“If something is appealing to a broad audience, whether it is Taylor Swift or Ramses or indeed a sporting event, Sydneysiders will turn out in droves,” McKay said.

Blockbuster exhibitions are often several years in the making and galleries and museums are increasingly reliant on them to bring visitors through their doors each year, especially in a cost-of-living crisis.

In 2021, then-NSW premier Dominic Perrottet introduced a four-year $40 million fund to help cultural institutions market and promote shows across the state. To date, the blockbuster fund has supported seven shows at the Art Gallery of NSW, four at the Australian Museum, three at the Powerhouse Museum, two Biennales of Sydney, as well as the Sydney Opera House’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Exhibitions funded by the program include those by masters Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse, William Kentridge as well as fashion icon Carla Zampatti and Gucci Garden Archetypes.

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The Australian Museum received $1.2 million to promote Ramses.

NSW Arts Minister John Graham said the blockbuster fund was an important initiative during COVID. “While there are a number of forthcoming projects not yet announced under this program, the four-year funding has now ended,” he said.

“On 9th February 2024 I issued a directive to Destination NSW to support more arts and cultural experiences, this includes large-scale exhibitions.

“Where appropriate, future financial support can be made available through both Create NSW and Destination NSW.”

McKay said there had not been a massive drop-off in audiences since Ramses closed, with the show reintroducing cultured adults and families to the newly renovated museum, and “they liked what they saw”.

A homegrown show is now in the pipeline to celebrate the museum’s 200th anniversary year in 2027, partly using profits from Ramses.

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