Culture Mix returns 2024

It’s official… Wollongong City Council’s contemporary multicultural festival, Culture Mix, is returning for 2024! The festival will be held on Saturday 19 October in the Wollongong CBD, so now’s the time to save the date and spread the word.

Culture Mix first arrived in the City of Wollongong in 2023. The festival was a free, inclusive community event that showcased and celebrated the city’s vibrant and diverse culture through a love of food, music, dance, art and workshops.

Check out the video highlights from last year’s event…

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said that one of the best parts of the festival was its strong, community focus.

“Culture Mix was a festival made by the community for our community. At its heart it was a festival that celebrated the diversity of our city and the many people and cultures who call Wollongong home. An estimated twelve thousand people ventured into the city to join the fun,” Cr Bradbery said.

“We weren’t sure what to expect, as it was our first Culture Mix festival. So, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of people who made their way into the Wollongong CBD to check out the event.

“Last year’s event saw more than 120 activities across eight hours of programming— everything from interactive dance performances to cooking and art demonstrations and a Korean Haenyeo Show.

“2024 will be our second year bringing Culture Mix to Wollongong. Once again, we’re looking for people, community groups and businesses to get involved and help us design a unique and locally focused event that everyone can enjoy.”

New South Wales Minister for Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper MP said:

“The NSW Government is proud to be supporting Wollongong Council bring people together to showcase and celebrate the many beautiful cultures that enrich the region.”

“The Culture Mix festival is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate respect for the unique differences that make up the tapestry of cultures in NSW.”

“These festivals help us to build stronger, more inclusive communities, where everyone belongs and feels welcome.”

“I’m excited to invite everyone in the community to participate in this year’s Culture Mix Festival – an amazing event not to be missed in 2024!”

There are many ways to get involved

What makes this event so great is working closely with local communities, artists and organisations.

Apply for a grant

Would you like to make, create, or perform something new for this year’s Culture Mix festival? We’re looking for multicultural community members, groups and organisations who have a great idea they’d like to develop for the festival.

Grants of up to $2000 (ex GST) per project are now open. Applications close 5pm 31 March 2024.

Find out more.

Register your interest

If you're interested in being involved by presenting a performance or workshop, and your idea doesn’t need development funding to make happen, you can register your interest here.

Food and cultural stallholder EOIs

We will be calling for stallholders to apply in the coming months. For now, keep an eye on the Culture Mix website.

“This year, we’re building on what we learnt from 2023 to make Culture Mix even better. Right now, we’re calling for EOIs from community members who want to be part of the event in some capacity, whether that’s through dancing, music, art, craft or something else,” Cr Bradbery said.

“We were blown away by the creative and cultural activities, workshops and stalls that made Culture Mix an amazing experience for our community. This year’s event will build on everything we learnt from last year and will hopefully see more community members get involved in the event planning and delivery.

“For the rest of our community, lock Saturday 19 October 2024 into your diaries, write it into your phone or on your calendar and start spreading the word to your family and friends. Culture Mix is a one-of-a-kind festival that truly speaks to who we are as a community. This is not an event to miss, and we look forward to celebrating with you later this year.”

Supported by the NSW Government.

Check out our Facebook event page for Culture Mix updates.

#CultureMixWollongong

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