Cricket and major sports events are increasingly bringing Indian visitors to Sydney, with venues like the Sydney Cricket Ground offering a gateway to the city’s attractions and experiences
Destination New South Wales (NSW) is turning to major sporting fixtures, particularly cricket, alongside high-impact concerts to deepen its connection with India, one of the state’s fastest-growing inbound tourism markets.
“Major events play a vital role in attracting Indian visitors to the state and growing our visitor economy. They inject millions of dollars, creating thousands of jobs and driving business for local hotels, bars, restaurants, tourism operators and small enterprises across our cities and regions,” stated Steve Kamper, New South Wales minister for jobs and tourism.
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) was one of the venues for the One Day International (ODI) series between India and Australia. SCG hosted the third ODI match between the two countries on October 25, 2025, with a large number of Indian fans travelling to attend the game.
“Without doubt, events like the ODI series play a key role in shining a spotlight on Sydney for our cricket-loving Indian market,” said Kamper.
While the SCG remains the state’s most recognised cricket venue, the wider NSW also holds a deep connection with the sport’s global fans. Bowral, the largest town in the Southern Highlands of NSW, is home to Bradman Oval. Bradman Oval is named after Don Bradman, regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, who played there in the 1920s.
The adjacent Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame, dedicated to the history of the sport and displaying memorabilia, further add to its appeal for Indian visitors.
“There is strong interest among Indian travellers to visit NSW whenever India plays at the SCG. Along with leisure tourists, many corporate clients also travel for these matches,” shared Guldeep Singh Sahni, managing director of Weldon Tours & Travels.
Beyond cricket action, Indian visitors make the most of their trip by exploring Sydney’s attractions and enjoying its nightlife and gastronomy offerings.
Besides sports, music is a big draw for the Indian market. Destination NSW supported Indian musician Diljit Dosanjh’s sold-out concert at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta on October 26, 2025, as part of his Aura Tour 2025. Dosanjh became the first Indian artist to sell out the stadium, drawing a crowd of more than 25,000.
“With 4.47 billion views on his YouTube channel, 26 million Instagram followers and 18.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, this music superstar not only drew more than 25,000 fans to Parramatta, he also put Western Sydney in the spotlight for millions of fans in India and around the world,” added Kamper.
Outside CommBank Stadium on the day of the concert, a day-long festival featuring music and stalls showcasing Indian culture was also held.
Sydney’s Little India, Harris Park, is located in Parramatta and is popular with Indian visitors for its concentration of Indian restaurants and grocery stores.
Among the events Destination NSW promotes to the Indian market with trade partners are New Year’s Eve, the Summer of Cricket in Sydney, the Sydney Marathon, and Vivid Sydney.
“With Sydney as the gateway, NSW is well placed to leverage its iconic attractions, natural beauty and thriving arts and cultural scene and build on the booming demand for its rich and immersive visitor experiences from one of the state’s fastest-growing inbound tourism markets,” said Kamper.
In the year ending June 2025, NSW welcomed 186,700 visitors from India, up 12.4 per cent year on year.
“These are fantastic numbers, but we want them to grow even more,” concluded Kamper.
