Floriade 2023: ACT government announces target of 500,000 patrons at event launch

The 2023 event was officially launched on Friday, Canberra's premier tourism festival running in Commonwealth Park from September 16 to October 15 with the theme Floral Wonderland.

A Spiegeltent featuring circus performances and cabaret will be a new attraction while Nightfest, Dog's Day Out and the Great Big Bulb Dig will return for the 36^th staging of the festival.

Launching this year's event in the Floriade community garden at Havelock House, Chief Minister Andrew Barr suggested the government in 2023 was looking for at least a 17 per cent increase in attendance and 15 per cent in revenue generated compared to 2022.

"This year, as we build back after a challenging period of interruption to major events due to COVID, we've set some particularly ambitious targets and challenges for the Floriade team," he said.

"We're very keen to grow the attendance numbers for the 2023 festival. Now, part of that challenge is to work closely with the weather gods, to make ensure we get a full month of fantastic Canberra spring weather.

"But even at times when, like last year, it rained a bit, and the weather wasn't fantastic, we still had 427,000 people attend the event.

"So our hope for 2023 is a run of good weather and more than half-a-million people through the gates at Commonwealth Park."

Mr Barr said more people should translate to more tourism dollars.

"Last year the economic contribution to the territory economy was around $52 million. If we can get over half-a-million people attending, then I think we'll get more than $55 million of economic contribution and, if all things go our way, $60 million is the target," he said.

"Now this flows through in to Canberra's tourism and hospitality economy. Full hotels, busy restaurants and cafes and lots of people enjoying spring-time in Canberra."

Mr Barr said while Floriade was Australia's largest celebration of spring, it still needed to grow.

"As part of our event development strategy, we want to continue to evolve Floriade to ensure it brings a range of new experiences for locals and visitors alike," he said.

"Now it's a very mature event, it's nearly as old as me. It's been around a long time and it needs to evolve and innovate."

Nightfest is back from September 28 to October 1. Dogs' Day Out will be held on the final day, October 15. The Great Big Bulb Day will return, on the day after closing, October 16.

Events ACT executive branch manager Ross Triffitt promised "very imaginative programming".

"Of which the Spiegeltent is going to feature as the centrepiece," he said, adding the event would again feature food and beverage.

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As well as the focus on Commonwealth Park, more than 300,000 bulbs and annuals have been distributed to 94 community groups to plant out in their suburbs this year.

Synergy has returned as Floriade's presenting partner. Synergy partner David Schmidtchen said last year it raised $75,000 for two local charities thanks to coffee sales, the cubbyhouse raffles and purchases of bags for the bulb dig.

"It's a fantastic Canberra event," he said.

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