Pride is centre court when the Australian Open welcomes tennis lovers to the only Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance event hosted by a Grand Slam. After three days of heats at Albert Park, with 180 LGBTQIA+ competitors from 14 countries competing, the finals play out at Kia Arena with a carnival atmosphere, celebrity matches and musical accompaniment from the likes of Darren Hayes, Vanessa Amorosi, Montaigne and a host of drag queens.
When Melbourne begins to scorch and everyone begins to glisten, the LGBTIQA+ extravaganza Midsumma Festival returns to glow up the cultural calendar.
Celebrating a magnificent 25 years of queer excellence in 2023, this year's line-up includes all the beloved regulars, like the Alexandra Gardens-rocking Midsumma Carnival day and the Pride March along Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, as well as locking in last year's northside addition. Now dubbed Victoria's Pride Street Party, it takes over Gertrude and Smith Street.
But beyond the big (free) tickets listed above, there's a plethora of perfection on offer for
everyone from sports lovers to theatre darlings. Even better, the more you see, the cheaper it gets, with a 10% discount for booking three shows in one go.
Midsumma runs from Jan 21-Feb 12, 2023. Find out more here.