Address
Various locations, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Since 1988, Midsumma Festival has been Melbourne’s leading LGBTQI+ celebration. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 festival will run, exceptionally, from 19 April to 5 May with a Pride March held on 23 May. The festival is normally held over 22 days in January and early February, and incorporates a rich, diverse array of around 200 events including performance art, visual art, music, forums, talks, films, parties, sports and community events. It usually opens with a massive carnival of around 120,000 attendees in a CBD park. The annual Pride March follows later in the festival.
Midsumma Festival is open-access, with involvement by over 5000 culture-makers in over 100 different venues across Melbourne and wider Victoria - to audiences of over 260,000. To balance out this offering, the Midsumma Presents program provides some “big ticket” events, complemented by niche offerings designed to ensure that the program represents and attracts every single colour of our rich, diverse rainbow. The theme each year is specifically designed to promote and highlight the talent of groups who are rarely represented in mainstream offerings, in line with Midsumma’s focus on diversity and inclusion of the entire community, not just parts of it.
Midsumma's Futures and Pathways programs provide mentorship, networking and development opportunities for early-career artists and culture-makers.
Special Features
COVID Safe, Australian Gay and Lesbian Tourism Association, Bar, Family Friendly, Pet Friendly - Enquire, Public Toilet, Welcomes and assists people who have challenges with learning, communication, understanding and behaviour. (includes people with autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, acquired brain injury (ABI), dyslexia and dementia), Caters for people who are blind or have vision loss., Caters for people who are deaf or have hearing loss., Caters for people with sufficient mobility to climb a few steps but who would benefit from fixtures to aid balance. (This includes people using walking frames and mobility aids), Caters for people who use a wheelchair., An access and inclusion statement is available (make this available on your website)., Major Events