Midsumma Pride March: 30 Years Of Marching (And Reporting) With Pride

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Midsumma Pride March on February 2, an event celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride and unity, spanning one kilometre and bringing together almost 60,000 people.

Beginning with the traditional Dykes on Bikes contingent, followed by Boon Wurrung Elders, a rainbow Aboriginal float, and more, before our LGBTQIA+ youth lead the march – as they lead our community into the future.

Proudly, the Star Observer has been there all along – beginning with an article in late 1993 reporting on the plans for a march in the same issue that was overflowing with obituaries.

It took until 1996 for those plans to come to fruition, but it was worth the wait. As Penny McDonald, an organiser of the first march told Star Observer in 2015:

“We had no idea how big it was going to be — we thought, ‘if we get 100 people we’ll be happy,’ and we think we got about 11,000.” 

That this was possible was a testament to how strongly our community needed a chance to celebrate pride.

As Brenton Geyer, Midsumma’s President 1993–1995 and Festival Manager 2001–2006, said in 1994, “All who identify as part of Melbourne’s gay and lesbian community must take this festival as their own…above anything do it with pride and purpose.”

Despite some cheeky rivalry between Sydney’s more established Mardi Gras and Midsumma, in 2024, a whopping 45 years after their first historic march, a group of ‘78ers flew down to Melbourne to “renew the bond between activists in the two cities”.

Midsumma began in 1989 (as the Mid Summa Festival), with a ten-day calendar fit to burst with theatre, music, art and drag. But it wasn’t all arty and party! A Bazaar took over Peel Street for “a ‘family’ day with a twist!”, a car rally began at Prahran Market’s car park, there was a roller skating night, and plenty of events for ‘quiet queers’ too, with a gay historical tour of Melbourne, fine dining, camping, and a Service of Blessing for “believers and non-believers alike”. 

The HIV/AIDS crisis and the Midsumma Festival & Pride March

We cannot talk about that first Mid Summa Festival without reckoning with the spectre of HIV/AIDS that cast a long shadow over our community.

Events included safe sex talks and workshops, themed exhibitions at the Linden Gallery and Australian Centre for Contemporary Arts (ACCA), and a workshop for those wishing to produce a quilt panel to add to The Quilt Project in memory of those lost to the epidemic. Even the most joyous events were often in service of the community, raising funds for charities caring for patients in hospitals and hospice care. 

Midsumma Pride March – all about community, always

Access to all members of the community has always been a priority for Midsumma – the parade in particular was always designed to be DIY in stark contrast to the sometimes costly flamboyance of Mardi Gras. “We consciously went for a no-float approach, and made it cheaper and more accessible to participate in,” said Penny McDonald in 2021. 

Since 2017, Midsumma have also celebrated Pride March Awards to celebrate the innovation, fabulousness and messages conveyed by our marchers. 

As Geyer said in his address in 1994,  “One day, when the battle is won, and the raison d’être for Midsumma becomes socially, morally and politically obsolete, may we not need this festival of pride, presence, and profile?”. 

30th anniversary ‘a powerful declaration of pride, unity, and hope’

“Celebrating 30 years of Midsumma Pride March is a profound testament to the progress, resilience, and unwavering spirit of LGBTQIA+ Victorians and their allies,” said Midsumma Festival’s CEO and Creative Director Karen Byrant.

“This milestone transcends being just a march; it stands as a powerful declaration of pride, unity, and hope for a more inclusive future. It is a moment to honour the struggles and triumphs of our history, uplift and inspire the next generation, and embrace the vibrant diversity that shapes and strengthens our communities.”

So get your sunscreen and sequins and show future generations just how it’s done.

Star Observer will be there – and we can’t wait to be part of celebrations honouring the 40th, 50th, 100th Midsumma Pride Parades, and beyond.