Australia’s premier LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural experience, Midsumma Festival, have announced its highly anticipated upcoming Festival dates, set to take place across 22 days from 23rd January until 13th February 2022. Midsumma will make its return next year, bigger and better than ever (literally), with a diverse and creative line-up that includes spectacular performances, exhibitions, visual arts, live music, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, parties, sport, social events, and public forums. The 2022 Festival program will be made public on 22 November 2021.
In its 34th year, the Festival shines a spotlight on queer arts and cultural festivities, showcasing national and local artists. An impressive 195 events over the 3-week Festival will span across 119 venues, with over 500 culture-makers involved in events around metro Melbourne and regional Victoria. Celebrating LGBTQIA+, diverse journeys, culture makers and communities, Midsumma will present 161 open-access events made for, and by queer communities who live with shared experiences around diverse gender and sexuality, as well as a specifically curated program, Midsumma Presents, which will show 34 events highlighting the unsung heroines and unheard voices of queer intersectional communities of this time. Midsumma offers arts events for everyone in every body and will focus its 2022 major project AND/OR on breaking a new artistic ground by shining the spotlight on the disability communities and centring own voices.
“AND/OR is a program of works that are disability-led and from multiple perspectives, ranging from unapologetic to vulnerable, celebratory to questioning, reflective to riotous. The artists in the program include leading companies and solo practitioners, emerging artists and iconic ensembles. There is so much variety to see within and beyond the broad umbrella labels of “queer” and “disabled”. Midsumma Festival CEO, Karen Bryant commented.
Bryant said that the Midsumma festivities will kick off with the Midsumma Carnival, a one day, 11-hour festival taking over Alexandra Gardens, on 23 January. The iconic outdoor celebration has become one of the biggest highlights in the LGBTIQA+ annual calendar. Bryant also pointed out that the signature Midsumma Pride March will parade and party along Fitzroy St, St Kilda on 6 February, highlighting that marching for pride is more important now than ever before. More than 8,000 marchers are expected to take to the streets of St Kilda while our supportive community line the footpath and balconies along the march route to show their support. Concluding the celebrations, Melbourne Pride will take place in the city’s inner north on 13 February, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Victoria. The one-day festival will embark on the journey of equality, acknowledging the courage and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community through inspirational arts, community involvement, food, and culture.