Midsumma Festival 2025: Melbourne’s Queer Summer Spectacle Is Here

Darlings, it’s time to prepare your finest glitter, stock up on biodegradable confetti, and get your heels ready for stomping the streets. Midsumma Festival 2025 is about to descend upon Naarm/Melbourne, bringing three glorious weeks of queer art, celebration, and connection from 19 January to 9 February. With over 200 events spanning theatre, music, visual art, cabaret, and more, this year’s festival theme—Collective Identity(s)—is a love letter to the beautiful diversity that makes up the LGBTQIA+ community.

At its core, Midsumma is about coming together to reflect, celebrate, and connect. This year, the festival asks: How can we dance together in our differences? How can we create spaces for every voice to be heard? And most importantly, how can we do it all with maximum sparkle? Spoiler alert: the answers lie in this incredible program.

The Big Events You Can’t Miss

First up, the official opening event: Midsumma Carnival on Sunday, 19 January, at Alexandra Gardens. It’s a free, family-friendly, all-day bash that will feature live music, delicious bites, community stalls, and fabulous roving performances. Expect sun-soaked vibes and that warm, queer energy that feels like a giant group hug. Full Carnivaldetails here.

Then, clear your diary for Sunday, 2 February, because it’s the 30th Anniversary of Pride March. Thousands of us will sashay down St Kilda’s Fitzroy Street, honouring three decades of resilience and activism with an explosion of colour, costumes, and pride. Afterwards, Catani Gardens will host the ultimate post-march celebration, where you can toast to the trailblazers who paved the way. Learn more about Pride March.

Finally, we close the festival in true queer fashion with the Victoria’s Pride Street Party on Sunday, 9 February. Gertrude and Smith Streets in Fitzroy will be the place to be, featuring live performances from stars like Bec Sandridge, Thndo, and Leroy Macqueen, plus DJs, art installations, and more. It’s the camp, chaotic, and joyful goodbye we deserve. Street party info here.

Theatre and Performances to Gag Over

For those who love a dramatic monologue and a few tears (happy or otherwise), the Midsumma program is stacked. Head to Arts Centre Melbourne for the Australian premiere of Feeling Afraid as if Something Terrible is Going to Happen. Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe and starring Tony nominee Samuel Barnett, this Olivier-nominated play is the perfect mix of hilarious and heartfelt. Get tickets here.

Theatre Works is serving up boundary-pushing pieces, including the internationally acclaimed Truth to Power Café, which combines film, poetry, and music to ask: “Who has power over you, and what do you want to say to them?” And if you’re craving something intimate, check out A Body at Work by Frankie Van Kan—an exploration of queer sex work, motherhood, and creative self-expression. Explore Theatre Works’ full program.

For those with a taste for spectacle, Small Acts of Resistance at Gasworks Arts Park brings together a diverse cast aged 50 to 70 to explore hope and protest in a world that often silences marginalised voices. Details here.

Art, Ideas, and Queer Imaginings

It wouldn’t be Midsumma without art that makes you think, cry, and maybe even laugh. Highlights include HONŌUR at Fed Square, a sunset celebration of Queer POC Elders featuring music, storytelling, and visual performance. DiscoverHONŌUR here.

Over at Abbotsford Convent, don’t miss Medium by Ari Angkasar, a boundary-pushing performance lecture that’s part sci-fi thriller, part live film. And for those with little ones, An Uncertain Time offers a sensory theatre experience exploring love and loss for babies and their carers. Yes, even the tiniest members of our rainbow family are included. Explore Abbotsford Convent’s offerings.

Midsumma Beyond the City

Midsumma isn’t just painting Melbourne in rainbows. Thanks to the Regional Activation Program, the festival is spreading its magic to regional Victoria with 14 locally commissioned projects. From Warrnambool to Bendigo, these events will connect queer communities across the state. Explore regional events here.

Get Involved

Whether you’re a theatre buff, an art enthusiast, or just here for a boogie at the street parties, Midsumma Festival has something for everyone. So throw on your best queer attire, grab your friends, and let’s make this summer one to remember. For the full program and tickets, head to midsumma.org.au