With the conclusion of International Pride Month, Qtopia Sydney has officially wrapped up Pride Fest 2026 with a bang, bringing to a close their biggest festival yet!
Firmly cementing its place as a mainstay in the Australian LGBTQIA+ cultural calendar, this year’s festival delivered a beautiful celebration of community, culture and conversation.
Now in it’s third year, Pride Fest saw record growth in 2026, doubling its programming to 312 events and 250 artists over 33 days, receiving a 150% rise in audience numbers from 8,000 in 2025 to over 20,000 in 2026.
This year saw the festival expand from outside the walls of Qtopia Sydney’s The Loading Dock Theatre and The BWYASSS Substation, to take over the entire Oxford Street precinct, including to The Eternity Playhouse, Ginger’s at the Oxford, Universal Upstairs and Downstairs.
“I’m so proud of the work we’ve been able to do at Qtopia Sydney to have made this momental festival possible. With record-breaking audience numbers, we’re very happy that the community showed up to make this year’s Pride Fest the success that it was,” said Festival Director Carly Fisher.
A festival like this only works when the community supports it and we are extremely grateful to our incredible community for truly showing up for Queer storytelling, education, commemoration and more than anything, celebration.”
Featuring drag, comedy, cabaret, book launches, panel discussions, workshops, fitness classes, dance, film, parties, restaurant activations, Pride Fest 2026 also introduced Pride Fest: Intersections, a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity through an intersectional Queer lens, Pride Fest: New Voices, showcasing works in development and Fit N’ Proud – a dynamic program of sport, fitness and dance events.
Qtopia Sydney is the largest cultural centre for queer history and culture in the world, with four different buildings within the campus, housed in the heritage-listed former Darlinghurst Police Station.
The centre opened in 2024 with 18 exhibitions, as a place to share the stories of the Queer community in Australia – past, present and future. As storytellers, Qtopia Sydney bring LGBTQIA+ histories out of the side-lines and into the light – from breakthroughs in medicine and law to art, activism and everyday life.
These are stories of courage, contribution and resilience that deserve to be heard. Qtopia Sydney is also home to two performance venues and offers a rich program of events and performances.
For more information about Qtopia Sydney and its upcoming programs, visit: www.qtopiasydney.com.au for details.
Image: Qtopia Sydney – photo by Samantha Heather Photography