Midsumma Festival
Hours 
| Date | Times |
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| Sun 18 Jan |
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| Mon 19 Jan |
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| Tue 20 Jan |
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| Wed 21 Jan |
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| Fri 23 Jan |
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| Sun 25 Jan |
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| Tue 27 Jan |
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| Sat 31 Jan |
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| Sun 1 Feb |
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| Mon 2 Feb |
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| Tue 3 Feb |
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| Wed 4 Feb |
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| Thu 5 Feb |
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| Fri 6 Feb |
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| Sat 7 Feb |
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| Sun 8 Feb |
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Location 
Midsumma Festival
level 6/168 Lonsdale St
Melbourne 3000
Price and bookings
From free to $75
Contact details
Part of Midsumma Festival
Babies and Barking Dogs: Keith Haring and Melbourne
A talk about the late artist's 1984 Melbourne works, now on display at NGV International.
Strip The Life Fantastic
An intimate, immersive cabaret where the stage becomes a diary and the audience co-conspirators.
Library Up Late x Creative Acts
A night of queer creativity, music and magic as Midsumma Festival takes over State Library Victoria.
Party Hard: After the Party
An exhibition exploring celebrations from Edwardian times to the first Sydney Mardi Gras and beyond.
Mural of Me: Collage Workshops with Nicky Tsekouras
A hands-on workshop to express yourself through colour, texture and playful paper collage.
Daddy in Don't Drop the Soap
Brent Thorpe traverses a fabulous queer landscape from Sydney’s Oxford St and beyond.
Midsumma Carnival
Midsumma Carnival launches the 2026 festival with a full day of music, stalls and summer fun.
Rooftop Piano Bar: Hosted by Tina Del Twist
A free rooftop cabaret at Spiegel Haus, serving glamour, laughs and mischief.
Midsumma Matters: Queer Joy
Gathering the rainbow community to tell stories of delight, defiance and triumph.
The Pearl Prize Awards Gala
Celebrating LGBTQIA+ and allied writers, legends, young creatives and industry paragons.
Re-Imagining Gender: Rei Kawakubo and Vivienne Westwood
Curators Meg Slater and Katie Somerville with Glen Rollason on queer fashion rebels.
Presence (Performance)
A Midsumma exhibition of six artists responding to the theme of being present/performing.
Book Signing: The Pearl Prize
Purchase a copy of The Pearl Prize 2026 and join this exclusive event with writers and publishers.
Drag Storytime for Adults
An adults-only storytime celebrating rainbow families through humour, satire and love.
See You in the Soup
Join performer Emma Chandler for an enchanting concert about love, joy and being very, very silly.
Finding Glitter in the Storm
A love letter to misfits, late bloomers and anyone who’s had to find their glitter in the storm.
Freak Out!: The Afterparty
Circus, burlesque, cabaret and live acts collide with the pumping pulse of 90s house music.
Beyond the Binary: Marlow Moss
NGV celebrates Marlow Moss’s Composition (1956–57) and their queer art legacy.
Amplio Rocks!: Deaf Club and Dance Party
Auslan music videos, cutting-edge Deaf tech and powerful vibrations.
Mama Alto: Transcendent
The jazz singer brings her New York cabaret to Midsumma at Melbourne Recital Centre.
Vogue Versus Madonna: The Panel
The creators of the Pearl Prize discuss the crossover of fashion into music, film and arts.
Mr Big aka Tatay, A Transwoman and That Tiring Tune
A darkly comic reading of a haunted Filipina trans tale, plus Q&A.
Only In The City
Melbourne's essential night-time events
From hidden laneway markets to epic pop-ups, Melbourne gets lit once the lights go out.
Queen Victoria Market
This beloved Melbourne landmark is the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere.
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PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival
Australia’s largest major fashion event celebrates 30 years of local fashion with a huge programme.
Festivals
Melbourne's festival calendar is jam-packed with film, comedy, arts, music, food and design.
NGV Kids Summer Festival
Enjoy a week of free activities and events just for children and families these school holidays.