This year’s Primo and Dank Street festivals to be the last

This weekend’s Primo Italiano festival could well be the last.

The much-loved event will not be held next year, as the necessary funding for the event has not been budgeted for by City of Sydney Council.

“This news is very upsetting”, said the manager of renowned restaurant “Bill and Toni’s” in Stanley Street.

“This festival brings together people of Italian heritage who may not see each other much during the year and allows us to experience a sense of belonging in Sydney’s multicultural society.

“It also gives us a chance to discuss our history with other community members.”

The Primo Italiano festival attracts thousands of visitors each year to the small Italian quarter in East Sydney.

It celebrates the rich Italian culture that has had a strong presence in Sydney’s inner city since large numbers of immigrants fled the ravages of the Second World War.

The loss of the Italian quarter is another blow for Mediterranean culture as the Spanish quarter on Liverpool street in Sydney suffered a similar fate in April last year.

The Dank Street Festival has also been put on the chopping block.

That festival has been instrumental in bringing the area back to life by generating a commercial interest and infrastructural investment that has added a new dimension to the Inner City.

A City of Sydney spokesperson said Council was yet to make a decision on the proposed budget.

“The proposed budget focuses funding towards expanding the City’s other existing events, and making an allowance for new and emerging activities,” the spokesperson said.

“Sponsorships and events are regularly reviewed to ensure they provide community benefits.

“Primo has expanded the profile of East Sydney over the past 5 years and the event … is now at the point where it risks major disruption to residents and significant additional road closures.”

By Marcus Coombs