Eligible events respond to Bondi Festival’s values of celebrating: Arts, Accessibility, Sustainability, Community, and Joy.  

Artist-led 
We love to showcase projects that have artists and creative ideas at their core.  

Accessible 
Free or affordable to attend, appealing and highly accessible to a broad variety of demographics, including families, older people and people living with disability.  

Opportunity 
Provides opportunities for our vibrant local arts community.  

Unique 
Contribuites something new and unexpected to the festival program.  

Vibe 
Aligns with Bondi Festival’s values.  

By presenting your events as part of Bondi Festival Locals, you will receive the following benefits.

For businesses

• Cultural engagement with the Waverley community and visitors.
• Engagement with existing customers and potential new customers through direct access to thousands of participants.

For artists:  

• An audience of locals and visitors excited to experience your art.  
• The opportunity to be part of an exciting and evolving local arts festival in our iconic Bondi neighbourhood. 

For everyone:   

• Event inclusion and promotion via the Bondi Festival website.
• Inclusion in the overall festival marketing, social media and publicity campaigns.
• Festival-branded digital assets to help promote your event.

I want to get involved. Now what?

1. Decide what event/s you want to present as part of the Bondi Festival Locals program
   Reach out to your network or look at what events you already have planned across the Festival dates (5-21 July 2023). Before applying, ensure you have read through all the information in the menu below, as well as the Bondi Festival Locals Terms and Conditions.
2. Submit events via the Bondi Festival Locals EOI
   Click here to begin your registration. You have until 18 May. 
3. Confirmation of events from Bondi Festival
   Once Bondi Festival confirms your participation in Bondi Festival Local, a written agreement will be created between the Festival and your organization outlining the responsibilities of both parties.
4. Market your event (once the Festival has launched!)
   Bondi Festival will be in touch in the lead-up to all events going on sale, to ensure that you have everything ready to go on sale. During this time, Bondi Festival will provide you with Brand Guidelines and you should also work with your team to create a marketing plan and promote your events once tickets are on sale.
5. Delivery of your Bondi Festival Locals events
   The fun part! Now is the time to deliver your event, ensuring you’ve covered not only the creative side of things, but things like venue set up, front of house management and risk management.
6. Post-Festival reporting
   After the Festival you will be required to report final attendance figures, as well as answer some evaluative questions about your events.

If you need any assistance in registering your event EOI, or have any questions related to the program, please contact bondifestival@waverley.nsw.gov.au

APPLY NOW

What does it cost to be part of the Bondi Festival Locals program?

It costs absolutely nothing to be part of the Bondi Festival Locals program. You are in control of what your business or group contributes to the event.

If I sign up to the program, will you program artists into my business/venue?

Bondi Festival will not be able to program artists for you, however we can put you in contact with artists who have expressed interest in presenting a Bondi Festival Locals event.

I am a local organisation but don’t have a venue in which to present my event. Will Bondi Festival help me arrange a venue?

Bondi Festival will not be able to arrange a venue for you, however we can put you in contact with local businesses who may be willing to present your Bondi Festival Locals event.

I do not want to program an event, can my business provide a special offer instead?

Yes! You can provide a special offer to Bondi Festival-goers and have it included as part of our Bondi Festival Finds program.

Do Bondi Festival Locals events have to give a cut of the ticket sales to Bondi Festival?

No! You retain all your own ticket sales.

Will Bondi Festival help me organise ticketing to the event?

It is the responsibility of the event venue/organisers to arrange ticketing for Bondi Festival Local events. Think about how you price your event – one of Bondi Festival’s key values is accessibility, so we recommend keeping your events free or affordable.

It’s important to consider what ticket types you may want to make available, e.g. Standard (full price), Concession (discounted for concession card holders), Kids (12 and under), Family (e.g. 2 adults and 2 children OR 1 adult and 3 children), Groups (e.g. 6+), Dinner and a Show (package deals). Whatever you choose, ensure you build them all into your ticketing system and include all categories in your application.

There are a number of free or low cost online ticketing platforms you could use, such as Humanitix and Eventbrite.

Will Bondi Festival provide marketing and PR for Bondi Festival Locals events?

Bondi Festival delivers a comprehensive marketing campaign that promotes the festival as a whole and drives audiences to the festival website to stimulate event sales. Simply by being part of the Bondi Festival Local program, your event benefits from this campaign that reaches a broad and eager audience.

It is your responsibility to market your own event. From social media to print marketing, it is important you take the time to plan and understand the important marketing efforts that are required for your Bondi Festival Local event.

Before tickets to Bondi Festival go on sale, you will be provided with Bondi Festival brand guidelines and a marketing toolkit which will equip you with everything you need know about how to include festival branding when marketing your event.

Will Bondi Festival staff be available to help me deliver my event?

Bondi Festival staff will be at hand to assist with any queries that you have throughout the process, however they will not be available to assist in the delivery of your event. Please ensure you have the appropriate staff on board to deliver your event.

Can my regular (weekly/monthly) event be included in the Bondi Festival Locals program?

If your regular event aligns with the Bondi Festival values – and you can give it a specific Bondi Festival ‘twist’ – then please apply!

Will Bondi Festival help me acquire licenses, permits and/or insurance?

Organising licenses, permits and insurance is the responsibility of the event holder.

Be sure to check what licensing you require for your event and/or performers. From music licenses to Working with Children checks, it is important to have these arranged prior to your event. Consider what insurances you might need, and you must also ensure your venue has relevant Public Liability insurance in place.

Will Bondi Festival pay the artists/performers?

It is the responsibility of the event organiser to determine how artists will be paid. You could negotiate a flat fee, a share of ticket sales, or a combination. Bondi Festival recommends that no artist work for free.

Can I talk to someone before I submit my EOI?

Of course! There will be an online information session at 6pm on Tuesday 6 May and you can reach out to us via email at bondifestival@waverley.nsw.gov.au

When will I know if my event has been accepted into Bondi Festival Locals?

You will be notified by late May if your EOI has been successful.