Midsumma Festival

Melbourne’s annual celebration of gay and lesbian culture and art is also known as the Midsumma festival. It is the largest cultural festival of its type, celebrated in the city since 1988.

You’ll find everything from performing arts to music, sports to film during this celebration. The Midsumma Festival is held at various venues around the city and draws crowds of more than 15,000 people every year.

Midsumma Festival Melbourne 2023, Pride March Dates & Location

The festival opens each year with a massive party hosted in Alexandra Gardens along the Yarra River. Here, you will find plenty of live music, DJ’s pumping out tunes as well as plenty of food trucks and beer gardens. There will also be plenty of craft stalls and people lazing in the sun enjoying the festivities. After dark, the carnival turns into a dance party to keep you going all night. The festival runs from 11am onwards and is FREE to attend.

There will also be a massive festival of colour with the Midsumma Pride March which will take place along Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. Dress up with lots of colour, glitter, sequins and feathers and come and show your support for the thousands of LGBT people taking part in the pride march. The parade starts at 2pm and there will be an after-party at Catani Gardens.

You will find heaps of other festival events including photography and art exhibitions, live musical performances and plays, as well as stand up comedy, film screenings, dance classes and cabaret shows.

Many events are free and some are ticketed. Check the official program to confirm whether tickets need to be purchased for your chosen event.

So come on down and show your support for this fun event during Melbourne’s beautiful summer season!