As the days begin to heat up and stretch out, we inch closer to the fantastic annual events, parties and performances presenting and celebrating queer art, culture and life.
Midsumma is one of Melbourne's premier queer celebrations, with visual art, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, live music, parties, sport, social events and public forums presented over three weeks in January and February, across 85 venues.
A not-for profit festival, Midsumma "is positioned and identified globally as one of the top five gay and lesbian arts and cultural festivals, along with New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and Singapore."
The program has a massive assortment of pertinent, powerful and passioante performances, showcase, discussions, parties and more. Check out real-life stories of same-sex parents, donor dads and surrogate mums in a special 25th birthday year commission from the festival organisers, Gaybies, hilarious gay anecdotes in The LOL Big Gay Comedy Night, or The Beat Goes On, a guided tour that explores the secret world of Melbourne's historic gay beat culture.
We're also looking forward to seeing the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the Midsumma 25 Years Retrospective Exhibition at Northcote Town Hall and Chapel Off Chapel, Queer Readings of the Bible, the Little Queer Film Festival, Miss Gay & Miss Transsexual Australia 2013 Pageant, all the parties and of course, the Pride March.
Check out our Midsumma page where we've collected all the events together, or head to their website to find out even more.
Tickets to events are starting to periodically go on sale now.
- Amy Robinson