- Events form part of Cook Labor Government’s economic diversification agenda, to grow tourism and support local jobs
- Major events in Western Australia returned close to $223 million to State economy in 2025-26
- Blockbuster events like AFL Origin, WWE Takeover Weekend, The West Test, UFC Fight Night, and SailGP attracted tens of thousands of visitors to WA
The Cook Labor Government’s major events calendar has paid dividends, injecting close to $223 million in spend into the Western Australian economy.
The strong economic impact was generated by the dozens of blockbuster events held across Perth and regional Western Australia in 2025-26.
Highlights include the WWE Takeover Weekend in October 2025 where the three exclusive events – Friday Night SmackDown, Crown Jewel: Perth, and Monday Night RAW – attracted over 40,000 fans to RAC Arena, with more than 12,500 of them visitors travelling from interstate.
The West Test opening Ashes series event in November 2025 also drew huge crowds of tourists, attracting around 8,500 visitors from the United Kingdom and 11,000 interstate visitors, while the more than 100,000 attendees across the first two days of play made it the highest-attended cricket Test match ever held at Perth Stadium.
The inaugural Perth Sail GP arrived in WA in February, with a sellout crowd of over 15,000 fans flocking to Fremantle for the world-famous race, before AFL Origin was revived in Perth after a 27-year hiatus, bringing thousands out-of-state visitors for a sold-out match at Optus Stadium.
In May, UFC Fight Night, featuring Perth’s own Jack Della Maddalena, attracted a sold-out crowd of close to 14,000 fans while the North Melbourne AFL home games returned for their second year, attracting thousands of out of region visitors to Bunbury for the regional match at Hands Oval.
In 2025-26, the Cook Labor Government acquired and delivered close to 100 events which collectively attracted over 2.1 million attendees and close to 132,000 visitors.
Events form a key part of the Western Australian visitor economy, providing a strong hook to book for visitors and creating a thriving WA tourism sector that supports more than 100,000 local jobs.
The Cook Labor Government is investing in tourism and events as part of its economic diversification agenda to create a sustainable and resilient Western Australian economy.
Find out more about WA’s calendar of events here .
As stated by Premier and Tourism, Trade and Investment Minister Roger Cook:
“Events are an incredibly valuable investment for the Western Australia tourism sector, bringing a huge $223 million in impact from major events alone, plus the huge social, community, and media value.
“We know that hosting blockbusters raises the profile and reputation of our State, showcasing Western Australia on a global stage and helping bring even more visitors here, injecting valuable dollars into local tourism, hospitality, and accommodation businesses.
“Investing in events is one of the many ways we are growing the WA tourism industry and diversifying Western Australia’s economy, supporting local jobs and businesses.”
