Midsumma launched its 2026 festival program at The Edge in Federation Square last night, filling the space with that unmistakable Melbourne mix of spark, DIY creativity and joyful queer chaos.
The festival returns from 18 January to 8 February, guided by this year’s theme, Time and Place — a reflection on queer histories, present tensions and the futures we’re brave enough to imagine.
CEO and Creative Director Karen Bryant captured the mood at the launch, standing in front of an image of a rally with a protest sign reading ‘PROTECT TRANS KIDS’ as she spoke to the importance of standing by ALL members of our community during LGBTQIA+ events like Midsumma, particularly at this moment in time.
“We are living at a unique and pivotal moment in history, a time of shifting sands,” Bryant said in a statement. “As the world faces a rising tide of division and retreat from progress, the need to connect through shared humanity has never been more urgent.
“The 2026 Midsumma Festival theme, Time and Place, reflects these challenges while emphasising the power of connection, to land, culture, and each other.”
Midsumma 2026, will you be our valentine? <3
Midsumma’s signature events are of course back to anchor the month. Carnival kicks off the celebrations on 18 January, the sun-soaked annual gathering that unofficially serves as Melbourne’s queer new year.
Pride March has been bumped to 14 February, instantly crowning Valentine’s Day as a statewide day of LGBTQIA+ visibility.
And Victoria’s Pride lands on 8 February, tying together regional and city celebrations across the state.
Across 22 days, the festival will scatter more than 200 events across 150-plus venues, stretching from inner-city arts hubs to regional communities.
New works + voices, and a very stacked slate
This year’s Midsumma Presents lineup delivers a bold group of new works that feel plugged directly into the queer moment.
One of the most talked-about pieces is The Placeholder (27 January – 8 February), a sharp and tender ensemble work by trans playwright Ben MacEllan. Set in a small regional town over five years, it traces friendship, chosen family and the uncomfortable truths of watching people you love change.
At the Victorian Pride Centre on 7 February, Karan Nagrani — known to many as That Blind Guy — steps into the spotlight with From Grindr to Blindr, sharing lived experiences of disability, sex, awkward dates and self-acceptance with humour and emotional clarity.
Joel Bray Dance Company brings Garabari to Meat Market on 30–31 January, described as a “high energy interactive contemporary dance gathering” blending Wiradjuri song and electronic beats. Audience members are invited onto the dance floor, blurring the line between performance and communal movement.
The program is stacked with more highlights, including:
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Tom Ballard’s playful political romp A Comprehensive & Profoundly Queer Accounting… (28–31 January)
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Milo Hartill’s euphoric cabaret Black, Fat and F**gy (4–5 February)
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Thomáš Kantor’s chaotic pop-driven theatre work Sugar (18–25 January)
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Danish Sheikh’s moving courtroom reflection Much to do with Law, but more to do with Love (4–7 February)
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Love Love Love Love Love Love, a colour-drenched sensory performance for babies (5–8 February)
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Adults-only Drag Storytime with Narelda Jacobs and Karina Natt (31 January)
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Minus18’s return of Night at the Museum for queer young people (24 January)
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The first public staging of the Filipina trans-led Mr Big aka Tatay, A Transwoman and That Tiring Tune! (7 February)
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And Amplio Rocks!, a d/Deaf-led accessible music party rethinking how live sound can be experienced (31 January)
Visual arts lovers aren’t left behind, with the major exhibition Diva running from December to April, and Beyond the Binary at NGV International on 7 February.
A festival grounded in community and future-facing queer storytelling
The 2026 program feels unmistakably Midsumma: expansive, political, joy-chasing, community-focussed and culturally layered.
And in the spirit of this year’s theme, Midsumma 2026 will be inviting each and every one of us to reflect on where we’ve been, where we stand now, and the futures we’re determined to build together.
