SUBMIT YOUR EOI FOR MIDSUMMA'S 2026 HERO IMAGE

Create a HERO image and an original visual/graphic identity that embodies Midsumma Festival’s theme for 2026: ‘Time & Place’

Time & Place invites artists to explore the unique time and place we find ourselves in today, in history, this socio-political time, and what it means for LGBTQIA+ communities the world over. Connected to this is how significant place is within this time 2025-2026. What is the significance of place, of our geographic location in the world, our community and rights based on place and time, and significant events impacting LGBTQIA+ people now.

Midsumma is a festival that intrinsically creates safer and inclusive places for communities, with diversity at its very core. The campaign artwork for Midsumma Festival 2026 should be able to appeal to or be appreciated by all of our diverse audiences as well as highlight key themes for the 2026 Festival.

Selected Design

The final design chosen will receive $3,000 to create the artwork in the final deliverable dimensions.

Proposed designs should consider the need to represent an entire arts festival program and be broad enough to capture the essence of Midsumma’s focus across all art forms, inclusive of diverse communities, and age groups.

Midsumma Festival requests your artwork be adaptable to portrait and landscape dimensions with your consent. The design should be able to be sized/resized into the following (but not limited to):

• Midsumma guide cover: 210mm x 227 mm
• Website and social Media Imagery: 4:3, 3:4, 16:9 and 1:1 ratio
• Out of home advertising: Large file formats (x6 to be provided)
• Yarra Trams: Full tram wrap, specs to be provided

Midsumma Festival intrinsically creates safe and inclusive places for communities, with diversity at its core. The campaign artwork for Midsumma Festival 2026 should be able to appeal to or be appreciated by all our diverse audiences and highlight these critical themes:

• 'Time & Place': Midsumma Festival 2026’s theme explores the unique time and place we find ourselves in today, in history, this socio-political time, and what it means for LGBTQIA+ communities the world over. Connected to this is how significant place is within this time 2025-2026. What is the significance of place, of our geographic location in the world, our community and rights based on place and time, and significant events impacting LGBTQIA+ people now.
  
  
• Arts & Culture: Midsumma has positioned itself as a globally relevant cultural influencer with artistic and thought leadership, with learning and diversity at its heart. We have experienced rapid growth in audiences, breadth and scope of artists, community engagement and depth of artistic partnerships with new work developed.
  
  
• Diversity & LGBTQIA+ Representation: Midsumma attracts broad attendance across age ranges and demographics, truly representing inclusion and diversity in all its forms. For this reason, we include many diverse queer communities in Victoria and Australia.
  
  
• First Nations Engagement: Midsumma continues a strong and meaningful engagement with LGBTQIA+ First Nations artists & communities for the 2026 Festival. Over the past three years, there has been a significant increase in First Nations involvement in our open access & ‘Midsumma Presents’ programs, Midsumma Carnival, Midsumma Pride March and Victoria’s Pride Street Party.
  
  
• Pathways for artists and audiences with disabilities: Midsumma has seen a significant increase in D/deaf, disabled, blind/low vision, and chronically ill artists and audiences. Our Midsumma Pathways Program has developed new work by artists with disabilities, which has been platformed during Midsumma Festival.

The campaign imagery for Midsumma Festival 2026 will be based on your artwork for the Cover/Poster. Midsumma Festival is held in summer, and the festival conjures bright imagery when we pop into the minds of our artists, culture makers and audiences. It is important for Midsumma to have a guide cover that reflects our contemporary nature and vibrant imagery and tone (without always needing to use confirmatory rainbow colours)

The Festival includes multiple events, such as the signature Carnival, Pride March, Victoria's Pride key events, the ‘Midsumma Presents’ program, which features events produced explicitly for the festival, and the ‘Open Access’ program. Certain events, like Victoria's Pride, have unique graphic identities that coexist independently yet harmoniously with the festival’s overall identity.

Therefore, the campaign imagery for Midsumma Festival 2026 must accommodate the variety of these events and their individual identities while ensuring a cohesive visual theme throughout the event.

Make sure also to keep the following in mind:

• Style & Tone: The design should be vibrant and impactful, mirroring the diversity and vitality of the LGBTQIA+ communities. It should also convey unity and connectivity through interconnected designs or imagery symbolising networks and support systems.
• Colour Palette: The Midsumma brand colour is red: RGB 249,52, 72, Pantone 1787C, CMYK 0,87, 61, Hex F93448, but it’s not essential to use this colour. Use a bold and inclusive spectrum representing the diversity within the LGBTQIA+ community, with colours denoting togetherness and harmony.
• Imagery: Employ imagery that celebrates contemporary and multidisciplinary art forms and showcases diverse identities and intersectionality within the LGBTQIA+ community. Consider juxtaposing symbols of digital connectivity with traditional forms of community gatherings.

NOTE: We are open to minimalist, graphic yet impactful and compelling designs that reflect the spirit of the times while offering a striking contrast to today’s vibrant, over-image/colour-saturated visual and digital landscapes. Embrace the philosophy that sometimes less is more — stand out by going against the tide with bold simplicity, contemporary graphics and sharp elegance!

View the front covers of the printed Midsumma guides, year-by-year >>

● Concept Sketches/Renderings/Photos: Initial ideas and assets that outline the proposed design and thought process. Examples of proposed work/artistic direction that speak to the brief and vision of Midsumma Festival 2026 (this can include work already created).

● Written Proposals: A brief explanation of the interest in producing the artwork for the 2026 festival campaign within the proposed budget and a concise explanation of the concept, elaborating how it addresses the festival theme and objectives.

● Previous Work Samples: Provide examples of past work demonstrating capability in handling identity, diversity, and community themes.

● Relevance to Theme Idea: The extent to which the design encapsulates the 2026 festival theme idea and engages with collective identities while embracing/celebrating individual identities.

● Originality & Creativity: Innovation in design and a novel interpretation of the theme.

● Emotional Impact: The design's capacity to evoke a sense of community, belonging, and understanding.

Crediting: Midsumma Festival will credit your image, design, photo, montage, collage, artwork, model or illustration where credits are appropriate. Midsumma will request your name, social media handles and website, plus art title for crediting.

Media and File Format Deliverables: Artwork may be created in any media, including but not limited to painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, photography and drawing. Final artwork will need to be presented to Midsumma as an image of the artwork or final art submitted as .ai, .pdf or .psd file formats only. Moving imagery or video can also be used but cannot be the primary image for the printed cover or poster. Midsumma Festival requests your artwork be adaptable to portrait and landscape dimensions with your consent. The final design should be delivered in the following dimensions (but not limited to):

• Festival Programme Guide Cover: 210 mm x 227 mm
• Festival AO Poster: 1189 mm x 841 mm
• Website & Social Media Imagery: 4:3, 3:4, 16:9 and 1:1 ratio
• Out-of-home advertising: Large file formats

The Midsumma Festival 2026 program will launch in November 2026. The following milestones must be achieved to ensure the guide and assets can be printed/prepared before the launch.

Round 1

• Respond to this brief by 12pm Monday 4 July 2025 as part of Round 1
• Midsumma to confirm your submission has moved on to Round 2 by Friday 18 July 2025
• Respond to the offer from Midsumma by Monday 21 July 2025

Round 2

• Progressed Poster Art designs, based on feedback, due Friday 5 August 2025
• Midsumma to confirm that you are the finalist with feedback, due by by Wednesday 13 August 2025
• Finalist to prepare final artwork, based on feedback by Monday 27 August 2025

Note: These dates are negotiable pending an initial discussion.

Round 1

• $500 will be offered to successful Round 1 ideas moving to Round 2 (final round).
• Payment will assist with the progress of the artwork to be assessed for the final round.

Round 2

• A commission fee of $3,000 is available to the successful finalist of Round 2.
• This payment will cover the production of the artwork and required deliverables (including production costs and the artist's fee). The commission payment will consist of 25% upfront, 25% at the centre milestone, and 50% final payment upon completion.

Enquiries: Please direct enquiries to Midsumma Festival via email at [email protected].

Proposal Submissions: 

• Submit via email to [email protected] before 12pm Friday 4 July 2025.
• The subject line is to read ‘HERO Image 2026 Cover Art Proposal’ followed by your full name.