The City of Newport Beach (City) recognizes the social and economic benefits associated with special events.
Donor Name: City of Newport Beach
State:
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 04/21/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Special Event Grants provide financial support to two categories of Newport Beach-based events:
- Community and Charitable – Serve or benefit locally based organizations and causes and/or provide recreational, cultural, and social benefits to Newport Beach residents. Newport Beach-based nonprofit organizations and events that serve the Newport Beach community specifically. These events pay or incur City of Newport Beach fees through the Special Event Permit process.
- Signature Events – Large-scale events, based in Newport Beach, that promote Newport Beach regionally, attract visitors and provide measurable, economic benefits to the City. Signature events must demonstrate the following:
- The event does or can attract visitors from throughout Southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino) and ideally, the Southwestern United States.
- It must have at least 3,000 participants.
- The event organizers have a strategic, measurable marketing plan and can immediately produce the plan and metrics from past years (if applicable) upon the City’s request.
- Event organizers must clearly demonstrate how the event will provide substantive and measurable economic benefits to the City by supporting tourism, generating hotel room nights, supporting local business, and providing measurable exposure.
Funding Information
Signature Events- Funding support may be assigned to an event at a level between $10,000 and $150,000.
Grant Period
This application period is for events that take place July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to receive City support, applicants must demonstrate that:
- The entire Community and Charitable event take place within Newport Beach. All, or a majority of, the Signature event takes place within Newport Beach.
- The event is not financially dependent on receiving City support.
- The event is sponsored, hosted, and organized by a Newport Beach or Orange County-based non-profit organization or a Newport Beach community or neighborhood organization.
- The applicant has no outstanding debt due to the City of Newport Beach.
- The event does not need to be free of charge but should be accessible to the entire community/public.
For more information, visit City of Newport Beach.
