Future of Coastal Twist Pride Fair Day in Doubt Over Footy Final

The future of a major LGBTQIA+ celebration on the New South Wales Central Coast hangs in the balance, as organisers of the Coastal Twist Fair Day face the prospect of cancellation due to a scheduling clash with the NRL grand final in Sydney.

Despite the game being 80kms away from their event, organisers have been advised their event will clash.

Coastal Twist Fair Day Clash

The vibrant arts and culture festival, held annually at Umina Beach since 2019, has become a staple event for the local LGBTQIA+ community.

However, this year’s edition, traditionally set for the October long weekend, may not proceed after Central Coast Council deemed it unfeasible due to “unacceptable traffic and parking impacts”.

The council argues that Umina’s streets and car parks will already be overwhelmed by visitors heading to Sydney Olympic Park for the rugby league final, nearly 80 kilometres away.

Festival producer Juan Iocco expressed confusion and frustration over the reasoning behind the decision.

“I think we asked [the council] about seven times over a period of almost two months for clarification,” Mr Iocco told the ABC. 

“We finally got a response saying that it was the NRL grand final in Sydney … but that has been going every year on that same date [as our event] … it doesn’t make sense.”

In a bid to overturn the council’s rejection, Mr Iocco is now seeking a $30,000 report on traffic and pedestrian impacts, a process he fears may not be completed in time.

“Trying to keep our headliners and our main artists when we really don’t know if we are going ahead with it or not is really quite stressful,” he told the publication.

Creative director Glitta Supernova emphasised that relocating the event, as suggested by the council, would diminish its public visibility and impact.

“We’ve been offered [by council] all these little backyard places to hold the festival, apart from the one we want to do it in,” Supernova told the ABC.

“We could easily do it and tuck ourselves away, and that visibility piece wouldn’t be happening in our community because we’re all tucked away … no-one sees it and no-one is part of it.

“[But] it’s just really important that people see and get to be part of an inclusive society.”

Organisers remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, stressing the festival’s vital role in promoting acceptance, community engagement, and cultural celebration across the region.

The 2025 festival is currently scheduled for the 1st to the 6th of October.