Council awards grant to cultural festival
Date published: 7 August 2025
A cultural festival recently recognised as being the state’s best event by the Queensland Premier has received a $25,000 grant at this week’s Townsville City Council Ordinary Meeting.
India Fest attracts more than 25,000 attendees annually and celebrates Indian heritage through music, dance, cuisine, crafts, yoga, fashion and culinary lessons.
Council this week voted to support the one-day event with a $25,000 community grant, including $16,977 cash, $2,223 in venue hire fee waivers and $5,800 in venue staffing hard costs.
Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said Council was proud to support one of Townsville’s most-loved events.
“India Fest has been a staple of our community’s calendar for the past 10 years and it’s great to be able to throw our support behind the eleventh year of the event at Riverway this month,” Cr Greaney said.
“Council is always proud to support community events and it’s great to see a wide pool of applicants being able to apply and benefit from the funds available through Council’s Community Grants and Partnership program.”
India Fest secretary Nick Attam said he and the festival committee were thrilled to have Council’s backing for another year.
“India Fest Townsville has grown into one of Queensland’s most vibrant multicultural celebrations, and this support from Townsville City Council allows us to continue showcasing the rich cultural heritage of India to our community. This year’s theme is ‘Festivals of India’and will bring all the colours, flavours, and vibrancy of India to Townsville, sharing our culture with the wider community in a truly festive way,” Mr Attam said.
“We are introducing exciting new elements this year, including a quiet time performance session during the afternoon specially curated for aged care residents and seniors, a thrift shop for pre-loved high-quality Indian wear with proceeds donated to the Townsville Women’s Centre, and a student volunteer program in partnership with local schools to help raise funds for their school communities. This grant helps us bring even more colour, culture and community connection to Riverway in 2025.”
India Fest will be held from 10am to 9pm on Saturday August 23 at Riverway.
Community grants were also awarded for the Australian Blackball Championships, for a total of $5000, and for the Townsville Dragon Boat Club Regatta Series, for a total of $2912.99.
For more information on Council’s Community Grants and Partnership program, visit Council’s Grants and Partnerships page.
