Join the Spectacular Midsumma Festival 2023
Midsumma is one of Australia’s largest queer arts and cultural organisations, responsible for Melbourne’s biggest LGBTQIA+ festival. Taking place for 22 days across January and February, the festival focuses on both hidden and mainstream queer culture. Participants can experience local, interstate and international talent presenting visual arts, live music, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, parties, sport, social events, and public forums. The Midsumma ‘summer of pride’ welcomes all audiences, with over 100 venues and events this year. If you want to support Melbourne’s thriving LGBTQIA+ community, be sure to check out these major free events taking place over the next two weekends.
The Midsumma Festival Pride March – Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 05 February 2023
The festival’s premiere community event begins in Fitzroy Street with a kilometre long parade ending at Catani Garden. Audiences and participants will enjoy free entertainment including live performances and DJs right next to St Kilda Beach. With over 50,000 people expected to attend this year, the pride parade is an iconic Melbourne event that expresses solidarity in gender and sexuality diversity. The Pride March is kid-friendly and completely free. Best of all it’s a chance to celebrate and support all gender expressions, sexualities, experiences, and personalities with your loved ones.
Victoria’s Pride Street Party – Gertrude & Smith Street, Fitzroy – Collingwood, 12 February 2023
Join the Midsumma festival’s most significant celebration! Victoria’s Pride is a full day-and-night street party taking place in Fitzroy and Collingwood. Victoria’s Pride (previously Melbourne Pride) have hosted events across the state in regional and rural areas from December to February. This very special event culminates in regional touring events plus additional entertainment. Taking place from 11:00am – 9:00pm, it will include multiple stages featuring: free live music, comedy, guest speakers, circus, drag, and art installations. This year’s music line-up is huge, with performances from Banoffee, Casey Donovan and headliner act Rainbow Boy, just to name a few. The street party is completely free, with local restaurants serving food and drink, and shopfront activations and performances in venues.