Festival Hubs

In 2023, Theatre Works’ Midsumma Hub will be buzzing with 7 groundbreaking shows across 3 performance spaces. A truly queer program that embraces and celebrates the whole rainbow community. This year’s highly anticipated line-up features a surrealist farce, a queer wedding, an exploration of the older lesbian experience, a trans cooking show, a fairy tale cum punktragedy, a queer garden with live music, cabaret acts and much more!

Image by Underground Media: Gender Garden

The Victorian Pride Centre is excited to host a fabulous program of Midsumma events that connect, support and amplify LGBTIQ+ voices! With everything from art workshops to stand-up comedy showcases, to talks on science and social justice, our line-up reflects the rich diversity of Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ communities in this purpose-built hub.

Image by Luke David: MRB @ Pride Centre

Gasworks Arts Park has been the south side hub for Midsumma Festival and a summer destination for high quality theatre, provocative art and fun nights out with friends for over a decade. Midsumma at Gasworks in 2023 will see a diverse and inclusive program spanning outdoor circus, cabaret, drama, comedy, visual art, live music, and twilight craft markets. Support independent artists as they bring our theatres, parklands and gallery spaces to life, and enjoy a drink on our outdoor terrace nestled in our beautiful park.

Image: The Defiant, Midsumma Festival 2022

The Butterfly Club is a small theatre in the heart of Melbourne. We have plenty of shows, award-winning foyer bars, and an enormous collection of kitsch.

Image by Monica Pronk Photography: Robyn Reynolds: Cake

Just four kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, Abbotsford Convent is Australia’s largest arts and cultural precinct—a place of arts, culture and learning. Renowned for its rich history, striking buildings, and an abundance of natural landscapes, the Convent works collaboratively with artists and arts organisations across all art forms to present a year-round program of diverse contemporary work that surprises, inspires and delights. This year, we’ll be bursting with an array of incredible artists sharing work that champions creativity, inclusivity, wellbeing and community; everything from dance parties and creative rope workshops to lip synching and cabaret.

Image by Luke George: ROPETIMES

The Motley Bauhaus is a newly renovated, proudly independent and inclusive multidisciplinary arts space located just a stone’s throw from the CBD on Elgin Street, Carlton. With a focus on the weird, wonderful and Motley, this stunning large venue has two performance spaces and a visual arts gallery that are jammed packed with innovative queer art this Midsumma Festival. Wander into this charming timber and brass finished modern bar for delicious cocktails, gluten free tap beer, conversation starting boardgames, and most importantly - art you can’t find anywhere else.

Image by Teddy Darling: The Last Brunch

Pride of our Footscray is the most colourful and diverse venue in Melbourne, famous for its mixed crowd, friendly crew and fabulous live entertainment. Pride’s Midsumma Festival 2023 program is similarly exciting, something for absolutely everybody, there’s drag bingo, modern drag, queer comedy and even a steamy male dance revue! All up, it’s six original shows that Pride’s presenting across the Midsumma Festival 2023, a fabulous line-up for an iconic festival, see you there!

Midsumma Westside is a collaboration of Melbourne’s western region Councils in partnership with Midsumma. It is a sumptuous slice of Midsumma Festival that programs the wonderful array of events taking place in the west. With exhibitions, drag, live music, performances, circus, pool parties, picnics and walks, the west is set to come alive. Midsumma Westside invites you to GO WEST this summer!

Image: Park Lounge - Artificial Studios featuring Bec Reid and Tristan Meecham of All the Queens Men

See Midsumma Westside Events or see All Events in the Western Suburbs.