Melbourne’s premier LGBTQIA+ cultural celebration, the Midsumma Festival, is set to illuminate the city from Sunday, 19 January to Sunday, 9 February 2025.
This vibrant three-week festival showcases a diverse array of events, installations, performances, and discussions, uniting communities in a spirited display of pride and creativity.
This year’s theme is COLLECTIVE IDENTITY(S) with the festival bringing the State alive with theatre, music, visual arts, circus, cabaret, public forums and more.. The theme invites audiences to reflect on how we can foster true connection across all diverse LGBTQIA+ communities.

Key Midsumma Events
- Midsumma Carnival: Kicking off the festivities on 19 January at Alexandra Gardens, this family-friendly event features multiple stages hosting a variety of LGBTQIA+ acts, including singers, drag artists, DJs, and performers. With an expected attendance of over 120,000 people, the carnival offers a dynamic start to the festival.
- Midsumma Pride March: This year’s Pride March is not just a celebration of three decades of progress but a powerful reminder of the resilience and unity of LGBTQIA+ communities. On 2 February, thousands will take to the streets of St Kilda, marching together in a sea of colour and pride to honour our shared history and envision a future of equality and inclusion. The 30th anniversary Pride March celebrates the diversity of identities and voices that make up our queer communities.
- Victoria’s Pride Street Party: On 9 February, the festival culminates in Victoria’s Pride, transforming Fitzroy’s Gertrude and Smith Streets into a dynamic celebration of queer arts and culture. The event features live performances from artists like Bec Sandridge, THNDO, and Leroy Macqueen, alongside regional and public art projects showcasing Victoria’s diverse queer community.
- Regional Activations: Midsumma Festival 2025 extends beyond the city with 14 new regionally commissioned projects celebrating queer culture across Victoria. These activations will bring vibrant performances, exhibitions, and storytelling to regional communities, ensuring that the spirit of Midsumma resonates statewide. From Warrnambool to Mildura, these projects amplify diverse voices and connect queer communities in new and meaningful ways.

Festival Highlights:
The 2025 program encompasses a wide range of art forms and genres, including visual arts, live music, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, parties, sports, social events, and public forums. Notable performances feature international drag stars, Eurovision icons, and local dance talents, ensuring a rich and varied lineup that caters to diverse interests.
Beyond the big community events, audiences are invited to locations from Arts Centre Melbourne to Abbotsford Convent to the State Library of Victoria for a multitude of presentations.
Highlights include the Olivier Award-nominated play Feeling Afraid as if Something Terrible is Going to Happen presented at Arts Centre Melbourne, Truth to Power Café and A Body at Work at Theatre Works, and Women’s Circus Small Acts of Resistance at Gasworks Arts Park.

The Queer Imaginings program, assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia invites audiences to share space, food, music, and ideas with intergenerational artists and creative leaders through six dynamic projects. Highlights include HONŌUR, at Fed Square and honoring Queer POC Elders through music, storytelling, and visual performance in a ceremony of love and recognition.
For full program details, visit the Midsumma Festival website.
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