Celebrating The History & Future of Sydney Pride Month

Sydneysiders may save our biggest pride celebrations for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras at the end of summer, but that doesn’t stop us from painting the town pink in June to mark Pride Month.

From June 1 to 30, more than 300 events will be running as part of Sydney’s annual Pride Month. Celebrating the history, resilience, and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community, Sydney Pride offers workshops, art exhibitions, parties, theatre, and more. The events aim to raise awareness and support for LGBTQIA+ charities, organisations, and businesses, all while fostering compassion and courage within the community and beyond.

“Mardi Gras is a spectacular celebration and one of the most well-known Pride events in the world. But Pride Month is more grassroots — it’s about remembering our history and bringing the community together in a meaningful way,” said Sydney Pride Month organiser and Stonewall Hotel promotions and marketing manager, Glenn Hansen.

“It shines a light on LGBTQIA+ charities, small businesses, arts, and venues that can sometimes be overlooked during the larger Mardi Gras festivities.”

Whether you’re a quiet queer, ready for a rager, or more of a community-minded celebrator, there’s something for absolutely everybody. There’s the Aurora Renaissance Ball, a fundraiser for vital LGBTQIA+ community initiatives featuring spectacular queer artists, or art workshops with Wonder Mama, where you can draw your inner drag queen or make erotic pottery.

Qtopia, Sydney’s first LGBTQIA+ museum, contributes to the celebrations with their second annual Pride Fest, featuring more than 400 artists across more than 150 events. Kicking off the festival is Big Bi Night, a live podcast recording with Star Observer’s Give It To Me Bi columnists Chad and Steve, and from then on is a kaleidoscope of queer events, including drag, theatre, comedy, cabaret, exhibitions and workshops and more.

“There’s a clear gap in Sydney’s cultural calendar when it comes to Pride Month and winter arts,” said Greg Fisher, 78er and CEO of Qtopia. “Pride Fest fills that space, not just with world-class entertainment, but with real value for the local economy. This is about growing visibility, vibrancy, and economic activity in the heart of our city.”

Pride Month is also a time to pay tribute to Australia’s original queer protesters, the 78ers, who brought people ‘out of the bars and into the streets’ for gay liberation, only to be met with police brutality and discrimination from mainstream society. 

Their courage on the night of June 24, 1978 shaped queer Australian history. Through remembering their sacrifices, we make a promise to our communities that we will stand strong in the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. As anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment rises around the world, keeping these ideals at the forefront of our minds is vital.

The festival also gives us a chance to recognise the importance of the streets where our queer elders walked before us. Set on Gadigal land, Oxford Street has been a space for generations of queer people to be their authentic selves. For many of us, it was where we first entered a gay bar or saw a drag show. You’d be hard-pressed to find a LGBTQIA+ person in Sydney who doesn’t have at least one late-night Oxford Street story.

“[It] is such a special place,” said Hansen. “It’s where we found chosen family, where we’ve celebrated, cried, danced, and grown. Pride Month now reaches across all of Sydney, but Oxford Street remains the heart of it all. It holds so much of our community’s joy, struggle, and spirit.”

In celebration of these communities that have popped up around the streets, the NSW Government has helped establish the area as the stunning Rainbow Precinct. With Taylor Square at the heart of the district, the Rainbow Precinct snakes down Bourke Street as far as The Beresford, along Oxford Street towards the city as far as the Burdekin Hotel, and out to South Darling Street and the National Art School. 

Pride Month gives locals and visitors the chance to explore the spaces that have nurtured a sense of belonging for so many.

“Right now, staying connected to the community feels more important than ever,” said Hansen. “These gatherings are more than just fun—they’re spaces where people can feel seen, safe, and celebrated.”

You can learn more about Sydney Pride Month at sydneypride.com and more about Qtopia’s Pride Fest at qtopiasydney.com.au.