Midsumma Festival

When: –

Where: Melbourne, Melbourne, AU

Midsumma, Victoria's big LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival, runs for three weeks every summer (January-February) in Melbourne's inner suburbs. It's more than just a parade. Think a full cultural season: over 100 events, everything from theater to visual art, comedy, sports, and nightlife.

This festival grounds the southern hemisphere's LGBTQ+ summer calendar. The Midsumma Carnival at Alexandra Gardens pulls a crowd. So does the Midsumma Pride March in St Kilda. And expect Midsumma Festival Club nights at places all over Fitzroy, Collingwood, and the CBD.

Started in 1988, Midsumma now gets over 250,000 people through its three weeks. Its real strength is how much it covers: queer performance art, gay sports leagues, leather weekends, family-friendly stuff. It shows you the whole spread of Melbourne's queer community.