"FRINGE WORLD Festival is the third-largest Fringe festival in the world. Among more than 400 Fringe festivals established globally since 1947, Perth's own FRINGE WORLD has risen rapidly - making significant impact on the local. national and international arts scene. Since launching in 2011, it has grown into Western Australia's largest annual arts events by ticket sales and attendance, attracting upwards of 600,000 attendees each year." - ARTRAGE
ARTRAGE is one of Western Australia's oldest and most prominent arts organisations. Established in 1983, ARTRAGE has developed and presented numerous key cultural events and festivals that enrich and evolve the culture of Western Australia. ARTRAGE produces FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies, as well as selected shows that tour the state.
FRINGE WORLD Festival is the largest activity operated by ARTRAGE. The festival is Perth's massively popular open-access multi-arts festival that is enjoyed annually by hundreds of thousands of people and is one of the largest avenues through which Western Australians actively participate in the cultural life of the State.
FRINGE WORLD Festival 2025 was held from 17 January to 16 February and attracted an outstanding 490,575 attendees across free and ticketed events.
"Rooftop Movies remains a profitable and self-sustaining event within the ARTRAGE program. The 2024 season saw strong financial results, driven by refined film curation and streamlined delivery timelines. Programming was guided by performance data and audience trends, leading to improved sales and an enhanced customer experience. RTM continues to play a key role in supporting ARTRAGE's financial sustainability year-round." - ARTRAGE
RE//PERTH was a winter arts festival delivery by ARTRAGE in collaboration with the Western Australian Government, between 4 July to 14 July. It was evaluated seperately and is not a focus of this evaluation, other than included in overall ARTRAGE reporting figures. The Festival offered a unique winter experience celebrating creativity, urban exploration and the revitalisation of forgotten spaces. ARTRAGE engaged Metrix through Tourism WA to evaluate the Festival.
ARTRAGE engaged Culture Counts to evaluate FRINGE WORLD Festival 2025 and Rooftop Movies. The evaluation was conducted by surveying members of the public. In partnership with Culture Counts, surveys were designed and developed to evaluate the strategic goals and outcomes of ARTRAGE.
1,956 responses were collected from public attendees via online delivery links sent to the email addresses of ticket holders and through intercept interviews collected at the Pleasure Garden.
Each survey contained a range of 'dimension' questions, asking stakeholders about their experience of the event. These dimensions have been developed and tested in collaboration with industry, practitioners, and academics to measure the impact and value of arts and cultural events and activities.
Appropriate dimensions were chosen based on their alignment with ARTRAGE's strategic objectives. The following tables list the dimensions used in the evaluation based on the program.
| Domain | Dimension | Dimension Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Social | Access | It gave me the opportunity to access activities I would otherwise not have access to |
| Connection | It helped me to feel connected to people in the community | |
| Wellbeing | It helped me to enjoy a greater quality of life | |
| Safe1 | It made me feel safe and welcome | |
| Qualities | Captivation | It held my interest and attention |
| Distinctiveness | It was different from things I've experienced before | |
| Presentation1 | It was well produced and presented | |
| Cultural Contribution1 | It provides an important addition to the cultural life of the area | |
| Placemaking | Vibrancy1 | I enjoy the vibrancy and activity here |
| Community | Place | It made me feel proud of my local area |
| Community Pride1 | It made me feel proud of my community | |
| Economic | Diversity2 | It engaged people from different backgrounds |
| Domain | Dimension | Dimension Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Social | Access | It gave me the opportunity to access activities I would otherwise not have access to |
| Connection | It helped me to feel connected to people in the community | |
| Wellbeing | It helped me to enjoy a greater quality of life | |
| Safe | It made me feel safe and welcome | |
| Qualities | Captivation | It held my interest and attention |
| Distinctiveness | It was different from things I've experienced before | |
| Presentation | It was well produced and presented | |
| Cultural Contribution | It provides an important addition to the cultural life of the area |
Dimensions are assessed on a Likert scale, in which respondents move a slider to a point that indicates whether they agree or disagree with the dimension statement. An example of a dimension question in the Culture Counts survey tool is presented below.
While ticketed attendance saw a 6% year-on-year increase, reflecting strong interest and engagement with programmed events, total attendees at ARTRAGE events, which includes free attendance, is estimated to have decreased by approximately 12%. This drop is attributed to two key factors:
Funding Constraints – The festival did not receive the level of funding required to deliver the large-scale, high-impact flagship free events which drive high footfall.
Cost-Saving Measures – As part of a broader strategic response to financial pressures, ARTRAGE implemented $1.325 million in cost-saving measures.
ARTRAGE remains firmly committed to ensuring accessibility and fostering community engagement through the delivery of free events; however, the continuation of these initiatives is contingent upon securing sufficient funding.
| Survey Name | N. of Responses |
|---|---|
| General Public Survey (FRINGE WORLD Festival) | 1489 |
| Fieldwork Survey (FRINGE WORLD Festival) | 118 |
| Rooftop Movies | 349 |
ARTRAGE Annual Impact Overview
As CEO and Creative Director of ARTRAGE, I am proud to reflect on another year of meaningful impact delivered through our flagship projects: FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies; and a new experiment in 2024, RE//Perth Winter Arts Festival. In 2024/25 these events continued to offer vital platforms for artists, producers, audiences, and industry partners — providing unforgettable experiences that amplify creativity and community. ARTRAGE is a powerhouse organisation made up of a team of dedicated creative professionals who deliver for Perth and Western Australia.
This year, ARTRAGE engaged more than 540,000 attendees across 600 events and performances, supporting more than 2700 artists and creatives. These experiences generated substantial cultural and economic value for Western Australia, reinforcing the role ARTRAGE plays in shaping a vibrant and inclusive cultural ecosystem.
FRINGE WORLD once again delivered on its promise to serve thrills, chills, and full-body feels. 98% of our audiences rated their experience as good or excellent, which is another excellent result. Importantly, 90% of attendees agreed that FRINGE WORLD made a significant cultural contribution and 86% agreed it helped them feel safe and more connected to their community — affirming the social value of the Festival beyond entertainment.
Rooftop Movies contributed to our year-round programming success, bringing high-quality cinematic and live experiences to the heart of Perth. Our programming prioritised accessibility and family-friendly experiences, while driving significant visitation to the CBD during typically low-traffic months. This year’s report also confirms ARTRAGE’s deepening relationship with local government, tourism stakeholders and funding bodies. We remain focused on our strategy to diversify revenue, champion Western Australian talent, and deliver outcomes aligned with public value and sector resilience.
As we look ahead to new challenges and opportunities, ARTRAGE will continue to embrace bold ideas — developing new programs, partnerships and platforms that ensure WA’s creative industries are not only supported but celebrated. With thanks to our artists, audiences, partners, team, and board for making this year such a success.
Jo Thomas
CEO & Creative Director, ARTRAGE Inc.
To bring artists and audiences together to share in extraordinary experiences.
The arts are embraced as an integral cultural driver.
To create spaces where creativity thrives and where artists and audiences connect.
Collaborative - we are warm, inclusive, and welcoming, inviting everyone to be part of the ARTRAGE experience.
Inquisitive – we ask questions, we listen and we’re unafraid to explore new ideas.
Original – we are daring and imaginative, reflecting the innovative spirit of our events.
Enduring - we are committed to creating lasting cultural impact that resonates with our community over time.
Global citizens – we celebrate our connection to artists and audiences around the world, and our contribution to the planet.
Respondents were asked to provide their age, gender and identity. This data identifies the demographic sample of people who responded to the survey and attended the events. It enables data to be matched to the wider population and responses to be filtered to understand differences in demographics.
The following charts show the proportion of survey responses captured for each of the age, gender and identity questions in aggregate and by survey.
Across FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies, there was strong representation from respondents aged 40–49 (24%), 50–59 (23%), 30–39 and Over 60 (21% each). This was followed by 10% of the sample being 20–29 and 1% Under 20.
When looking at FRINGE WORLD Festival, the greatest proportion of respondents were aged 50–59 (25%), followed by 40–49 (24%) and Over 60 (23%). In contrast, the largest age group among Rooftop Movies respondents was 20–29 (27%), followed by 30–39 (23%) and 40–49 (22%).
The majority of the aggregate sample described their gender as female (72%). 25% identified as male, and the remaining 3% identified as non-binary, in another way, or preferred not to say. The results from FRINGE WORLD Festival closely mirrored this distribution.
Rooftop Movies had the largest proportion of female respondents (75%), while male respondents comprised 22% of the sample.
25% of respondents identified as being born overseas, and 12% were part of the LGBTQIA+ community. 6% of the aggregate sample identified as a person with disability, and 5% reported using a language other than English at home. Less than 1% of the sample identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. 56% of the sample did not identify with the options provided.
The results from FRINGE WORLD Festival closely resembled those of the aggregate sample.
There was more variation in the results from the Rooftop Movies surveys: 32% were born overseas, 12% identified as LGBTQIA+, 8% spoke a language other than English at home, and 6% identified as a person with a disability. From this cohort, 2% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
FRINGE WORLD Festival 2025 and Rooftop Movies attendees were asked to provide their current living location and postcode. This enables data to be matched to the wider population and responses to be filtered to understand differences in demographics.
The following charts show the proportion of survey responses captured for those who identified their living location and top postcode results by program and in aggregate.
The large majority of respondents lived in the Perth metropolitan area (80%), with a further 15% living in the City of Perth. 4% of respondents lived elsewhere in Western Australia, 1% interstate and less than 1% overseas.
The sample for FRINGE WORLD Festival largely matched the aggregate, with slightly more respondents living in the Perth metropolitan area (84%) and 11% in the City of Perth.
64% of Rooftop Movies respondents lived in the Perth metropolitan area, while 28% lived in the City of Perth. There was a greater representation of respondents living elsewhere in Western Australia, accounting for 7%.
Respondents travelled from all over Perth to attend ARTRAGE events, with the most commonly cited postcodes being for Perth (3.5%), Karrinyup (3.2%) and surrounds (2.8%), Bibra Lake and surrounds (2.7%) and Wanneroo and surrounds (2.3%).
Respondents were asked to indicate whether this was their first-time attending a FRINGE WORLD Festival event. Responses can be seen presented in the charts below.
Of the aggregate sample, 19% were first-time attendees and 81% had previously attended a FRINGE WORLD Festival event. This demonstrates the loyalty of the audience as well as the festival's ability to attract new patrons.
86% of FRINGE WORLD Festival respondents were previous attendees, with 14% attending for the first time. Rooftop Movies had a greater proportion of respondents who had not previously attended (42%), with 58% indicating they had attended before.
Survey respondents moved a slider to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with the included dimension statements concerning their recent experience. The following charts contain the aggregate response data for 'public' responses for FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies showing the average result for each dimension.
The Culture Counts platform provides various methods to capture survey responses at a minimal marginal cost. Achieving larger samples enables organisations to be more confident about the average results and that opinions of the survey respondents are representative of all attendees. The accompanying margin of error chart shows the expected differences for the associated dimension results calculated at a 95% confidence level.
'Vibrancy' (90/100), 'Cultural Contribution' (90/100), 'Captivation' (89/100) and 'Presentation' (88/100) received the highest average results across all 12 measured dimensions in the aggregate sample. This demonstrates that respondents were most likely to agree that they enjoyed the vibrancy and activity of the event, that it provided an important addition to the cultural life of the area, that it held their interest and attention and was well produced and presented.
All dimensions recorded strong positive results, with averages of 73/100 or above, which is an excellent outcome.
At a 95% confidence level, the margin of error for dimensions ranged from 0.7% to 4.4%. This means we can be 95% confident that if we surveyed the entire visitor population, the average outcome for 'Captivation' would fall within 0.7% of the average generated by the sample.
Culture Counts' use of slider questions provides the capability to understand response results within a typical 5-point agree-to-disagree scale.
The following charts contain the aggregate response data for 'public' responses for FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies surveys. The first chart shows the percentage of people that agreed or disagreed with each of the statements, using a 5-point ordinal Likert scale.
The second chart shows the interquartile range of responses for each dimension. These ranges represent the middle 50% of responses, which are areas on the slider where most responses typically fell. Accompanying this range is the median result for each dimension (i.e. the most common response). Smaller ranges indicate similarity in agreement between respondents, whereas larger ranges indicate a wider spread of responses.
'Vibrancy' (97%), 'Captivation' (96%), 'Presentation' (96%) and 'Cultural Contribution' (96%) had the highest levels of overall agreement from the aggregate sample.
High overall agreement levels were also recorded for 'Safe' (95%), 'Wellbeing' (91%) and 'Community Pride' (90%), showing that respondents were highly likely to either agree or strongly agree that their most recent experience made them feel safe and welcome, helped them enjoy a greater quality of life and made them feel proud of their community.
'Connection' and 'Distinctiveness' had the highest interquartile ranges, suggesting that responses to these dimensions were the most varied.
Respondents were asked to name a show or performance they recently attended as part of FRINGE WORLD Festival and were asked to consider that experience as part of the survey response. This evaluation methodology was used in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Survey respondents moved a slider to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with the included dimension statements concerning the festival. The following charts contain the response data for 'public' responses, showing the average result for each dimension and the percentage of people that agreed or disagreed with each of the statements using a five-point ordinal Likert scale.
The third chart shows the interquartile range of responses for each dimension. These ranges represent the middle 50% of responses, which are areas on the slider where most responses typically fell. Accompanying this range is the median result for each dimension (i.e. the most common response). Smaller ranges indicate similarity in agreement between respondents, whereas larger ranges indicate a wider spread of responses.
'Cultural Contribution' (90/100), 'Vibrancy' (90/100) and 'Captivation' (89/100) received the highest average results across the 12 dimensions. This indicates that respondents were most likely to agree that their most recent FRINGE WORLD Festival experience provided an important addition to the cultural life of the area, that they enjoyed the vibrancy and activity of the event and that it held their interest and attention.
All measured dimensions received an overall agreement of at least 80%, which is an excellent result and demonstrates consistently positive experiences for respondents.
'Connection' and 'Distinctiveness' had the largest interquartile ranges, suggesting that responses were most varied when the sample was asked if their experience helped them feel connected to people in the community and if it was different from things they had experienced before. This variation is understandable, considering the variety of performances and experiences respondents may have been referring to when completing the survey.
At a 95% confidence level, the margin of error for dimensions ranged from 0.8% to 4.4%. This means we can be 95% confident that if we surveyed the entire visitor population, the average outcome for 'Safe' would fall within 0.9% of the average generated by the sample.
Survey respondents moved a slider to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with the included dimension statements concerning their Rooftop Movies experience. The following charts contain the response data for 'public' responses, showing the average result for each dimension and the percentage of people that agreed or disagreed with each of the statements using a five-point ordinal Likert scale.
The third chart shows the interquartile range of responses for each dimension. These ranges represent the middle 50% of responses, which are areas on the slider where most responses typically fell. Accompanying this range is the median result for each dimension (i.e. the most common response). Smaller ranges indicate similarity in agreement between respondents, whereas larger ranges indicate a wider spread of responses.
The highest average results across the eight dimensions were for 'Captivation' (88/100), 'Presentation' (87/100) and 'Safe' (87/100). This indicates that respondents were most likely to agree that the experience held their interest and attention, that it was well produced and presented and that it made them feel safe and welcome.
All measured dimensions received an overall agreement of at least 77%. Notably, 'Captivation' (78%) and 'Safe' (69%) had the largest proportion of respondents who strongly agreed.
'Access' and 'Connection' had the largest interquartile ranges, indicating that responses to these dimensions were the most varied.
At a 95% confidence level, the margin of error for dimensions ranged from 1.7% to 3.1%. This means we can be 95% confident that if we surveyed the entire visitor population, the average outcome for 'Presentation' would fall within 1.7% of the average generated by the sample.
Respondents were asked about their overall experience of attending the event, with a choice of five options – Excellent, Good, Neutral, Poor and Terrible.
This chart shows the percentage of respondents that rated the event across these five options as an aggregate sample and also by respondent group.
Results from the aggregate suggest that most of the sample (98%) reported having a positive experience overall, which is an outstanding result. Of this, 74% rated their experience as excellent and 24% as good. 2% of respondents had a neutral experience and less than 1% each would rate their experience as poor or terrible.
Respondents reported having a positive experience across all programs, with consistently positive results for both FRINGE WORLD Festival (97%) and Rooftop Movies (99%).
Respondents were asked whether they would recommend each ARTRAGE event to a friend or colleague. Respondents could choose a number from 0 to 10 from a menu, with 0 meaning 'not likely at all' and 10 meaning 'extremely likely'.
These results can be used to calculate a Net Promoter Score (NPS). NPS is a standardised metric that seeks to measure loyalty between an organisation and its audience. Respondents with a score of 9 or 10 are considered 'Promoters'. 'Detractors' are those who respond with a score of 0 to 6. Scores of 7 and 8 are considered 'Passives'.
NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents who are Detractors from the percentage of customers who are Promoters. This means that an overall Net Promoter Score can range from -100 to +100.
These charts show the proportion of respondents that would or would not recommend FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies, as well as an aggregate result, followed by the calculated NPS below.
The large majority of respondents (78%) scored either 9 or 10, indicating they would be classified as Promoters. 16% of respondents scored passive results (7 or 8) and less than 6% would be considered detractors (scoring between 0 and 6).
A positive NPS (i.e. higher than zero) is considered to be good, and an NPS of 50+ is excellent. The aggregate sample's given NPS of 71 is an outstanding result and indicates that respondents are extremely loyal and highly likely to recommend ARTRAGE events to friends and colleagues.
All programs received strong NPS scores ranging from 73 for FRINGE WORLD Festival and 59 for Rooftop Movies.
Dimensions used in this year's FRINGE WORLD Festival evaluation were also measured in previous years. This consistent use of measurement allows organisers to benchmark their results and track progress in achieving strategic outcomes over time.
The following chart compares the average result of dimension responses for previous years.
Two of the eight comparable dimensions received their highest average score in 2025, while another four dimensions scored equal highest with the results from 2024. There has been a consistent trend of improvement across all of these dimensions. 'Captivation' and 'Safe' were the only dimension averages that decreased in 2025; however, this decrease was marginal (-1/100), and when compared to results from 2021–2023, these dimensions demonstrated growth.
'Wellbeing' (+13/100) and 'Access' (+12/100) have shown the most improvement in average scores since evaluation commenced in 2021. This demonstrates that respondents have been consistently more likely to agree that their experience helped them enjoy a greater quality of life and gave them the opportunity to access activities they would otherwise not have access to.
In 2025, the Western Australian Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) made benchmarks available from evaluations conducted by all their funded arts and cultural organisations during the 2020 to 2023 period.
Benchmarks give context to organisers so that they can understand the unique impact they deliver through their events and programs, and the outcomes that distinguish them from other offerings. The below chart shows the average dimension results achieved by the FRINGE WORLD Festival, compared to the DLGSC benchmark average and interquartile range (IQR).
Seven of the 11 comparable dimensions fell within the DLGSC's benchmark range, with the aggregate results for 'Cultural Contribution' (90/100) and 'Captivation' (89/100) at or near the top of the range. Notably, results for the 'Vibrancy' (90/100) dimension exceeded the benchmark range.
'Safe' (86/100) and 'Diversity' (73/100) fell below the DLGSC's benchmark range indicating that there may be room for improvement for making respondents feel safe and welcome and engaging people from different backgrounds.
Spending questions ask survey respondents about how much they spent in the local area on items like shopping, food, beverage, etc. as part of their attendance at the event. Respondents are asked to exclude accommodation or other travel expenses as these are separated as part of the economic impact calculations.
Respondents are also asked what they would have done otherwise if it was not for their attendance at the event. This question is used to determine 'additionality', which is the percentage of spending that could be considered to be additional or could genuinely be attributed to the event. It is statistically defined as one minus the percentage of deadweight (1 - dw%), where deadweight is the economic outcome that would have happened in the absence of activity.
The following charts show the visitor spending and additionality results used in the economic impact analysis, as well as what spending types of respondents reported.
The majority respondents reported spending between $0-$100 per person at FRINGE WORLD Festival (72%), whilst 10% spent $101-$150. The average visit spend per person was $139. The majority of Rooftop Movies respondents (76%) spent between $0-$50, with the average spend being $49.
If not attending a FRINGE WORLD Festival 2025 event, a majority of FRINGE WORLD Festival (64%) and Rooftop Movies (65%) respondents would have stayed at home or gone to work.
6% of FRINGE WORLD Festival and 12% of Rooftop Movies respondents would not have visited the local area if weren't for the festival.
FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies respondents were asked if they were staying overnight while attending the event, how long they were staying and how much they spent on accommodation.
Survey respondents who identified as living Intrastate, Interstate, or Overseas were asked additional questions about their trip spending and reasons for visiting. This data is used to determine the economic impact of the event on tourism-related spending.
All spending and additionality results are weighted by the attendee's place of origin (i.e. City of Perth, Perth Metro, Elsewhere in WA, Interstate, and Overseas).
Tourism additionality asks respondents how much influence the event had on their decision to visit WA (or Perth, for regional visitors). Tourists that indicated the event was their primary reason for visiting means that 100% of their trip spend is attributable to the event, whereas tourists who were unaware of the event before visiting indicate that the event was responsible for 0% of their trip spend.
A weighted exponential scale of attribution is applied to calculate an overall trip additionality figure in the economic impact calculations (i.e. 100%, 50%, 25%, 5%, 0%).
The average spending on accommodation per person per night was $176 for FRINGE WORLD Festival and $157 for Rooftop Movies respondents. Those sampled as part of FRINGE WORLD Festival were most likely to have spent either $0-$50 or $101-$150 (20% each), followed by $151-200 (17%). The majority of Rooftop Movies respondents spent between $0-$100 per person per night on accommodation (60%).
When asked how much per person they would spend during their time away from home, excluding accommodation and spending at the event, FRINGE WORLD Festival respondents were most likely to estimate between $151-$200 or $251-300 (26% each). The calculated average trip spend was $458 for FRINGE WORLD Festival and $320 for Rooftop Movies respondents.
65% of FRINGE WORLD Festival respondents who lived elsewhere in Western Australia stated that the festival was the main reason for their decision to visit the local area. Equal proportions (43%) of interstate respondents stated that the festival was the main reason or a contributing factor to their visit. The sample size for Perth Metro and overseas respondents was too small to derive meaningful insights.
After responses were weighted for all tourist attendees, the accommodation and tourism additionality of FRINGE WORLD Festival was determined to be 72%, which means that 72% of tourist spending would not have occurred, if not for the festival. Accommodation additionality was calculated to be 76% for Rooftop Movies.
Other figures are required for the overall economic impact calculations, including Artist Expenditure, Organisational Expenditure, and Unique Attendance.
Unique attendance is required for the calculation of accommodation spending, as it is common for FRINGE WORLD Festival attendees to see multiple events over multiple nights. By determining the unique attendance of the overall festival, we can then apply a percentage figure calculated from survey data to determine the number of accommodation nights generated by the festival.
Artist Expenditure is a significant component of economic impact, due to the large number of artists that are participants in FRINGE WORLD Festival. Artist expenditure includes the daily spending of all artists while participating in FRINGE WORLD Festival, as well as the accommodation and trip expenses from travelling artists who live outside of WA.
Finally, organisational expenditure contributes to the economy by using equipment and services to create the event. FRINGE WORLD Festival also shares box office revenue with artists participating in the festival. As FRINGE WORLD Festival takes in revenue through its provision of food and beverage operations, this revenue is deducted from the average spending of festival attendees to prevent it from being double counted through organisational expenditure.
| ATTENDANCE TYPE | TOTAL |
|---|---|
| Total Attendance (Free & Ticketed) | 492,369 |
| Ticketed - FRINGE WORLD Festival | 288,227 |
| Free - FRINGE WORLD Festival | 204,142 |
| Free - New Attendees (Calculation) | 7,145 |
| Total In-Scope Attendees | 295,372 |
| Average Events Attended Per Person | 5.54 |
| Unique Tourist Attendance | 2,612 |
| TOTAL IN-SCOPE UNIQUE ATTENDEES | 53,360 |
| SPEND TYPE | # OF ARTISTS | AVG NIGHTS | AVG SPEND P/NIGHT | ADDITIONALITY | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | 1377 | 11.0 | $58 | 66% | $572,503 |
| Non-Local | 1323 | 22.0 | $262 | 100% | $7,609,372 |
| Total | $8,181,875 |
| SPEND TYPE | TOTAL |
|---|---|
| ARTRAGE Organisation Expenditure | $5.1m |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival Ticket Profit Sharing | $7.1m |
| (Minus) ARTRAGE Food & Beverage Revenue | $1.1m |
| TOTAL | $11.1m |
All aggregate attendance reporting figures used in the following economic impact calculations are provided here.
| PROJECT | FREE | TICKETED | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| RE//PERTH Winter Arts Festival 2024 | 5,694 | 5,478 | 11,172 |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival 2025 | 204,142 | 288,227 | 492,369 |
| Rooftop Movies 24/25 | 2,500 | 34,613 | 37,113 |
| TOTAL | 212,336 | 328,318 | 540,654 |
Survey respondents were asked to estimate how much they had spent as part of their visit, the level of influence on their decision to visit, as well as indicate what they would have done if they had not visited. Combining this data with attendance figures allows an overall impact figure to be generated.
The economic impact is determined by three main factors:
Visits/Attendance: The number of people spending money (converted to the number of nights for accommodation and longer trips).
Spend: Spending in the local economy. Includes spending as part of a visit, spending on accommodation for those staying overnight, and any other trip-related spending for those staying multiple nights. Excludes spending on tickets or other items that would be captured through organisation expenditure (i.e. to avoid double-counting).
Additionality: The percentage of spending that would not have occurred otherwise.
To calculate the economic impact on the local area, only additional visitation is included. From those visits, only expenditure that would not have otherwise occurred is considered. In this case, the economic impact is from attendees who would have otherwise stayed at home, gone to work, or those who would have done something else outside the local area.
The tables below detail a breakdown of visitation by additionality (i.e. new visits to the area because of the event), visitor expenditure (if they came and stayed in the area because of the event and any other spending they did), and total economic output.
| PROGRAM | INSCOPE ATTENDANCE | EVENT SPEND | ADDITIONALITY | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooftop Movies | 37,113 | $48.76 | 76% | $1,358,547 |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival | 295,372 | $139.11 | 72% | $29,295,609 |
| TOTAL | 332,485 | $30,654,157 |
| PROGRAM | NIGHTS | ACCOM SPEND/NIGHT | TRIP SPEND | ADDITIONALITY | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooftop Movies | 6,201 | $157 | $320 | 76% | $1,143,817 |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival | 12,451 | $176 | $458 | 72% | $2,253,773 |
| TOTAL | 18,652 | $3,397,590 |
| DIRECT IMPACT | MULTIPLIED IMPACT | |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee Spending (Rooftop) | $2,502,364 | $7,421,845 |
| Event/Visit | $1,358,547 | $4,129,984 |
| Accommodation | $666,788 | $1,887,009 |
| Trip | $477,029 | $1,404,852 |
| Attendee Spending (FRINGE WORLD Festival) | $31,549,383 | $95,536,986 |
| Event/Visit | $29,295,609 | $89,058,652 |
| Accommodation | $1,382,856 | $3,913,483 |
| Trip | $870,917 | $2,564,851 |
| Artist Expenditure (FRINGE WORLD Festival) | $8,181,875 | $24,175,794 |
| Daily Spend | $4,862,320 | $14,781,452 |
| Accommodation | $3,319,556 | $9,394,343 |
| Organisation Expenditure | $14,476,746 | $39,488,414 |
| FRINGEWORLD & Rooftop | $11,181,989 | $30,750,469 |
| RE//PERTH | $3,294,757 | $9,060,581 |
| TOTAL | $56,710,368 | $166,623,039 |
Note: For the purpose of this analysis, output multipliers derived from ABS Output Tables 2020-21 have been applied to direct impact expenditure to calculate multiplied impact.
| RETURN ON INVESMENT | |
|---|---|
| Attendee Direct Impact | $42,233,622 |
| Organisation Expendiure | $14,476,746 |
| Return on Investment | 2.92 |
Using the Impact Summary, additional analysis has been conducted to report the impact of ARTRAGE activities on employment, as well as the percentage of spending that was undertaken by different types of tourists.
For comparative purposes, other Economic Impact Assessments conducted by Culture Counts have been included. These comparisons represent the direct impact of attendee spending only - that being the spend of attendees outside the event area and any spending on accommodation.
| DIRECT EMPLOYMENT (FTE) | MULTIPLIED EMPLOYMENT (FTE) | |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee Spending (Rooftop Movies) | 18.0 | 31.9 |
| Attendee Spending (FRINGE WORLD Festival) | 226.3 | 401.7 |
| Organisation Expenditure | 107.6 | 188.3 |
| Artist Expenditure (FRINGE WORLD Festival) | 58.7 | 104.2 |
| TOTAL | 410.6 | 726.1 |
| UNIQUE ATTENDEES | DIRECT IMPACT | |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee Spending | $3,957,635 | |
| Elsewhere in WA | 2,092 | $2,606,427 |
| Interstate | 479 | $1,210,031 |
| Overseas | 41 | $141,178 |
| Artist Spending (Non-local Artists) | $7,609,372 | |
| TOTAL | 2,612 | $11,567,007 |
| SOURCE | ATTENDEES | AVG. SPEND | ADDITIONALITY | DIRECT IMPACT (ATTENDEE SPEND) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRINGE WORLD Festival 2025 | 295,372 | $106.81 | 72% | $31,549,383 |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival 2024 | 300,935 | $144.67 | 75% | $32,652,280 |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival 2023 | 298,832 | $121.17 | 77% | $27,827,550 |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival 2022 | 239,437 | $114.97 | 76% | $20,922,055 |
| FRINGE WORLD Festival 2021 | 232,374 | $69.78 | 74% | $11,998,832 |
| Perth Festival 2022 | 143,665 | $51.97 | 65% | $19,996,027 |
| Midsumma 2019 | 101,802 | $213.13 | 55% | $11,933,184 |
| PrideFEST 2019 | 28,079 | $107.43 | 67% | $2,020,999 |
| Commonwealth Games Festival 2018 | 120,188 | $84.50 | 100% | $10,155,896 |
Note: Direct Employment has been calculated by dividing Direct Impact by the industry-specific Output per FTE figure. This figure is then multiplied by the relevant employment multiplier to estimate Multiplied FTE. For this analysis, Output per FTE has been derived from ABS Input-Output Tables 2020-21 and WA Treasury CPI 2021. Employment multipliers have been derived from ABS Input-Output Tables 2020-21.
This report has been prepared by Shelley Timms and Riley Chappell of Culture Counts. The authors would like to thank all stakeholders and staff for their participation in this research.
Approved by: Jordan Gibbs
Date of Approval: 14 May 2025
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present.