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What’s in the City of Melbourne’s draft Budget 2025-26 for the arts?

Firelight Festival and Now or Never will both return this year, plus investments in Melbourne Fashion Week and Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

14 May 2025 16:11

Celina Lei

Entrance to an outdoor festival at night with fire on both sides of a large signage with the words ‘FIRELIGHT’.

All Arts

Firelight Festival returns. Photo: Supplied.

City of Melbourne has released its draft Budget 2025-26 with investment into major arts and cultural events, including Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and funding for the return of both Firelight Festival and Now or Never in 2025.

A total of $26 million will go towards delivering more than 80 events, from New Year’s Eve to sporting shows and food festivals. Melbourne International Comedy Festival will be backed with $130,000 for its 40th anniversary.

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Celina Lei

Celina Lei is ArtsHub's Content Manager. She has previously worked across global art hubs in Beijing, Hong Kong and New York in both the commercial art sector and art criticism. She took part in drafting NAVA’s revised Code of Practice - Art Fairs and was the project manager of ArtsHub’s diverse writers initiative, Amplify Collective. Celina is based in Naarm/Melbourne. Instagram @lleizy_