Midsumma Festival

Midsumma Festival 2025

LGBTQ+ folks prepare to be dazzled by the fabulous extravaganza known as the Midsumma Festival in Melbourne! This is no ordinary event, my friends. Midsumma is Australia's premier queer arts and cultural organization, bringing together a glorious concoction of LGBTQ+ artists, performers, communities, and audiences.

Event Details

For 22 glorious days in the heart of Melbourne's sizzling summer, the city becomes a playground of queer delights. Midsumma Festival bursts onto the scene, serving up an explosion of events that shine a spotlight on hidden and mainstream queer culture. It's the amazing creativity that welcomes local talents, welcomes interstate wonders, and even invites international stars to join the fabulous fray.

Oh, the wonders that await you at Midsumma! Prepare to feast your eyes on a program bursting with diversity and innovation. From visual arts to live music, from theatre to spoken word, from cabaret to film, this festival is a smorgasbord of artistic delights. But wait, there's more! Parties that will make your heart pound, sports events that will leave you breathless, social gatherings that will have you laughing and connecting, and public forums where ideas spark and conversations flourish.

Attendees and Vendors

Did we mention the numbers? Midsumma Festival is no small affair, darling. In 2023 alone, over 200 events lit up the city. And that's just the tip of the glitter-covered iceberg. In previous years, despite the challenges of COVID-19, the festival still managed to dazzle with 153 events in 2022, 163 events in 2021, and a staggering 194 events in 2020. Over 100 different venues across Melbourne and wider Victoria become stages for over 5000 culture-makers, attracting a crowd of over 255,000 attendees on average in the past four years.

Bottom Line

So, my friends, mark your calendars, grab your most fabulous outfit, and prepare to immerse yourself in the electrifying Midsumma Festival. It's a celebration of queer history, our resilience, and a testament to the power of art and performance. This is your chance to be part of something extraordinary, to be part of a community that celebrates diversity, love, and the vibrant colors of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Welcome to Midsumma, where the magic of queerness comes alive!

Other LGBTQ+ Events by Midsumma

Midsumma Carnival: Sunday, January 18 2026.

Midsumma Carnival is an iconic full-day outdoor extravaganza dedicated to kicking off our three-week-long festival! Located in Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne’s bustling CBD, Midsumma Carnival features a vast array of LGBTQIA+ acts that will grace the four carnival stages: Main, Picnic, Sports and Family. This popular annual day event attracts over 120,000 people and entry is free!

Midsumma Pride March: Sunday, February 1, 2026

Each year well over 10,000 marchers strut down Fitzroy Street in St Kilda each year and over 45,000 people line the streets and balconies along the march route to show their support.

Victoria's Pride

Victoria’s Pride kicks off with a series of regional activities, culminating in a one-day street party in Melbourne’s iconic Gertrude and Smith Street precinct on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people, from 11 am to 9 pm as the closing event of Midsumma Festival. It includes multiple stages with free, live entertainment including music, comedy, guest speakers, circus, drag and art installations. Performing artists are announced ahead of the event.

Popular Melbourne LGBTQ+ Bars & Clubs

Pride of Our Footscray, The Fox Hotel, The Laird, and DT's.

Other Top Rated Gay Events in Melbourne

Sundaylicious, BONEZ, Thursgay, CLOSET, and Barbara.

Melbourne's Gay Saunas

Wet on Wellington, Peninsula Sauna, and Subway Sauna.