Tropfest film festival may head to Parramatta

PARRAMATTA is being considered as a location to host the Tropfest film festival next year, in what would be another major arts scalp for western Sydney.

Tropfest was held in The Domain before moving to Centennial Park in 2013.

THE Crescent in Parramatta Park could become Sydney’s Hollywood Bowl by hosting events such as Tropfest and other major arts festivals the Western Sydney Business Chamber has said.

Chamber director David Borger welcomed news Parramatta was being considered as a location to host Tropfest in February.

Tropfest director John Polson has been in talks with the Western Sydney Parklands Trust about holding the 2017 festival in The Crescent in Parramatta Park.

To give an indication of scale, the international film festival attracted a record 95,000 people at Centennial Park in 2013 and Mr Borger said The Crescent would be a great location for a massive event.

“Tropfest is an international festival now and if it comes to Parramatta it could be like Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park,” Mr Borger said.

“The interest shows how much potential The Crescent has, and the event could make it become the Hollywood Bowl of Sydney.”

Iggy Azalea performs on stage at CBS Radio's We Can Survive concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California. She would probably be popular at the Crescent in Parramatta Park.

Hollywood Bowl is a major event venue in Los Angeles and Simon & Garfunkel’s free concert there to raise money for maintenance work at Central Park in 1981 attracted a crowd of 500,000.

Mr Borger said inner-city people who may be against the idea of bringing Tropfest to western Sydney should not boycott the event if Parramatta earned hosting rights.

“There are new hotels being built so there are plenty of places to stay and it is close to the fourth busiest train station in NSW,” he said.

“The people from the inner city and inner west are welcome to come to Parramatta.

“Just because it is in Parramatta doesn’t mean people from other parts of Sydney can’t go to it.”

Bringing Tropfest to Parramatta would be another major arts scalp for western Sydney, as the NSW Government has announced that the Powerhouse Museum will be moved from ­Ultimo to Parramatta in 2022.

The next Tropfest will be held on February 11, 2017.

Emanuel Rodrigues performing at Tropfest 2016. Picture Supplied.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Parramatta Park is always popular.