Sydney Festival: 8 – 25 January 2026**
Sydney Festival is a city-wide celebration of culture, creativity and the questioning mind. From the streets to the beach, in stately theatres and in secret basements, it animates locations across Greater Sydney with a trailblazing free and ticketed program of theatre, music, dance, visual art and all the experimental in-between places of live performance.
Queer Screen – Mardi Gras Film Festival: February 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
A celebration of the diversity of sexualities and gender identities through queer storytelling on screen, the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival will bring the latest and best LGBTIQ+ films to cinema screens across Sydney. So, block out your calendars and prepare to sit back and enjoy a plethora of LGBTIQ+ feature films, short films, documentaries and events, curated by queer people, for queer people.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras: 13 February – 1 March 2026
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) is one of the oldest continuously operating LGBTQI organisations in Australia. SGLMG has evolved to include a strong focus on celebration while maintaining a commitment to social justice for LGBTQI communities.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day: Sunday 15 February 2026 (date to be confirmed)
Mardi Gras Fair Day is the biggest and best-loved free community event of the season – more than 80,000 people come together in Victoria Park in Camperdown for a fun day filled with live entertainment, Doggywood, the Sports Village and over community & commercial 200 stalls.
Bear Essentials: (Sydney): February 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
Running since 1995, Bear Essentials is the Harbour City Bears‘ annual festival held over Mardi Gras. For Bear Essentials 30, a full schedule of events is planned to meet your furry brethren, make new friends and see our beautiful city.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade: Saturday 28 February 2026
Join over 200,000 fabulous people as they unite for a glittering Pride parade in the heart of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ district. The Sydney Mardi Gras Parade is an event that stops the nation and reverberates around the world. Born from a single night of celebration and political protest, the true Mardi Gras spirit lives on over four decades later.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Party: Saturday 28 February 2026
Join international and local partygoers at the largest LGBTQIA+ party in the Southern Hemisphere. Each year the Mardi Gras Party bursts with music, light and performance across stunning fantasy worlds for you to immerse yourself. Extraordinary guest performers and DJs fill the atmosphere with pulsing techno, tantalising house and euphoric gay anthems.
Orange Rainbow Festival: March 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, the Orange Rainbow Festival and has expanded into a five-day celebration, made up of the Rainbow Walk, Pride Party, Queer Film Festival and other events hosted by local venues
Tropical Fruits Easter Party (Lismore): Saturday 4 April 2026 (date to be confirmed)
More details to come…
Sydney Comedy Festival: April / May 2026** (dates to be confirmed)
Celebrating its 21st Anniversary in 2026, the Sydney Comedy Festival is Sydney’s biggest annual comedy event. Each year, over 250 of the best comedians from Australia and beyond take to stages across Sydney for a massive month of comedy – offering up everything from stand up to sketch, satire, impro, musical, absurdist, theatre, magic and kids comedy.
Sydney Candlelight Memorial: May 2026 (date to be confirmed)
The AIDS Candlelight Memorial is a time when members of the community can come together and reflect on and remember all those who have passed away from HIV/AIDS.
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir – Under the Milky Way: Saturday 31 May 2025
Join the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir for Under the Milky Way, a powerful celebration of Australian music that spans generations, genres, and stories. From anthems of protest and resilience like Beds Are Burning and Treaty to heartfelt ballads like The Day You Went Away, this concert showcases the songs that have shaped our national identity. Featuring iconic hits from Cold Chisel, Kylie Minogue, and Yothu Yindi – alongside stunning choral arrangements of Great Southern Land, Flame Trees and I Touch Myself (amongst others), and the celestial title track – Under the Milky Way is a journey to the heart of Australia.
North Sydney Pride Picnic: Sunday 1 June 2025
Celebrate Pride with a vibrant community picnic, live entertainment and powerful projections sharing local queer stories at Ted Mack Civic Park. Mirroring Pride Month 2025’s theme of “Love, Respect, Empower” – this vibrant, family friendly afternoon will feature live music and entertainment, face painting, children’s activities and a special rainbow dog competition. As daylight fades, stay to experience a tribute to local queer history, as council buildings will be lit in rainbow colours, setting the scene for powerful projections from Mapping Queer North Sydney onto the walls of Stanton Library.
Qtopia Sydney Pride Fest: 1 – 30 June 2025
Featuring an eclectic program of theatre, cabaret, drag, music, book launches and workshops, Qtopia Sydney celebrates Pride month. More details to come…
Sydney Pride Festival: 1 – 30 June 2025
Sydney Pride Festival 2025 will celebrate diversity, unity, and equality under the theme, Love, Respect, Empower. With a rich line up of Theatre, art exhibitions, workshops, and performances, the festival aims to create a space of inclusion and joy. It serves as a powerful reminder of the progress made and the work that continues toward a more equitable and compassionate society.
Sydney Film Festival: 4 – 15 June 2025**
The world’s best new films come to Sydney in June for 12 days and nights of inspiring and entertaining premieres, talks and parties. Join SFF and be among the first in Australia to see the greatest, strangest and most exciting work that cinema has to offer.
Blue Mountains Pride: 6 – 9 June 2025
Blue Mountains Pride takes place on the King’s Birthday long weekend in June. The weekend is an exciting time for LGBTQIA+ community in the mountains with events encompassing visual arts, social, nature and celebration. Events include the bentART Exhibition, GLBTQ+ Bushwalk, Clothes Swap, Village Walking Tour, film screenings and the Blackheath Disco.
bentART Annual Exhibition (Blue Mountains): 7 – 15 June 2025
Celebrating 20 years, bentART celebrates works in the visual arts of Australian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex artists. In 2025 the exhibition will be held at Rex-Livingston Art+Objects gallery in Katoomba. It commences on the June long weekend (Saturday 7 June) and continues to Sunday 15 June 2025.
Tropical Fruits Pride Ball (Lismore): Saturday 7 June 2025
Tropical Fruits takes over the iconic Lismore skating rink, Rollerworld, for a jam-packed evening of pride & joy. A community showcase of budding and ripe fruits from across the lands – dress it up or dress it down and come and celebrate our pride!
Leeton Pride Festival: 13 – 15 June 2025
This winter, celebrate Pride with us at the Leeton Pride Festival. We’re transforming our charming Art Deco town into a vibrant spectacle filled with rainbows and glitter. Join us as we parade down the lane, bringing the streets to life with colour and joy. The festivities continue in the park, where you can enjoy lively entertainment and community activities. And don’t miss the fabulous parties featuring dazzling performances by drag queens. It’s a weekend full of love, celebration, and unity. Come and be a part of the magic at Leeton Pride Festival!
Lismore Lantern Parade (Northern NSW): Saturday 21 June 2025**
Lismore Lantern Parade is an annual community event held on or around the longest night of the year, being the Winter Solstice. Each year the Lantern Parade involves participants from Lismore, throughout the Northern Rivers and visitors to the region who have attended workshops in lantern, mask and costume making. 2025 will see the Lismore Lantern Parade celebrate 31 years of bringing light to the heart of the Northern Rivers community.
Aurora Ball (Sydney): Saturday 7 June 2025
The Aurora Renaissance Ball – The Art of New Beginnings invites you to embrace an age of renewal, where we honour those who paved the way, and unite to create a future worthy of their courage. Buying a ticket to the Aurora Ball directly strengthens Rainbow Giving Australia’s grant programs that empower LGBTQIA+ communities nationwide, and is a wonderful first step to help us reach our fundraising goal.
Bear Pride Week (Sydney): August 2025 (dates to be confirmed)
Harbour City Bears is Sydney’s only community group for bears. Bear Pride Week celebrates with a program of events for bears, admirers and friends.
Queer Screen Film Fest: (Sydney): August – September 2025 (dates to be confirmed)
Now in its 12th year, Queer Screen Film Fest is coming to lure us out of hibernation and warm our hearts with a selection of films from across the world. More details to come…
Sydney Fringe Festival: 1 – 30 September 2025**
Each September culture creators from all over the city join forces with Sydney Fringe to demonstrate the type of city they want to live in all year round. As an open access festival, it is the largest independent arts gathering in NSW, annually hosting over 400 events across 21 postcodes during the 30 day festival.
FRUITOPIA Fair Day (Lismore): September 2025 (dates to be confirmed)
Returning once again to the Farmers Market area at Lismore Showgrounds, FRUITOPIA Fair Day is a frivolous, fun-filled, FUNdraising event for fruity families, friends and pooches. FRUITOPIA 25 will bring your beloved favourites like Bake-Off, Bar, Food, DJs, Dog Show, Entertainment, Hat Contest, Kids Activities, Photo Show, Raffles and Stalls, all with plenty of parking, loads of love and that familiar fruity community vibe.
Honour Awards: September 2025 (date to be confirmed)
First held in 2007, the Honour Awards celebrates outstanding service to, and achievements within, LGBTQ communities in NSW. Finalists are selected from nominations across nine categories covering the health, HIV, youth, community, business, entertainment, visual arts, media and cultural sectors. The awards are also a gala fundraising event for ACON – NSW’s leading HIV and LGBTQ health organisation.
Tamworth Pride Fair Day: September 2025 (dates to be confirmed)
Tamworth Pride Inc would like to invite you to their 5th Annual Fair Day. This is an event that supports our local LGBTQIA+ community and our theme this year is Technicolour Dreams – we are inviting everyone to wear as much rainbow and bright colours as possible. With plenty of entertainment (including a dog show), there will be plenty of food, coffee and information stalls from some of our local community groups and services.
Coastal Twist Festival: (Central Coast NSW): 1 – 6 October 2025
Central Coast NSW’s good vibes, all out LGBTIQ A+ inclusion festival. Burst into spring with a bumper weekend of Queer happenings. This dynamic festival embodies authentic inclusion of all peoples with the intention of a Happier, Healthier and more welcoming Central Coast. 75mins from Sydney, 90mins from Newcastle. Coastal Twist is the ultimate Queer Spring getaway.
Newcastle Pride Festival: October 2025 (dates to be confirmed)
For an unforgettable celebration of love, diversity, and unity, Newcastle Pride Festival have announced the launch of their fifth annual festival, celebrating the theme Your Voice, Your Story. From the glimmering beaches to the vibrant city streets, Newcastle will be alive with a spectacular line-up of events including the fabulous POOF DOOF + DYKE DOOF, the colourful Newcastle Pride Parade, the electrifying Screamin’ Gay party, and the fun-filled Fair Day.
Parramatta Pride Picnic: October 2025 (date to be confirmed)
Now in its 17th year, the Parramatta Pride Picnic is a rainbow coloured day of fun and pride for the whole family at River Foreshore Reserve. The day will feature fabulous food stalls, free entertainment, activations, travel, health and sporting groups and a fully licenced bar.
Rainbow on the Plains Festival (Hay): 14 – 17 November 2024
Rainbow on the Plains is a festival of fun, support, inclusion and celebration of our local and visiting lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex communities, their friends and families. We celebrate with a street parade and party, alongside various community events.
World AIDS Day – Red Ribbon Appeal: Sunday 1 December 2024
The Red Ribbon Appeal raises money for community-based initiatives that aim to eliminate the transmission of HIV in NSW and end HIV stigma. It is conducted by ACON, NSW’s leading HIV and sexuality and gender diverse health organisation, throughout November, in the lead up to World AIDS Day. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day (December 1) is an opportunity to raise awareness about HIV, show solidarity with people living with HIV, and remember those we have lost to an AIDS-related illness. The day is observed with the red ribbon.
Tropical Fruits New Year’s Festival (Lismore): 30 December 2025 – 1 January 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
Join Tropical Fruits at Lismore Showgrounds for their famous New Year’s Eve Festival – consisting of four dance parties across the 30th (Camp party), 31st (NYE Party) & the 1st (Pool Party & Recovery party), our renowned Cabaret (NYE) the crooked ‘Next Day Cabaret’ (NYD) as well as an arts & cultural program with panels, workshops & activities happening throughout.
If your festival or event is not listed above, and you would like to submit for consideration, please send an email to: reception@australianpridenetwork.com.au Your festival or event must be not-for-profit and primarily coordinated by those who identify as LGBTIQ. (Events organised by individuals or commercial entities will not be considered)
Image: Sydney Opera House Progress Pride Sails – courtesy of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Note: ** festival contains significant LGBTIQ content