social tapestry.
Through this round of funding, the Australian Karen Organisation received $9,000 to host their Karen Wrist Tying celebration - a ceremony that involves tying white threads around the wrist to ward illness and protection from misfortune, followed by traditional dance and food.
Other recipients include the Kenya Community Victoria who received $20,000 to host their Tamaduni Festival - a two-day celebration of Kenyan culture featuring traditional food, fashion, dance and heritage.
The Ballarat Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre received $30,000 to deliver Ganesh Chaturthi 2025 - a three-day festival marking the birth of the Hindu deity Ganesh.
This round of funding supports events representing more than 40 ethnicities and 60 faith groups - highlighting the depth and diversity of Victoria's multicultural communities.
Since 2014, the Labor Government has invested more than $42 million to support close to 10,000 multicultural festivals and events across the state.
For more information and to view the full list of successful recipients, visit vic.gov.au/multicultural-festivals-and-events-program.
As stated by Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt
"Multicultural festivals are a vital part of what makes Victoria so unique - they bring people together to share culture, strengthen community and celebrate who we are."
"The Multicultural Festivals and Events and the Regional Multicultural Festivals and Events programs recognise the contribution multicultural communities make to Victoria's identity and helps keep traditions alive."
