Midsumma Festival

Midsumma is an annual lesbian and gay festival held during January and February in Melbourne, Australia.

Midsumma is Victoria's premier gay and lesbian arts and cultural festival that presents an annual community celebration of over 100 events including visual arts, theatre, spoken word as well as community and sporting events. Midsumma produces a strong, critically acclaimed program of visual arts, spoken word and performance events, as well as large-scale outdoor community events.

For three weeks and four weekends in January and February each year, Melburnians and visitors experience and explore a unique flavour and raw edge of Queer Melbourne’s cultural and artistic spirit. Midsumma injects a distinctive perspective into Melbourne, producing a festival of innovative artistic practice and a unique cultural experience. Midsumma exhilarates and enriches Melbourne by transforming some of our most exciting public spaces into vibrant hubs of queer culture and celebration.

Midsumma Festival is rated a Major Event by Tourism Victoria and the City of Melbourne. The festival is identified globally as one of the top five gay and lesbian arts and cultural celebrations, along with New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and Singapore. As such, Midsumma serves to identify Melbourne as a culturally sophisticated city and strengthens Melbourne’s national and international profile.

Previous events have included Summa Cabaret which featured Hugh Jackman, Geraldine Turner, and the ensembles Combo Fiasco and The Great Big Opera Company.