Midsumma Pride March 2023 Marching Order

Pride March 2019 - photo by Suzanne Balding

The Order in Which Groups will March

PARTICIPANT ARRIVAL TIMES

The arrival time for marshalling (for march participants):
Wave A - 9:00am*
Wave B - 9:00am
Wave C - 10:00am**
Wave D - 9:15am
Wave E - 9:15am
Wave F - 9:30am
Wave G - 9:30am
Wave H - 9:45am
Wave I - 10:00am
Wave J - 10:15am
Wave K - 10:30am
Wave L - 11:15am

* In some instances, two different waves are arriving at the same time. This is due to the varying sizes of each wave.
** Wave C contains many organisations that service members of our community who have access requirements and as such have been allotted a slightly later arrival time.

The arrival time for all vehicles, drivers and passengers is between 9:00 - 10am, regardless of your wave.

 

THE WAVES

Pre-March Procession

Wave A: Indigenous Pride & Council Representatives

Wave B: Youth

Wave C: Access and Inclusion

Wave D: Queer Community Groups & Organisations

Wave E: Organisations Showing Pride

Wave F: Cultural and Spiritual Organisations | Sports Clubs

Wave G: Emergency Services | Individuals, Friends & Families

Wave H: Organisations Showing Pride & Political Representatives

Wave I: Community Care & Healthcare

Wave J: Educational Institutions & Student Union Groups | Primary Health Care & Community Care

Wave K: Local Councils | Government Affiliated Organisations & Unions

Wave L: Organisations Showing Pride & Political Representatives

Wave M: Midsumma Festival

 

 

How is the marching order decided?

  1. Groups are assembled together into sections called "waves" according to similar areas of interest or themes.
  2. Marchers with special needs or living with disability are placed early in the march, since a long wait or lengthy exposure to the elements would adversely affect their health.
  3. Non-queer identifying businesses and organisations showing pride are very welcome, but they do not march ahead of queer advocacy and diverse gender and sexuality (DGS) representative groups. No non-queer identifying corporate businesses (even if they are Midsumma Festival partners) pay to be a part of the march nor do they get to march ahead of queer not-for profit groups.
  4. Some placement is determined by Main Stage call times, to get artists and crew to Catani Gardens in time to perform at the post-Pride Celebrations.
  5. Some contingents request a late start time and don't mind being towards the end.
  6. Over 40,000 people line the streets to support the march each year and the march needs to be as exciting as possible in every wave, not just at the start. The final marching contingents are just as important as the first.
  7. The balance of the remaining contingents are organised based on volume of sound clashing, vehicle/pedestrian safety or significant placement history.
  8. The Midsumma team always marches last.
  9. Midsumma Festival spends considerable time curating the march to be as fair as possible and can only enter into conversation about line-up requests with non-profit queer organisations that may from time to time express interest in marching with particular other non-profit queer organisations.
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