Powerhouse Parramatta will be the largest museum in the state of New South Wales when it opens later this year.
“Powerhouse Parramatta is the largest cultural project delivered in NSW since the Sydney Opera House and the first major state cultural institution built in Western Sydney,” said the state’s arts minister, John Graham.
The venue, located within easy walking distance of Parramatta’s train station and hotels in Sydney’s second CBD, will offer seven event spaces with capacity for groups of 50 to more than 900.
The largest space, at 1,045m2, is the WSU Gallery, which can accommodate theatre audiences of 972 attendees with retractable seating or host banquets of up to 540.
The second largest space is Presentation Space 7, which is flooded with natural light, comes with a terrace and views and can take 600 in theatre or 400 for gala dinners.
There is also a rooftop pavilion and garden for up to 250 delegates and smaller varied spaces, including one with cooking demonstration facilities.
“Reaching completion at Powerhouse Parramatta is a huge milestone and a proud moment for Western Sydney,” said the NSW lands and property minister, Steve Kamper.
“This project has already delivered thousands of jobs and backed local businesses, and now we’re one step closer to opening the doors to a world-class cultural destination that will inspire future generations and drive tourism and economic growth for years to come.”
For environmentally conscious event organisers or groups, Powerhouse Parramatta will have an edge, with the building the first public building nationwide to get the nod from the Green Building Council of Australia for being 6 Star Designed. The venue will also run on 100 per cent renewable electricity.
“Powerhouse Parramatta will be transformative for Western Sydney,” said president of the Powerhouse Trust, David Borger.
“We are proud and excited to be working towards opening this internationally important new museum, that will showcase the innovation of NSW and Australia and become embedded into the identity of Western Sydney.”
The construction of the institution has already delivered significant benefit to Western Sydney, with contracts worth $329 million awarded to local businesses during the build phase.
The opening of Powerhouse Parramatta comes as Western Sydney’s visitor economy and its business events capabilities are in the spotlight, thanks to the opening of Western Sydney International Airport later this year. The first flights at the airport – so far – have been confirmed for late October.
BESydney has also launched the Western Sydney Meetings Fund, a subvention initiative to attract business events to Western Sydney in 2027 and 2028.
