Economic Impact of the Sydney Fringe Festival

Economic impact of the Sydney Fringe festival

The Sydney Fringe Festival engaged Hawkridge Entertainment Services to calculate the economic impact of the Sydney Fringe Festival in 2022.

Each year the impact of the Sydney Fringe Festival is measured through surveys and an
economic impact assessment. This report also discusses the benefits and value of the Artists and
assesses their economic impact. Further the report then looks at the non-use benefits of the
Festival including Option, Bequest and Existence value. In particular, the 2022 report presented:

  • Estimates of total (gross) and created (net) expenditure in Sydney supported by the
    Sydney Fringe Festival for 2022 (consistent with the analysis performed for 2019 and
    previous years).
  • Estimates the total Artist impacts for the Sydney Fringe Festival for 2022
  • Outlines the potential social benefits supported by the Sydney Fringe Festival outside of
    direct expenditure and tourism benefits.
  • Reviews the Option, Bequest and Existence value of the Sydney Fringe Festival for
    2022.
Economic impact of the Sydney Fringe Festival

The Festival

The Sydney Fringe Festival is the largest independent arts festival in New South Wales with over 450 events presented in over 84 venues across Greater Sydney each year. Each September culture creators from all over the city join forces with the Festival to share Sydney’s stories presenting new work from all genres. Outside of festival time the organisation activates unused space creating new cultural infrastructure and precincts.

The Sydney Fringe is an open access arts festival, the largest independent arts festival in NSW. Open Access means that anyone can put on a show as part of the festival in September. There is no selection process and the main festival program is not programmed or curated.

Key benefits of the Festival

The key benefits of the Festival are as follows:

  • NEW WORK AND EXPERIENCES – The Sydney Fringe is a great platform to try out new or experimental work or work in development.
  • NEW ARTISTS – The Sydney Fringe is constantly attracting new artists from a variety of backgrounds, mediums and skills.
  • MULTI ART FORMS – The Fringe is genre fluid and a platform for all artforms. Artists work with a variety of genres as well as gain access to artists and audiences from the full spectrum of artforms and mediums.
  • OPEN ACCESS – The Sydney Fringe are open access, which means the Festival is not curated, so if an Artist can put on a show, the Fringe will put it in the program.
  • EVER-EXPANDING AND GROWING – Once a small humble festival in the Inner West of Sydney now spans 23 postcodes across Sydney’s North, East, South and West.
  • NEW AUDIENCES – The Fringe has an audience of tens of thousands of Sydney siders that visit every year looking for new work and new experiences.
  • ACTIVATING SPACE – The Fringe works all year round to find and activate new, under-used and unused space throughout Sydney.
  • BRAND VALUE AND REACH – In 2019 the campaign reached 39 million people, and almost 70,000 people attended events.
  • CAREER PATHWAYS/DEVELOPMENT – The Fringe provides the opportunity for Artists to set goals, push themselves with new deadlines, and get in front of local, interstate and international industry.
  • MORE THAN JUST A FESTIVAL – The Fringe are committed to year-round advocacy work to grow and strengthen the culture and night life of our city.

Economic Impact

Comparative economic impact Economic modelling found that in 2022, based on a similar methodology to previous years (2018/19), the Sydney Fringe Festival contributed a positive economic impact of $22,662,979.
Economic modelling in the report found that in 2022 dollars, the total economic impact of the Sydney Fringe Festival including Artist impacts and non-use benefits offered a positive economic impact of $36,331,198.

Economic Impact of the Sydney Fringe Festival 2022

Our work

Hawkridge Entertainment Services delivers successful outcomes by finding solutions to complex issues. We listen to stakeholders and complete tasks in the timeframes required.

Hawkridge Entertainment Services provides a range of services for organisations including strategic analysis, feasibility development and business case writing. Some of our recent projects are:

Hawkridge Entertainment Services are prequalified suppliers under the LGA arrangement to provide purchasers in Queensland, Northern Territory (LB310) and Tasmania (LB309) with easy access to business, finance and organisational management services by providing effective and streamlined procurement services. Purchasers will have an optimal choice of service providers who have a strong regional presence thereby promoting the development of competitive local business and industry, whilst providing commercially robust rates and terms and conditions of contract. 

The range of services offered under this arrangement are indicative of, but not limited to:

  • Accounting & Financial Services
  • Change Management
  • Corporate Governance, Assurance & Risk Management
  • Data Analytics
  • Economics
  • Marketing & Public Relations
  • Strategic & Organisational Planning Services

In addition, Hawkridge Entertainment Services are prequalified with NSW State Government for the provision of the following services:
Government and Business Strategy

  • Strategy Development and Planning
  • Strategic Business Case
  • Business Performance Reviews
  • Business Intelligence
  • Cost Management
  • Governance
  • Policy Review / Development

Business Processes

  • Business Process Mapping / Re-engineering

Event Management Services

Financial Management and Consulting Service

Other similar projects completed by Hawkridge Entertainment Services are available here.