Overview

• Organisers said a major NRMA Insurance deal combined with more than $125,000 from the public in roughly 30 hours filled the shortfall needed to proceed.
• The Bondi to Tamarama exhibition is confirmed to run from October 17, typically draws about 450,000 visitors, and costs roughly $3 million to stage.
• Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke ruled out funding and said artists were not paid to exhibit, which organisers disputed by citing a $50 entry fee, a $3,000 minimum guarantee, and collective artist earnings of $2–3 million.
• Creative Australia said the event had not applied in recent rounds and reiterated that support is decided through open, competitive processes rather than automatic renewal.
• The organisation lost about $1 million in federal support after 2023, canceled its 2025 Cottesloe show, and later secured a separate $1.5 million Austrade grant for the Western Australia event in 2026–27.