The Hobart City Council is set to throw $150,000 in cash behind this year’s Dark Mofo, along with more than $313,000 in in-kind support.
The cash offer falls $100,000 short of what was requested by festival organisers, while the proposal marks a significant bump in overall support compared to last year’s package.
According to council documents, handing over a quarter of a million dollars “is not supported within the current budget allocation”.
Under the proposed deal, the council would, among other perks, secure naming rights for the Winter Feast’s ‘Free Sunday’ Community Day, a popular component of the midwinter festival scheduled to run from June 5 to 15.
Dark Mofo continues to be a major economic driver for the state, pumping an estimated $54.3 million into the economy each year and contributing $51.5 million locally, according to figures presented to council.
Winter Feast stallholders alone grossed $3.2 million in 2024, down from $4.1 million in 2023 when the festival last operated at full capacity.
The 2025 edition promises a return to that scale, with plans for free public art installations around Hobart, nine nights of live music across multiple venues and the comeback of crowd-pullers like the Ogoh Ogoh parade and the iconic Nude Solstice Swim.
“The festival organisers have worked closely with council staff to deliver the event to ensure successful and proactive partnership with the city,” council officers noted in their report.
The in-kind support request of $313,110 is up $69,459 from last year, largely due to increased use of city venues and spaces.
Council staff have recommended endorsing the one-year sponsorship deal and in-kind support, while flagging a future review of its funding for Dark Mofo to help guide decisions around upcoming requests.
The recommendation will be considered at Monday’s council meeting.
The Tasmanian Government last year pledged $21.6 million to support Dark Mofo across 2025, 2026 and 2027.
