The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will live to bloom another day, with an injection of funds guaranteeing its operation for the next two years, the Queensland Government said in a statement released today.
In the statement, the Government said funding to support Tourism and Events Queensland was due to be cut by almost half – which would have meant iconic events like the Carnival may not have been possible.
The current Queensland Government had reversed that decision and restored tourism funding in the budget.
A government spokeswoman would not reveal the amount of funding for the Carnival, saying it was “Commercial in Confidence.”
The Carnival is Australia’s longest-running floral event, first staged in 1949, and over the next two years is expected to attract more than 328,000 direct visitor nights to Queensland, injecting $66 million into the state’s economy.
The 2026 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will run from Friday, September 18 to Monday, October 5.