Thursday, 9 July 2026
Armidale’s Big Chill Festival has been a resounding success since its inception, and the annual event has received another welcome boost with a grant to host next year’s festival.
Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan said the $20,000 in funding was secured through Destination NSW’s Regional Event Fund.
“The Big Chill Festival has had a huge impact on the Armidale community since the first event was held in 2021,” Mr Moylan said.
“Each year it has brought huge numbers of people to town and the wider community benefits through local expenditure.
“The incoming funding ensures Armidale Regional Council can continue to deliver this fantastic event to the region.”
Armidale Regional Council mayor Sam Coupland said the festival puts the town on the map and the funding will help support event delivery, promotion and programming.
“The Big Chill Festival continues to deliver huge benefits to the Armidale community with ticket sales increasing every year and millions of dollars of coming into the local economy,” he said.
“This year, festival attendees travelled from every state across Australia with more than half of all ticket sales purchased by visitors from outside the region.
“This shows the demand for high-quality regional events, and it is excellent to receive funding to help grow the festival again in 2027.”
MEDIA: Electorate Office 6772 5552
Photo caption: Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan and Armidale Regional Council mayor Sam Coupland were pleased to receive funding for the Big Chill Festival.