This Summer, leading LGBTQIA+ Arts Organisation, Midsumma will present a jam-packed calendar with about 200 events celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community across Melbourne and regional Victoria. The State will come alive with theatre, music, visual arts, cabaret, public forums and more, celebrating the festival theme Collective Identity(s).
This year’s theme invites audiences to reflect on how we can foster true connection across all diverse LGBTQIA+ communities and intersections. Collective Identity(s) includes all ages, identities, cultures, faiths, geographical locations, and disabilities in an age marked by digital overload, fleeting interactions and emotional separation.
“At Midsumma Festival 2025, we invite our communities to ‘call people in together’ rather than call them out,” said Chief Executive and Creative Director of Midsumma Festival, Karen Bryant.
“This is a celebration of diversity, creativity, and collective strength, reminding us of the power of shared stories and experiences regardless of difference. Together, we can dance with many diverse bodies, sing with many diverse voices, and hold space for us all.”
The 2025 festival will include the 30-year celebration of the iconic Pride March in Victoria – a landmark moment in the history of LGBTQIA+ arts and culture. The historical moment is a testament to three decades of resilience, unity, and collective progress. The event will be held on Sunday 2 February as thousands will march through the streets of St Kilda in a sea of colour and pride honouring a shared history and vision of equality and inclusion.
Midsumma signature events will return in 2025. These key events include Midsumma Carnival and Victoria’s Pride with a Street Party and the Regional Activation Program, both in partnership with the Victorian State Government.
Midsumma Carnival will present a free, all-day celebration at Alexandra Gardens on Sunday 19 January, while Victoria’s Pride Street Party will transform Fitzroy’s Gertrude and Smith Street Precinct into a dynamic celebration of queer arts and culture on Sunday 9 February.
The partnership will also proudly present the Regional Activation Program with 14 new regionally commissioned projects. Castlemaine, Beechworth and Mildura kicked off the program in November with more works to be presented in Horsham, Bendigo, Goulburn Valley, Geelong, Wangaratta, Murray River, Warragul, Warrnambool and Indigo Shire.
These activations will bring vibrant performances, exhibitions, and storytelling to regional communities, ensuring that the spirit of Midsumma resonates statewide whilst amplifying diverse voices.
Festival program highlights include the Olivier Award-nominated play Feeling Afraid as if Something Terrible is Going to Happen presented at Arts Centre Melbourne; Thirty-Six at fortyfivedownstairs by Bullet Heart Club and directed by Kitan Petkovski; and Truth to Power Café the international award-winning performance combining film, poetry and music at Theatre Works.
A Body at Work, Frankie Van Kan’s intimate theatrical exploration of queer sex work, motherhood, and creative self-expression will also be presented at Theatre Works; and Small Acts of Resistance, Women’s Circus returning with a new work at Gasworks Arts Park.
Back by popular demand, multi-award winning writer/performer, Dan Ireland-Reeves, returns with Sauna Boy; the award-winning cult cabaret, An Evening Without Kate Bush, pays tribute to one of the most influential voices in pop music; while Hans, International superstar, sex symbol and piano accordionist, heads to the Brunswick Ballroom for a very special intimate evening.
Part of Midsumma Presents, the Queer Imaginings program invites audiences to share space, food, music, and ideas with intergenerational artists and creative leaders through six dynamic projects.
Highlights include HONOUR – a sunset celebration at Fed Square developed with BEAT Entertainment that honours Queer POC Elders through music, storytelling, and visual performance in a ceremony of love and recognition; and An Uncertain Time – a sensory theatre experience for babies (0–12 months) and their carers that explores love, loss, and hope while centering rainbow families and their parenting journeys.
Midsumma Matters – a talks and ideas program co-designed by young people featuring events like A Minor Adjustment – an exploration of play and resilience for families; and A Not So Small Talk – where teenagers lead engaging conversations with community leaders. Queer Imaginings has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia.
Melbourne will come alive with the joy of Midsumma Festival from Abbotsford Convent to the NGV to the State Library Victoria to the Immigration Museum. There will be comedy, cabaret, circus arts, talks, tours, awards and more as Victoria comes together to celebrate Collective Identity(s) through the Summer.
“We’re proud of our commitment to nurturing LGBTQIA+ artists all year round,” said Bryant. “Midsumma is not just a festival—it’s a movement, and 2025 is set to be a milestone year for queer arts and cultural development unique to our region of the world.”
The 2025 Midsumma Festival promises to be a transformative celebration of storytelling, creativity and community.
The 2025 Midsumma Festival runs from 19 January to 9 February. For more information and full program, visit: www.midsumma.org.au for details.
Images: Midsumma Pride March – photo by J Forsyth | Victoria’s Pride Street Party (supplied) | Sauna Boy by Dan Ireland-Reeves | Samuel Barnett stars in Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen (supplied)