Festivals & Festival Investment Grants

High quality festivals and celebrations contribute to a community's well-being and economic health.

The pursuit of arts, culture and tourism opportunities is one of our primary objectives as a means to strengthen our downtown and enhance livability.
 

Planning a festival in the City of Victoria? Read on to learn more about the City's Festival Investment Grants.

COVID-19 Resources and Information 

The Arts, Culture and Events Team has compiled information and put together a list of resources to help connect local artists and organizations with the support they need. For more information, click here. 

Festival Investment Grants

The Festival Investment Grant is intended to nurture outdoor festivals and celebrations held within the City of Victoria, facilitate their growth and ensure their continued success.

Outdoor festivals and celebrations add to the vitality and cultural diversity of the City.  The City's annual grant and in-kind support nurtures the development and sustainability of high-quality annual festivals and celebrations. 

Application Process

We are currently updating our submission process for the 2022 intake year. Please standby for further updates shortly. 

If you have any questions, please be in touch with Andrea Walker Collins (Arts, Culture and Events Liaison), awalkercollins@victoria.ca.

Budgets

Accurate, realistic and detailed budgeting is critical for the long and short term success of festivals and events.  Careful completion of the revenue and expenditure sheets will help determine your event's cultural investment in the community and highlight annual changes to your festival. It is critical that applicants ensure the following specific details are adhered to:

  • Budgets are submitted using the templates provided
  • In-kind sponsorships are clearly identified as in-kind
  • In-kind sponsorships are shown in revenues AND expenditures in equal measure
  • Blended sponsorships if in-kind and cash contributions must be reflected separately

A budget that does not conform to the above format will not be reviewed.

Below are examples of how to correctly identify in-kind revenues and expenditures. Note that the in-kind sponsorships on the revenues side are identical to the in-kind on the expenditures side. Additionally, West Coast Bakery's in-kind sponsorship of $500 is a separate line item from their $250 cash donation.

Documents and Forms

Reporting:

Timeline

  • Deadline for receipt of application                         Dec 31, 2021 at 4:30 p.m.
  • Review                                                                   January - February
  • Staff recommendations and awards                      March - April
  • Initial cheques cut                                                  July 1
  • 20% holdback cheques released                           Upon receipt of final report
  • Final report due                                                      Dec 31, 2022 at 4:30 p.m.