Multicultural Festivals and Events Program
- Status:
- Closed
- Who can apply:
- Not-for-profit groups
- Funding:
- $5,000 - $50,000
About the program
The program funds community organisations to hold cultural festivals and events for Victorians.
There are two key objectives:
- to help Victorians celebrate and preserve cultures, and share traditions
- to encourage all Victorians to take part in cultural events and develop understanding and respect for different cultures.
Funding available
The program offers grants of up to $50,000 to support activities that promote and foster social cohesion.
Over $1 million will be available through the Regional Multicultural Festivals and Events Fund. This fund supports multicultural community organisations to deliver events across regional Victoria.
There are 3 funding streams:
2026–27 Round 2 Timelines
- Applications opened Friday 31 July 2026.
- Applications closed Monday 31 August 2026 at 3:00 pm.
- The department will publish successful outcomes and notify applicants in:
- December 2026 - for January to March 2027 events
- February 2027 - for April to June 2027 events.
Program guidelines
Guidelines
- 2026-27 MFE Program Frequently asked questions(opens in a new window)Word 454.72 KB2026-27 Multicultural Festivals and Events Program - Application Form Guidance(opens in a new window)Word 736.79 KB2026-27 Multicultural Festivals and Events Program - Project plan template(opens in a new window)Word 118.44 KB2026-27 Multicultural Festivals and Events Program - Total Event Budget template(opens in a new window)Word 181.72 KB2026-27 MFE Program Assessment Criteria Common Issues and Example Responses(opens in a new window)Word 493.81 KB
The department has created a prioritised list of new and emerging priority communities. New and emerging priority communities are groups of people from humanitarian backgrounds or communities who are more likely to have higher needs.
Many of the listed communities have recently been or are currently part of Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Programs. The list comprises both countries of origin and specific ethnicities.
Organisations who are from these prioritised new and emerging communities will be eligible for reduced requirements under the 2026-27 MFE program. For more information on the reduced requirements see the Funding stream eligibility section in the program guidelines.
Priority list by country of origin or ethnicity:
- Afghanistan
- Assyrian
- Burundi
- Chaldean
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Hazara
- Iran
- Iraq
- Kenya
- Kurds
- Liberia
- Myanmar
- Palestine
- Papua New Guinea (PNG)
- Pashtuns
- Pasifika communities
- Republic of Congo
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajiks
- the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Timor Leste
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbeks
- Yemen.
In the application form, the applicant organisation will be asked which community from the priority list their membership identifies with.
Organisations that do not align with the countries or ethnicities on the priority list are not eligible as a new and emerging community. Their application will not be assessed under these criteria.
The ‘new and emerging priority community’ criteria refers only to the countries and ethnicities listed on our priority list. A newly formed organisation is not eligible for the reduced application requirements unless they identify with one of the countries or ethnicities on the priority list above.
Organisations that have been successful in previous grant rounds
2025–26
Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2025-26 successful recipients - Round 1, Tranche 1(opens in a new window)Word 455.71 KBMulticultural Festivals and Events Program 2025-26 successful recipients - Round 1, Tranche 2(opens in a new window)Word 545.94 KBMulticultural Festivals and Events program 2025-26 successful recipients - Round 2, Tranche 1(opens in a new window)Word 518.47 KBMulticultural Festivals and Events Program 2025-26 Successful Recipients - Round 2, Tranche 2(opens in a new window)Word 306.4 KB2024–25
Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2024-25 Round 1(opens in a new window)Word 206.85 KBMulticultral Festival and Events Program 2024-25 Round 2 Tranche 1(opens in a new window)Word 459.69 KBMulticultral Festival and Events Program 2024-25 Round 2 Tranche 2(opens in a new window)Word 541.74 KB2023–24
Successful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2023-24 Round 1(opens in a new window)Word 306.67 KBSuccessful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2023-24 Round 2(opens in a new window)Word 132.84 KB2022–23
Successful recipients - 2022-23 Multicultural Festivals and Events Program Round 2 tranche 2(opens in a new window)Word 185.4 KBSuccessful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2022-23 Round 2(opens in a new window)Word 281.12 KBSuccessful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2022-23 Round 1(opens in a new window)Word 125.69 KB2021–22
Successful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events program 2021-22 Round 2(opens in a new window)PDF 305.01 KBSuccessful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2021-22 Round 1(opens in a new window)PDF 260.85 KB2020–21
Successful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2020-21 Round 2(opens in a new window)PDF 223.15 KBSuccessful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2020-21 Digital Round 1(opens in a new window)PDF 101.09 KB2019–20
Successful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festivals and Events Program 2019-2020 Round 2(opens in a new window)PDF 147.42 KBSuccessful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festival and Events Program 2019-20(opens in a new window)PDF 268.63 KB2018–19
Successful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festival and Events Program 2018-19(opens in a new window)PDF 378.1 KB2017–18
Successful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festival and Events Program 2017-18(opens in a new window)PDF 396.07 KB2016–17
Successful Grant Recipients - Multicultural Festival and Events Program 2016-17(opens in a new window)PDF 222.45 KB
Updated