Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase has declared that no matter what the time of year, It's Always ON! in Sydney and Regional NSW with a massive line up of events, making NSW the place to visit.

In 2013, major events generated in excess of $468 million for the NSW economy and saw NSW named as the Best Event State in Australia.

“Sydney continues to shine as Australia's global events city with international sports events, Australian and world premiere productions, and the return of much-loved annual festivals such as Vivid Sydney – an 18 day festival of light, music and ideas and the largest of its kind in the Southern hemisphere,” Ms Chipchase said.

“Some 'only in Sydney' event highlights in just the first three months of 2014 include: the Australian Open of Surfing at Manly, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Opera on Sydney Harbour with Madama Butterfly, the Opening Series of Major League Baseball, Australia's richest horse racing carnival, The Championships, the Sydney International Rowing Regatta and Baz Luhrmann's world premiere of Strictly Ballroom the Musical.

“Regional NSW has also hosted some fantastic major events including Surfest in Newcastle, the Commercial Club Albury Gold Cup Carnival, Coates Hire Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour, Ironman Australia Port Macquarie, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Deni Blues & Roots Festival, and the Hobie 16 World Championships sailing event in Jervis Bay.

“Destination NSW also supports many unique and quirky regional events including the Parkes Elvis Festival, Canowindra Balloon Challenge, the Deni Ute Muster, Junee Rhythm and Rail Festival, Narooma Oyster Festival, Woolgoolga Curryfest, Eden Whale Festival and Dubbo Stampede, to name a few.

“The massive line-up of events both in the city and the bush confirms our position as Australia's global events city. Since January 2011, NSW has secured 278 events, including 169 major events that will deliver more than $1.3 billion in visitor spend.

“These events not only provide people living in Sydney and NSW with fantastic sporting and cultural experiences, but they also attract visitors to NSW from interstate and overseas, driving the creation of jobs and contributing significantly to economic activity in NSW.

“Over 95,000 businesses in NSW are directly involved in tourism, employing 158,000 people. Last year, NSW welcomed more than 80 million visitors to the State, injecting $27.7 billion in visitor expenditure to the economy. Events play a major role in helping us achieve this.

“The NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, will continue to work hard to ensure that this State remains the Best Event State in Australia.”

Details of Sydney and Regional NSW events are attached 

Media contact: Jasmine Cook 0427 639 134

SYDNEY EVENTS

• The Lion King, Until 29 June, Capitol Theatre
• Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom the Musical, Until 29 June, Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star
• Vivid Sydney, 23 May – 9 June, Sydney Harbour Foreshore
• Farewell Socceroos Match – Australia v South Africa, 26 May, ANZ Stadium
• Sydney Film Festival, 4 -15 June, Various venues across Sydney
• State of Origin II – NSW v QLD, 18 June, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
• 2014 Australian Badminton Open, 24 -29 June, State Sports Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
• Archibald Prize Exhibition, 19 July – 28 September, Art Gallery of New South Wales
• Foxtel Juventus v A–League All Stars, 10 August, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
• Helpmann Awards, Sydney Opera House, 18 August
• V8 Sydney Motorsport Park Supercar Race Weekend, 22-24 August, Sydney Motorsport Park
• Bingham Cup Sydney 2014, 24 -31 August, various Venues
• The Bledisloe Cup Festival, 11-16 August, various venues across Sydney
• The Bledisloe Cup – Aust v NZ, 16 August, ANZ Stadium
• Australian Garden Show Sydney, 4-7 September, Centennial Parklands
• Art & About Sydney, 19 September – 19 October, various venues
• Blackmores Sydney Running Festival, 21 September, Milsons Point, Sydney
• 2014 Australian University Games, 28 September – 3 October, various venues 
• NRL Grand Final, 5 October, ANZ Stadium, Sydney
• Sculpture by the Sea, 23 October – 9 November, Bondi to Tamarama Coastal Walk
• Rob Guest Endowment Gala Concert 2014, October (TBC), Capitol Theatre
• Parramasala, October (TBC), Parramatta
• Sydney International Art Series: Pop to Popism, 1 November, 2014 – 1 March, 2015, Art Gallery of NSW
• Communicating Museum Conference, 4-11 November, Powerhouse Museum
• Corroboree Sydney, November (TBC), various venues
• Sydney International Art Series - Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration, 20 November – 8 March, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
• 28th Annual ARIA Awards, November (TBC)
• 70.3 Ironman Western Sydney, 30 November, Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith
• V8 Supercars Sydney 500, 5-7 December, Sydney Olympic Park
• Emirates Australian Open of Golf, December (TBC), The Australian Golf Club
• Tropfest, December (TBC), Centennial Parklands, Sydney
• 2014 Sydney New Year's Eve, 31 December, Sydney Harbour
• 2015 AFC Asian Cup, 9-31 January, Sydney
• ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, 27 February to 26 March, Sydney Cricket Ground
• Netball World Cup 2015, 7-16 August, Sydney Olympic Park
• Matilda, The Musical, From August 2015, Sydney Lyric Theatre

REGIONAL NSW EVENTS

• Battle on the Border, 15-18 May, Tweed
• Emirates Park Scone Cup Carnival, 16-17 May, Scone Race Club
• Batlow Cider Fest, 16-17 May, Batlow
• Eurobodalla River of Art, 16 – 25 May, Durras Lake, Tilba Tilba
• Port to Port Mountain Biking, 29 May – 1 June, Port Stephens, Newcastle and Hunter
• 2014 National Cutting Horse Association Futurity, 29 May – 8 June, Tamworth
• Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month, 1-30 June, Hunter Valley
• Perisher Snowy Mountains of Music Festival, 6-9 June, Perisher Valley
• Shoalhaven Coast Winter Wine Festival, 7-9 June, Various locations including Kiama and Shoalhaven
• Coonamble Rodeo and Campdraft, 7 – 9 June, Coonamble
• 5 Lands Walk, 21 June, Central Coast
• Eastern University Games, 6-10 July, Newcastle
• Opera at the Channon, 27 July, Lismore
• Fireside Festival, 1-31 August, The Poachers Way (Yass Valley)
• Australian Surf Festival, 2-19 August, Coffs Harbour
• Bangalow Festival, 14-17 August, Bangalow
• Helpmann Awards, 18 August, Sydney Opera House
• Dungog Festival, 28-31 August, Dungog
• Sample Food Festival, 6 September, Bangalow
• Coffs Harbour Running Festival, 7 September, Coffs Harbour
•  Dubbo Stampede, 7 September, Dubbo
• Coates Hire Rally Australia, 11-14 September, Coffs Harbour
• Daffodils at Rydal 2014, 13-14 & 20-21 September, Rydal
• Tulip Time Festival, 16-28 September, Corbett Gardens, Bowral
• WUPA @ Wanaruah, 21 September-31 October, Hunter Valley
• Great Southern Blues Festival, 2-5 October, Narooma
• Deniliquin Ute Muster, 3 -4 October, Deniliquin
• Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, 9-12 October, Mount Panorama, Bathurst
• Spirit of the Land Lockhart Festival, 11-12 October, Lockhart
• Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie, 19 October, Port Macquarie
• Byron Bay Surf Festival, 23-26 October, Byron Bay
• Orange Wine Week, 23 October – 2 November, Orange & surrounding regions
• CoastOut Festival, 24-26 October, Park Beach, Coffs Harbour
• Chromefest, 24 – 26 October, The Entrance
• Eden Whale Festival, 25 October – 2 November, Eden
• Tastes of the Bay Festival, 31 October – 2 November, Port Stephens
• Carcoar Cup Running Festival, 1-2 November, Carcoar
• Sculptures in the Vineyards, 1-30 November, Wollombi
• Mullum Music Festival, 20-23 November, Mullumbimby
• Sculpture in the Vineyards, November (TBC), Wollombi, Hunter Valley
• International Children's Games, 6 -11 December, Lake Macquarie
• 2015 AFC Asian Cup,  9-31 January, 2015, Newcastle