Pride celebrations in Australia

Pride celebrations in Australia happen all throughout the calendar year, with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras as the biggest event.

History

It is widely regarded that the first Mardi Gras celebration in Australia was on 24 June 1978, when an estimated 500 people rallied in Martin Place[1]. Since then, LGBTQ+ pride celebrations have grown massively, with many events in all states and territories.

In 2023, Sydney hosted InterPride's annual WorldPride event.[2]

Pride celebrations by state/territory and city/town/region

Australian Capital Territory

Canberra

Canberra celebrates with their SpringOUT Festival, which runs annually in November.[3] The fair day marks the beginning of the festival, which has many other events throughout the month.

New South Wales

Newcastle

Newcastle has an annual festival that happens in October.[4] Many events happen throughout the entire month, with the fair day marking the end of the festival. Other events during this festival include a pride parade, arts and culture displays, and many more.

Sydney

Sydney celebrates the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras annually, usually around the end of February or start of March. It marks the final event of the annual LGBTQ+ festival celebrated in February. They also celebrate Pride Month with an annual pride festival that happens in June.[5] This festival includes many events, such as a fair day and many different arts and culture displays.

Other cities/towns

There are many more events that happen across the state, in cities such as Tamworth and Lismore, and more region-based events across the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast, among many others.[6]

Northern Territory

Darwin

Top End Pride[7] runs the annual Darwin Pride Festival, which happens in June.

Kununurra

The Kununurra Pride Festival happens annually, run by Kununurra Pride[8] in the town of Kununurra.

Queensland

Brisbane

Brisbane has their pride festival annually in September, which is run by Brisbane Pride.[9] They also celebrate with their Big Gay Day[10] in October each year.

Cairns

Happens annually in October.[11]

Gladstone

The Rainbow on the Reef festival happens in May each year.[12]

Moreton Bay

The Moreton Bay PrideFest Happens annually in April.[13]

Sunshine Coast

Their pride festival happens each year in November.[14]

South Australia

Adelaide

The South Australian Pride Gala is held annually in June, and it celebrates South Australia in its entirety.[15] Pride March Adelaide happens in November,[16] and is run by the same group as the South Australian Pride Gala, Pride Adelaide.

Separate from Pride Adelaide is Feast Festival, which happens every year in November.[17] As part of Feast Festival, they run Picnic in the Park.

Tasmania

Hobart

TasPride Festival happens annually in February.[18]

Victoria

Bendigo

The Bendigo Pride Festival happens in April each year.[19]

Daylesford

Daylesford hosts the ChillOut Festival,[20] which is Australia's largest queer country pride festival.[21]

Geelong

The Geelong Rainbow Festival happens annually in February.[22] Geelong also celebrates with their annual Geelong Pride Film Festival, happening in April and May each year. Geelong Pride Expo, which is set to take place on the 13th of June 2026, is another pride festival taking place in Geelong (West).[23] Moreover, the Geelong Gay Social[24] is a LGBTQ+ group that gathers monthly at Recess Bar+ Eats.[25] GASP[26] organizes activities for the LGBTQ+; these activities are separated into 2 groups by age with people of ages 12-17 being the "Younger Group" and the "Older Group" being for people from ages 17-25.[27]

Melbourne

The Midsumma Festival happens annually in January.[28] The South Side Festival[29] is another pride celebration that happens in Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne, in May each year. Melbourne Queer Film Festival happens annually in November.[30]

Shepparton

Out in the Open Festival happens in November each year.[31]

Wangaratta

Wangaratta doesn't have a full-scale festival, but they celebrate with an annual pride fair day, held in April each year.[32]

Western Australia

Albany

Albany Pride happens in February and March each year.[33]

Broome

Broome Pride happens annually in February and March.[34]

Busselton

Pride Wellbeing Festival happens in Busselton annually in November.[35]

Goldfields

The Goldfields-Esperance region celebrates with Goldfields Pride, which happens in September each year.[36]

Perth

Perth celebrates with PrideFEST, occurring in November each year.[37]

Pilbara

Pilbara Pride happens in June each year.[38]

References

  1. ↑ Antje (2023-04-02). "Revolution Is For Us: Gay Liberation, Unions and the Left in the 1970s". Commons Library. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  2. ↑ "Sydney WorldPride 2023". Carriageworks. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  3. ↑ "Canberra's very own PRIDE Festival". SpringOUT. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  4. ↑ "Newcastle Pride". Newcastle Pride. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  5. ↑ "Sydney Pride Month". Sydney Pride Month. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  6. ↑ "New South Wales - Australian Pride Network". 2026-05-16. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  7. ↑ "Top End Pride". topendpride.com.au. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  8. ↑ "Kununurra Pride". www.facebook.com.
  9. ↑ "Brisbane Pride Festival | Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Community in Brisbane". Brisbane Pride. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  10. ↑ "Big Gay Day 2025". Big Gay Day 2025. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  11. ↑ "Cairns Pride Festival". Cairns Pride. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  12. ↑ "Rainbow on the Reef Ltd". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  13. ↑ "PrideFest". Visit Moreton Bay Region. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  14. ↑ "Home | Sunshine Coast Pride Network". SC Pride Network. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  15. ↑ "South Australian Pride Gala". Pride Adelaide. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  16. ↑ "Pride Adelaide | Pride Adelaide: Promoting LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in South Australia". Pride Adelaide. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  17. ↑ "Home". Feast Festival. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  18. ↑ "www.taspride.com". taspride2020. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  19. ↑ studioink. "Home". Bendigo Pride Festival. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  20. ↑ "ChillOut Festival". ChillOut Festival. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  21. ↑ "History Of ChillOut". ChillOut Festival. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  22. ↑ "Geelong Rainbow Inc". geelongrainbow.org.au. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  23. ↑ "Geelong Pride Expo 2026 | Event, City of Greater Geelong". www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au. 2026-04-30. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  24. ↑ "June Geelong Gay social - Pride edition". events.humanitix.com. 2026-06-18. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  25. ↑ https://recessbarandeats.com/
  26. ↑ "GASP". GASP. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  27. ↑ "Social Group". GASP. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  28. ↑ "Midsumma Festival - Midsumma Festival - Home". Midsumma Festival. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  29. ↑ "South Side Festival". www.southsidefestival.com.au. Archived from the original on 2025-12-13. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  30. ↑ "Melbourne Queer Film Festival". Melbourne Queer Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2026-05-26. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  31. ↑ "Goulburn Valley Pride Inc". Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  32. ↑ "Pride Fair Day 2026!". LINE Wangaratta. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  33. ↑ "Albany Pride Festival". Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  34. ↑ "BROOME PRIDE". BROOME PRIDE. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  35. ↑ "Pride Wellbeing Festival". www.pridewellbeingfestival.org.au. Archived from the original on 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  36. ↑ "Goldfields Pride". Goldfields Pride. Archived from the original on 2026-01-19. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  37. ↑ "Pride WA". Pride WA. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  38. ↑ "PILBARA PRIDE FESTIVAL 2026". pilbarapridefestival.com.au. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
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