Western Sydney Tech Innovators, home

Western Sydney's first grassroots AI festival

  • 5 to 21 November 2026
  • Parramatta
  • 8 events

2026

Opening Night starts in

The very first grassroots festival of creativity and innovation with AI for Parramatta's multicultural communities: learn, build, create and celebrate together. Bringing our community, youth, working professionals, families, not-for-profits, SMEs, founders and industry, into the AI era with confidence and positivity, one event at a time.

Explore the program

5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Featured event

Opening Night

Western Sydney's first grassroots AI festival opens. Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP officially opens the festival, AI industry leaders and Parramatta's community leaders take the stage, and the Build with AI Innovation Challenge launches.

  • Jacks Cucina, Parramatta Leagues Club
  • Free
Register for Event
Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP speaking at a WSTI event
Officially opened by Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP

Speakers and guests

  • Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP

    Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy

    Federal Member for Parramatta

  • Melanie Silva

    Vice President and Managing Director, Google Australia and New Zealand

  • Cr Cameron MacLean

    Lord Mayor of the City of Parramatta

  • Cr Dr Hayley French

    Councillor, City of Parramatta

  • Lailei Huang

    Founder and Chairperson, WSTI

  • More VIPs to be announced

Build with AI Innovation Challenge

Take on a Parramatta city challenge or bring your own idea, build it with AI, and pitch for the prize pool. Open to anyone studying, working or living in or around Parramatta, solo or as a team. To be officially recognised, register on the portal and follow the timeline.*

* Instructions will be sent by email to ticketed participants.

Choose how you will take part

  • In person

    Build with AI Innovation Challenge Day x Google · Option 1

    Sat 7 Nov

    PHIVE, Parramatta Square, with Google

  • In person

    Build with AI Innovation Challenge Day · Option 2

    Sat 14 Nov

    PHIVE, Parramatta Square, with WSTI

  • Online

    Build with AI Innovation Challenge Online · Option 3

    From 5 Nov

    Take part from anywhere in and around Parramatta

Every ticket goes into the prize pool.

See tickets in the festival program

The route

  1. Opening Night

    The challenge goes live. Post your idea and find your team.

  2. or

    Choose your option

    Option 1 at PHIVE with Google, Option 2 at PHIVE with WSTI. Come to one or both, or take Option 3 and build online.

  3. Finalise your teams

    The portal closes for team formation.

  4. Final submission

    Last chance to update your pitch video, demo video and live prototype link.

  5. Finalists announced

    Finalists hear by email.

  6. Pitch Night

    Finalists take the stage and pitch live.

  7. Grand Festival Day

    Winners announced.

Proudly supported by

WSTI Festi's supporting organisations:

  • Investment NSW
  • City of Parramatta
  • Google
  • Office of Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP
  • Office of Donna Davis MP
  • Western Sydney Startup Hub
  • Parramatta Leagues Club
  • Awqaf Australia
  • Parramatta Business Connect

List of events during WSTI Festi

Festival program

  1. From 5:30 PM

    Build with AI Innovation Challenge Online

    Take part online from anywhere in and around Parramatta. Build with AI, solo or in a team, and pitch for the prize pool.

    • Online
    • Free
    Register for Event

  2. 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM

    Build with AI Innovation Challenge Day x Google

    Build at Maker Space PHIVE with Google. Brett Morgan from Google leads hands-on Antigravity sessions, then mentors you through two build sessions. No coding background needed, and lunch is included.

    • Maker Space, PHIVE, Parramatta Square
    • A$15
    Register for Event

  3. 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

    SME AI Forum

    Can AI help your business grow? Local business owners share how AI agents run part of their business, then the WSTI team shows AI agents doing real work, live. No tech background needed.

    • Western Sydney Startup Hub, North Parramatta
    • Free
    Register your interest

  4. 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

    AI for Not-for-Profits and Community

    Watch a local not-for-profit show the AI tool its team built with WSTI, live on stage. Then work out the first step for your own organisation. No tech background needed.

    • Western Sydney Startup Hub, North Parramatta
    • Free
    Register your interest

  5. 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM

    Build with AI Innovation Challenge Day

    Build at Maker Space PHIVE with WSTI, from your first prompt to a working app, then agent skills that automate everyday tasks. No coding background needed, and lunch is included.

    • Maker Space, PHIVE, Parramatta Square
    • A$15
    Register for Event

  6. 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM

    Parenting and Teaching in the AI Era

    Parents and educators, hear how local families use AI well and keep children safe online, in a discussion led by Dr Andrew Charlton MP.

    • Oatlands Public School, Oatlands
    Register your interest

  7. 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

    Pitch Night

    Watch Western Sydney's boldest AI ideas take the stage: pitches, connections and the momentum that helps great ideas scale.

    • Western Sydney Startup Hub, North Parramatta
    Register your interest
Festival finale

10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Grand Festival Day

The big finale of WSTI Festi. See what Western Sydney is building with AI and try it yourself. Challenge finalists demo their builds in the Innovation Showcase, and AI for Everyone offers friendly first steps. Drop in any time.

Everyone is welcome. No tech background needed.

  • Western Sydney Startup Hub, North Parramatta
  • Free
Register your interest

Hear first when registration opens

Leave your name and email and we will send you one email when registration opens for the full WSTI Festi program.

What you will receive

  • One email, sent once registration is open for every event
  • The dates, the venues and the link to register for each event
  • No newsletter, unless you also sign up for it in the footer

You are on the list

We will send you one email when registration opens for the full WSTI Festi program.

Your name

By sending this form you agree to us holding your name and email so we can tell you when registration opens for WSTI Festi.

Our previous festival

  • Western Sydney AI Innovation Summit & Hackathon

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What people say about working with us

  • Nitta Boontanapibul: “I'm grateful to be part of this hackathon, meet new and familiar faces, and spend a day learning, building, and creating together.”
  • Amritha Thillai Villalan: “I joined the hackathon feeling unsure of myself as I wasn't very confident in AI. But the WSTI team's warm support quickly put me at ease.”
  • Cherry Flores Tomenio: “Building AI projects with WSTI brought meaningful connections & new friends. It's so fun building with brilliant, passionate minds!”
  • Chinna Babu Kanchetti: “A vibrant convergence of passionate minds, united by the drive to turn ideas into reality.”
  • Francis Stalin: “Taking part in the WSTI Hackathon was a great experience that pushed us to build fast, learn quickly, and turn ideas into something real.”
  • Jacqui Griffin: “The whole experience was a lot of fun, and being around like minded people was very inspiring, want to do it again!”
  • Shivani Dhar: “Not only was the event well organized, the environment was fun, collaborative and inclusive, which made the experience even better.”
  • Tommy Dam: “It was truly an inspiring event where the right team turned impossible ideas into reality.”
  • Vignesh Polur Maniyan: “In this journey along with many cross domain experts, gave me a good experience to use multiple AI tools with a steep learning curve.”