The 2010 Midsumma Festival Program Guide was launched on Monday at the stylish Collins Quarter, appropriately located off Pink Alley, with entertainment provided by The Nymphs and MC Tina Del Twist (Wes Snelling), who gave a sublime a capella rendition of Moulin Rouge's Nature Boy. Speakers were The Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Cabinet Secretary Mr Tony Lupton MP, IBM Vice President Mark Latchford, Midsumma General Manager Adam Lowe and Midsumma Chair Lisa Watts.

As reported in MCV, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle  praised the contribution the Midsumma Festival makes to the city’s cultural sphere. "The Midsumma festival recognises and celebrates all the qualities that make Melbourne a great place to live," Doyle said. "The City of Melbourne is a long-term supporter of Midsumma and is very proud that for 22 years Midsumma has called Melbourne home."

"It's an event with a global reputation, uniting people through art and culture. Midsumma is always evolving and provides an important platform for gay artists," continued Doyle. Check out "Midsumma guide hits the streets" on the MCV website for their full report.

Adam Lowe outlined some of the highlights coming up in the 2010 festival. Carnival & T Dance will be held once again in the Alexandra Gardens, with internationally acclaimed DJ Paul Heron and singer Inya Day to feature in T Dance. We have been very lucky to secure fortyfive downstairs as the venue this year for the incredibly successful Queer Short Play Competition, Pink Shorts, which will be produced by volunteer Kiloran Hiscock.

Our community produced events program is as diverse as the community it represents, and contains more than 130 events across any genre you might expect, and some you may not. In 2010, supported by The City of Port Phillip, in conjunction with our venue Partner Gasworks Arts Park and dance company Phunktional, we are very excited to be coproducing Nex.us, inspirational dance programming which brings together a diverse range of leading dance and movement practioners in a rich tapestry of flavours, cultures and styles.

In the cabaret and musical–theatre arena, Gentlemen Prefer Blokes at Theatre Works will feature two of Australia’s brightest stars, Courtney Act & Trevor Ashley taking on some of history’s greatest duos in a hilarious musical comedy. In visual arts Edwina Bartlem has been working for 2 years to curate GayMe at the Counihan Gallery with an exhibition celebrating the creative practice of leading, queer indigenous Australians. In acknowledging the work of T J Bateson in our visual arts programming over the last 3 years we present Veiled in Plain Sight, a new body of work across photography, painting and drawing made specifically for Midsumma & the relaunch of Tacit Contemporary Art, now in Abbotsford. 

With the support of the City of Melbourne we continue Queer City, a series of exhibitions across the city, including a celebration of the life of Vivien St James at fortyfive downstairs, Re/Gendered at Platform, Drag: The Journey, a photographic exhibition from the Minus 18 Drag School at the City Library and the single largest exhibition Queer City has ever hosted, Queer City Lane Dwellers at Guildford Lane Gallery. Come prepared to be confronted!

With the support of the City of Yarra we continue Yarra Arts, which this year focuses on two exceptional exhibitions, Gay Pop Art at 69 Smith Street & Transmasculinities at Red Gallery. A brand new program for 2010 stretches further north as we curate Darebin Arts, a series of exhibitions, the majority of which showcase our new venue partner the Northcote Town Hall.

Our venue partnerships contribute extensively to our programming, so we extend our sincere gratitude to Gasworks, The Glasshouse, The Butterfly Club and the Northcote Town hall. Watch out for Trevor Jones' Best of the Fest at the Butterfly Club, which will highlight acts and performers from throughout the festival. Special thanks go to Hares and Hyenas, our box office and Spoken Word Hub.   

For up to date information about the 2010 Festival Program, check out What's On in the Midsumma website. 

Pride March Victoria is pleased to announce a fabulous addition to this year’s post March celebrations in Catani Gardens. The Gasworks Community Village and Entertainment Stage will bring a special flavour to the event adding to the overall colour and movement.

Pride March President, Mr. Brett Hayhoe said he is extremely pleased with this inclusion and welcomes Gasworks to the Pride March family. "Particularly due to the extended time of this year's event, the Community Village will give children, mums, dads and all of our community an extra range of things to see and do on the day. The Gasworks Community Village and Entertainment is in addition to our already well–established Gaydar.com.au Main Stage and Skinovate Karaoke Stage. The whole Board is looking forward to seeing it all in action", he said.

Pride March Victoria 2010 will start at 2pm sharp with assembly from noon on Sunday the 7th of February 2010. The International theme is One Heart One World One Pride. Registration forms for participants, volunteers and food/drink vendors are on the Pride March website at www.pridemarch.com.au. 

Online sounds fine, but Face to Face is Just Fab! Girls meet Girls, Guys meet Guys. 

Book for 3, 1 is free!

To register, send an email to info@fabaffairs.com.au asking for a registration form. Buy tickets at The Greyhound or from fabaffairs.com.au. 

• Where: Greyhound Hotel, 1 Brighton Rd, St Kilda
• When: Friday 18 December, 12pm to 7pm
• Cost: $22 (advance) or $26 at the door.  1 drink included.
• More info: fabaffairs.com.au 

Now in its third year, AXN's "Australia’s Next Gay Cover Model" competition is looking for Mr 2010. Last year more than 200 guys tried their luck for a chance to grace the cover of AXN, Evolution Publishing's national magazine, and after a gruelling search Reece Karena (pictured) was crowned the winner. The Melbourne heats begin this weekend. Read more...

Mr Murri himself, Matty Edwards, and Bryan Andy presented the first broadcast of a new weekly radio show Black & Pink yesterday (Wednesday 9 December) on JOY 94.9.

Black & Pink was JOY’s first-ever dedicated Indigenous broadcast in the station’s 16 years. It's a magazine-style program featuring "Too Deadly!", a wrap up of good news from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Australia; "Kiss Our Black Arts!", a summary of local Indigenous arts; special guests from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia (with a token whitey from time to time); and a segment titled "Grilled Like a Goanna Leg", a rapid-fire Q&A session that all studio guests have to partake in. Yes it's camp on a number of levels!

Future Black and Pink guests will include the 2009 Victorian Indigenous Art Award winner Bindi Cole; drag performer Constantina Bush (pictured); singer and actor Sarah Ward (aka Yana Alana); and director, author, actor and choreographer Noel Tovey. 

In Melbourne you can tune in on 94.9 FM, or all you regional Victorian, interstate or international mob can stream online via www.joy.org.au.

The Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Chorus (MGLC: www.mglc.org.au) along with the Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Youth Chorus (MGLYC) and the Melbourne Rainbow Band (www.mrb.org.au) present their 9th Carols by Queerlight at Prahran Market.

Under the batons of Musical Directors Adrian Schultz (MGLC), Mark Lyall (MRB) and Ben Leske (MGLYC) a program of traditional and modern Christmas Carols and a couple of bonus tunes will be performed. Popular entertainment personality Luke Gallagher and a very special surprise guest will add a special sparkle as MCs.

• Where: Prahran Market Courtyard, Commercial Road, Prahran
• When: Saturday 12 December, 8:30pm (doors open 8.00pm)
• Cost: free
• Enquiries: info@mrb.org.au  

The Melbourne Rainbow Band is based in Windsor and welcomes new members. The City of Stonnington proudly supports The Melbourne Rainbow Band.

A Smashin Showbiz Bash with so many drag trans queer stars it's Bedizzling Bro! Starring:

• MC Labio - Hunk of He-Man Heaven, yr Host,
• Rocco D'Amore - Recent star of th Opera House! (& heartthrob),
• Mr Kewl - Star of Deaf Can Dance with his Kewwwl Gang,
• Scott Twat - He sings, he dances, he's cute! + his Twattie pals, Robot Hutch & Robot Hurl - Robots Rule Awriiiiite...,
• Max Fukter + Rougie & Raunchy Sparkle - Insane Glamour,
• Spam - Hammy Man from a Can,
• Jerome - hot young stud is Back,
• Jen Fonda - wild... sexy... unpredictable...,
• Rusty O'Toole & Johnny Jay Izz - New Boy Stars,
• AUSLAN babes Lynn & Kirri + Muff Daddy DJ MAFIA - Dance!

Where: Miss Libertine, 34 Franklin St, Melbourne (www.misslibertine.com.au).

When: Fri 11 Dec 2009. Doors 9pm. Shows 10:30pm. DJ till late.

More info: Website: www.kingvictoria.com, Myspace: www.myspace.com/kingvictoria. 

With Slash Darling & Anita Beer. The balls drop at 8pm! Loads of prizes including the famous Meat Tray.

The Greyhound Hotel is located at 1 Brighton Rd, St Kilda. For more info check out the Greyhound Hotel website, phone them on 03 9534 4189 or email info@ghhotel.com.au. 

Shine: Fridays 10pm till 8am at The Market, 143 Commercial Rd, South Yarra.

Free entry till midnight. $15 after. Members free all night.

For further details check out markethotel.com.au.