Midsumma Festival is Victoria’s premier LGBTQIA+ cultural festival, made for and by the diverse gender and sexuality community.

The festival’s aim is the champion the LGBTQIA+ cultures, conversations and events and intersects between generations, people, ideas, stories and experiences.

The University of Melbourne was the first university to participate and has participated in the Midsumma Pride March for the last four years.

With the launch of the UniMelb Pride in Action Network at 2019 Midsumma Pride March, this year we celebrate a year of action and activities that have contributed to building a strong and visible community of allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community – so let's make this our strongest contingent yet!

We invite you to register your attendance and encourage your friends and families to also join the university's 2020 march contingent.

IMPORTANT: To ensure you receive updates about the event (including meeting place, time, marching order) please ensure you enter your email address in your registration.

ABOUT THE MIDSUMMA PRIDE MARCH

The 25th Anniversary of Pride March will grace the streets of St Kilda on Sunday 2 February 2020.

25 years ago, Melbourne's LGBTQIA community took to the streets in a show of solidarity and pride. Back in 1996, the first march took almost the same route along St Kilda’s Fitzroy St, transforming the strip into a show of community pride. The first Pride March in Melbourne, governed by Pride March Victoria, is remembered as quite extraordinary, with a gathering of 11,000 people.

In 2020, we will remember that Midsumma Pride March is about affirming that we’re fabulous, and we’re loved, and we’re diverse and we’re proud. We march in solidarity for those who can not.

Learn more from Midsumma >>

ACCESSIBILITY

Please let us know any accessibility requirements in the registration form so that we can work to accomodate them.

Midsumma provide an accessible drop-off area and accessible assembly point for marchers, as well as an accessible viewing area at tram stop 134 on Fitzroy Street. While Fitzroy Street and Catani Gardens are wheelchair accessible, the Ian Johnson Oval marshalling area has some accessibility challenges, so a special Accessibility Marquee will be provided beside the starting point of the parade. People with personal mobility devices can assemble there and join their group as the group commences marching.

Midsumma Pride March accessibility info >>

ON THE DAY

Arrival

Please arrive at 10:30am. We'll be covering housekeeping and hearing from the Acting Vice-Chancellor at 11:00am, and must be ready to march for 11:30am.

Meeting point

The march assembly point is the Ian Johnson Oval on the corner of Lakeside Drive and Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. Our marching wave is T, please look for the signs indicating wave T and people with UniMelb-branded rainbow flags and banners!

Registrations

We’ve got you covered! Pride in Action will register the cohort with Midsumma – you won’t need to go past the registration tent, just come find us on the field at wave T and pick up a wrist band.

Weather

It’s looking like Sunday will be a top of 24°C, following (predicted) rain on Saturday. We’ll be on an oval, so feel free to bring a towel or blanket if you’d like to sit down and an umbrella just in case it rains! We’ll have sunscreen for those pesky UV rays.

Sustainability

Midsumma Pride March is a large event – having so many people gathered in a relatively small space has the potential to seriously damage the environment. To help reduce our impact and leave no trace behind, please:

• Bring refillable water bottles
• Only use bio-degradable glitter (we have some to share)
• Don’t bring balloons or streamers; and
• Reuse your UniMelb rainbow flags and scarves from last year!

Getting there

We highly recommend you take public transport or cycle to St Kilda because road closures will be in place and there will be less parking than what is normally available. Check out Midsumma's guide to trams, buses, trains, cycle routes and parking to plan your trip. There are accessible drop-off areas for both marchers and those watching.

Please note Fitzroy Street and adjoining side streets will be closed to traffic between approximately 8:00am and 4:30pm.

Marching route

The march proceeds down Fitzroy Street and ends at Catani Gardens, where the post-pride celebrations are held! It takes approximately 20 minutes.

What to wear

We encourage you to wear comfy clothing and appropriate shoes for walking and standing. Apart from this, whatever makes you most excited to celebrate and support the LGBTIQA+ community! We'll have glitter, and all University marchers will be given a University-branded fan to keep cool (and dance with).

What to bring

As Midsumma Pride March is held in the middle of summer, it's important to Slip, Slop, Slap and stay hydrated. Please BYO a water bottle, snacks, sunscreen and a hat! There's water refill stations and food options at both the Ian Johnson Oval (assembly area) and Catani Gardens (post-pride celebrations).

Photographs

We have an official photographer at the event taking photos for the University of Melbourne’s use – please advise them if you do not wish to be in any photos.