Parramatta Lanes festival boosts local economy $1.5m

Parramatta Lanes festival boosts local economy $1.5m

Parramatta Lanes is an annual food and culture festival held in the heart of Parramatta, by City of Parramatta Council. The free festival takes place over four days with multiple stages and features an eclectic mix of food, music, art, and entertainment (Eats, Beats & Art).

The 2023 Parramatta Lanes festival took place between 11-14 October 2023, bringing over 180,000 people into the Parramatta CBD and supporting a $1.5 million boost to the local economy. 

One of Council’s key objectives in holding major events in our city is to support Parramatta’s local economy and drive spend at our local businesses.

20 hospitality businesses and 3 local hotels engaged by activating at the event or providing offers/discounts for event attendees. 

We used data from Spendmapp by Geographia, an economic/expenditure tracking tool, and it indicated that there was $11m spent in Parramatta during the Parramatta Lanes festival. This is 16% higher than the matching period pre-Lanes and 13% higher than the matching period following Lanes, amounting to approximately $1.5m. It also indicated a 25% increase in spending in dining & entertainment at our local businesses as compared to the week before Lanes and a 30% increase the week after Lanes.

The event brought Parramatta LGA residents as well as visitors from Greater Sydney and beyond to our city. The data from Spendmapp by Geographia indicated that spend was significantly higher from visitors attracted to the event compared to local residents. Visitors spent $3.8m compared with $1m spent by local residents. 

We surveyed event attendees, and they shared what they loved about Parramatta Lanes including the sense of community, connection, diversity, and celebration. Other highlights were the great vibe, energy and social atmosphere experienced out on accessible streets and spaces, as well as the incredible food, installations, performances, and activities.

Parramatta Lanes exemplifies our city’s vibrant night-time economy. In 2023, the City of Parramatta achieved Purple Flag accreditation which means that our city’s CBD meets international standards of excellence in vibrancy, diversity, and safety at night.

Parramatta Lanes will return this October 2024. If you are a local business interested in getting involved in the city’s biggest festival this year, please contact marketing@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au.