Midsumma Carnival Stalls Info & Registration

Midsumma Carnival 2024. Photo by Suzanne Balding

Stallholder Information

Stallholder registrations for Midsumma Carnival 2025 are now open.
Scroll down to fill out your form today!


Here you will find information for Stallholders at Midsumma Carnival. Are you a Food Vendor at one of our events? If so, see Food Vendor Information.

On the day of Midsumma Carnival, Alexandra Gardens is transformed into the queerest precinct in town, and Midsumma invites your organisation to present yourself to a crowd of LGBTQIA+ friendly people, ready to interact with your brand, group or organisation.

Throughout the event Carnival attendees can set up picnics, watch hours of free entertainment, wander through the event site and most importantly - find out about your community group or business! Come join the fun and be a part of Midsumma Carnival.

Midsumma Festival does have some commercial exclusivity contracts in place and reserves the right to decline registrations and refund any stalls who fall under this. If you have questions please contact [email protected]

While we welcome all stallholders to participate, Midsumma Carnival is not designed to be a retail marketplace. The primary purpose of the stalls precinct is to connect our diverse audiences with community organisations, businesses and service providers.

Stallholders intending to sell merchandise at Midsumma Carnival should be aware that most stallholders provide free items and handouts to patrons. This may affect merchandise sales and should be taken into consideration before applying for a stall.

ESSENTIALS

How do you get involved? Here are the first three steps to get you started!

  1. READ the information below to ensure you are totally ready for Midsumma Carnival.
  2. TALK to a Midsumma staff member about any queries you may still have. Email [email protected] or call 03 9296 6600.
  3. REGISTER and pay by the registration closing date.

Note: Failure to provide payment and documentation by the due dates may jeopardise your stall booking at Midsumma Carnival.

Below you will find all the information needed about hosting a stall.

Can't find the answer? Email [email protected] or call 03 9296 6600 to have a chat.

Key Registration Dates

Registrations Open: Monday 12 August 2024

Early Bird Registrations Close: Friday 30 August 2024

There is limited availability for these early bird discounts in each stall category. All details on early bird prices can be found in the 'Pricing Options' section below.

Registrations Close: Monday 4 November 2024

Stallholder Production Form Opens: Tuesday 5 November 2024
You will be sent the Stallholder Production Form requesting key information.

Stallholder Production Form Due: Friday 22 November 2024

Stallholder Information Pack Released: Monday 2 December 2024 

Midsumma Carnival Event Day: Sunday 19 January 2025 

What does your registration include?

Each general booking consists of the following:

  • 3 x 3m marquee space (marquee provided)
  • 1.8m trestle table
  • 2 plastic chairs
  • A 2.4m x 0.3m corflute sign with your organisation's name (and optional logo)
  • A listing on the Midsumma Festival website

There is a maximum of four stalls per order.

The placement of individual stalls within the site will be determined by Midsumma staff once applications have closed and final stallholder numbers are confirmed.

 

Midsumma strives to make the event as accessible as possible to all groups, so registration fees are aggregated according to your organisation type:

Commercial Stall: Businesses operating for profit and registered with an ACN (e.g., travel agencies, hotels, insurance providers).

Small Business Stall: For-profit sole traders with an ABN and annual turnover less than $75,000 (e.g., jewellery designers, wedding photographers, merchandise retailers).

Large Community Organisations: Entities with annual revenue exceeding $350,000 (e.g., local councils, state or federal government branches, national or international not-for-profits, educational institutions).

Small Community Organisations: Groups with annual revenue under $350,000 (e.g., LGBTQIA+ community groups, sports clubs, health not-for-profits, community theatre companies, artist-run galleries).

See prices for each category below! 

 

Small Community Organisation Stall Hire

1 x Marquee (3m x 3m), 1 x 1.8m trestle table, 2 x plastic chairs, 1 x corflute sign 

$713

Large Community Organisation Stall Hire

1 x Marquee (3m x 3m), 1 x 1.8m trestle table, 2 x plastic chairs, 1 x corflute sign

$1,103

Small Business - Sole Trader Stall Hire

1 x Marquee (3m x 3m), 1 x 1.8m trestle table, 2 x plastic chairs, 1 x corflute sign 

$1,103

Commercial Business Stall Hire

1 x Marquee (3m x 3m), 1 x 1.8m trestle table, 2 x plastic chairs, 1 x corflute sign 

$1,985 

Early Bird Discount
Stalls that are finalised by COB on Friday 30 August 2024 will receive a 10% discount off their registration fee. 

 

UPDATE: All Early Bird Discount allocations are now exhausted! 

 

If you need more space, you can purchase additional stalls in your order. Additional marquee spaces cost the same as the original stall fee and include the standard furniture set (1 x table and 2 x chairs).

  • Eg. A total of 2x stalls gives you a 6m x 3m footprint with 2 tables & 4 chairs
  • Eg. A total of 4x stalls gives you a 6m x 6m footprint with 4 tables & 8 chairs

Tables: additional trestle tables - cost $29 each

Chairs: additional plastic chairs - cost $15 each

Power: Single 10 Amp Outlet - cost $85
For more advanced power requirements (15 Amp and above), please email [email protected] to organise. This may incur an additional cost.

 

Electrical Equipment

As part of your stall registration you can hire site power rated up to 10 amps (although if you need more heavy duty power, this can be arranged). Stallholders can use this power to charge their devices or power some other activity to engage as part of their stall (e.g. a photobooth). We encourage Stallholders to get creative but it is a requirement that all electrical equipment brought on site has been tested and tagged.

It is the responsibility of the Stallholder to ensure that they provide accurate information about the equipment they are bringing onsite.

10 amps is generally enough for a handful of tablets or devices, but if you are bringing a deep fryer, a popcorn machine, a slushie machine or something similar - it would be advantageous to check what amperage your equipment draws!

If you're not sure, contact the Midsumma Festival team at [email protected] or 03 9296 6600.

Signage

Midsumma Festival provides all stalls with a 2.4m x 0.3m corflute sign (see example below), but you are welcome to add any additional signage to your stall that you like.

Make your stall stand out with signage, but please ensure your signage stays within the 3x3m footprint of your marquee, isn't pegged into the ground, isn't attached to any of the surrounding trees, and isn't attached with any kind of adhesive.

If you are planning to get some signage made specifically for the event, the marquees provided are 3x 3x 2.28m (WxDxH). 

Sample corflute sign: Australia Post corflute signCorflute Sign with text "Australia Post" and a copy of the logo.

Since 2020, Midsumma Festival has included design, printing, and installation of a corflute sign for every stall at Midsumma Carnival, rather than offering this as an optional extra. This decision has been made in order to give all stallholders heightened visibility at the event, assist all stallholders and volunteers during bump in and give the event a clean, professional look.

Giveaways

Giveaways are a popular option for many stallholders. Food samples, branded merchandise, flyers and postcards are all great ways to engage with the thousands of attendees at Midsumma Carnival.

While a great option, we encourage stallholders to look at more innovative and green options such as reusable water bottles, digital promotions, or tote bags - and stay away from disposable options such as plastic or paper fans, paper flyers, or elastic wristbands.

Please note that any paper collateral distributed must contain the words "Please dispose of responsibly" or similar, printed on them.

If you are looking to give away anything intended for human consumption (lollies, fruit, or bottled water) you will need a valid FoodTrader Certificate from the City of Melbourne - yes, even for bottled water! These permits are free and obtained through Foodtrader. If you do not have your FoodTrader Certificate before Midsumma Carnival, you will not be able to provide food or beverages.

Don't stress - the process is usually quick and free, depending on what you are giving away.

Merchandise

While you are not allowed to sell food or beverage (as this is reserved for our Food Vendors on site), many stallholders will sell merchandise as part of their stall. This could include branded clothing for your organisation, pins and badges, swimwear/underwear, or something else entirely!

While we welcome all stallholders to participate, Midsumma Carnival is not designed to be a retail marketplace. The primary purpose of the stalls precinct is to connect our diverse audiences with community organisations, businesses and service providers. Stallholders intending to sell merchandise at Midsumma Carnival should be aware that most stallholders provide free items and handouts to patrons. This may affect merchandise sales and should be taken into consideration before applying for a stall.

 

Glitter

Due to environmental regulations, glitter is not permitted on site. If you are planning to use eco-glitter as part of your stall, contact Midsumma Festival to get prior approval.

Vehicles

In order to protect the grass at Alexandra Gardens, no vehicles are permitted onsite. Vehicles can temporarily access the entrance to Boathouse Drive with an assigned arrival time as part of the bump in. There is strictly no parking on site.

More details about bump in will be provided at a later date.

Use of Adhesives

We ask stallholders not to attach anything to their marquee with adhesives - cable ties or string are recommended.

Roving

Stallholders must contain their activities within the footprint of their allocated stall and cannot undertake activities beyond this site plan without prior approval in writing from Midsumma.

Organisations must obtain Midsumma’s permission in writing to conduct surveys or distribute roving handouts. Additional fees may apply for activities beyond the stall footprint, and these must be negotiated with Midsumma in advance. Midsumma retains the right to not provide permission for such activities.

Donations

Midsumma is a non-profit organisation staffed by a small team of committed professionals, governed by a voluntary Board of Management, and supported by hundreds of passionate volunteers every year.

Donations collected at major events help us to keep much-loved events like Midsumma Carnival and Midsumma Pride March free and accessible for everyone. As a result, we do not allow other people at the event to collect cash or on-the-spot donations.

Leave No Trace

In order to keep the site looking clean and beautiful, we ask that all Stallholders take responsibility for the removal of their own rubbish and leaving their stall in the same condition as on arrival.

 

REGISTER

Your registration needs to be completed by the closing date, Monday 4 November 2024.

Payment must be made by the date specified on the invoice.

Prior to the event date you will be sent the Stallholder Production Form requesting key information. This form will need to be completed and returned by the specified date to ensure requirements can be met. 

 

Please read the Carnival Stall Terms & Conditions before proceeding to the registration form.

We highly recommend that you have all of the required elements ready to go when you commence registration.

To complete the Stallholder Registration Form you will need:

  1. Contact details
  2. The details of your organisation
  3. Additional stall facilities you need:
    • Extra 3 x 3m marquee spaces
    • Extra tables
    • Extra chairs
    • Site power

To complete the Stallholder Production Form you will need:

  1. Public Liability Insurance
  2. Foodtrader certificate of trade (if giving away edible products)
  3. Hi-Res organisational logo (optional)
  4. Some great ideas for what you are planning to do on the day!

 

Midsumma Carnival 2025 Stallholder Application

This form is to apply for a stall at Midsumma Carnival on Sunday 19 January 2025.

Please take a moment to read through the entire form before you start, to make sure you have all the information you need.

If your application is successful you will be issued an invoice which must be paid by the due date to secure your booking. A second form will be sent to confirmed stallholders to gather more detailed production information after applications close.

Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

Primary Contact

Contact detail for the person responsible for organising the stall application and payment. There will be an opportunity to provide a secondary/event day contact at a later stage once your application is accepted and processed.

Organisation Details

Any invoices will be made out to this Organisation or Business Name. You can provide a different stall name below.
eg. Midsumma Facebook: @midsumma
Instagram: @midsummafestival

Stall Details

Please provide general details of your stall and activities for us to consider your application. If you are successful we will request more details closer to the event.

Printed on the sign above your stall, your Stall Name can be different from your organisation's name but should let attendees know who you are.
Briefly summarise what you plan for your stall activation. Provide the ideas and details you have at this stage. It's ok for this to develop closer to the event but we need a general idea to assess you application.
While stall placement is at the complete discretion of Midsumma Festival, we will endeavour to satisfy your request to be close to or away from any other stalls/organisations.
Please let us know the name of any organisations you are planning to collaborate with/support so we can try to place you together.
Do you or anyone working at your stall require wheelchair or accessible access? While the Stalls Precinct is on a grassed area we can do our best to place your stall at a flat location close to footpaths and away from obstacles. Please note there is no accessible parking available at Alexandra Gardens during Midsumma Carnival.

Stall Inclusions and Extras

Each stall includes the following:
- one 3mx3m marquee,
- one 1.8m trestle table,
- two plastic chairs and
- a corflute sign with your organisation's stall name (and optional logo)

You can purchase extras such as:
- additional marquees/stall space (up to 4),
- additional tables,
- additional chairs and
- site power (rated up to 10 amps)

Additional Tables at $29 each.
Additional Chairs at $15 each.

Next Steps and Payment

After submission, you will be sent a copy of the details you have supplied (please check your junk folder). If any of these details change, please email [email protected] as soon as possible.

If your application is successful you will be sent an invoice which you will need to pay via bank transfer by the due date in order to secure your booking. If you wish to pay by credit card, please contact Midsumma at [email protected]. Any late or incomplete payments may result in the booking being cancelled.

Once applications close, we will contact successful applicants regarding:
1) Production Information - including logos and confirmation of stall requirements.
2) Key information for the event day - The Stallholder Information Pack, Placement, and Vehicle Pass

See Carnival Stall Terms & Conditions.

SUBMIT YOUR FORM

After you press SUBMIT, a "YOUR FORM SUBMISSION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL" page should appear. If that doesn't happen, look for an error message (e.g. did you tick the "I am not a robot" field?), fix the error and press SUBMIT again.

Prove you're human - enter the single-digit answer to "2 x 2"
A DJ on a large stage before a large crowd at Midsumma Carnival 2019; lots of smoke present

Midsumma Carnival

Midsumma Carnival highlights the opening weekend of the three-week Festival each year. Midsumma Carnival is an iconic outdoor celebration that has become one of the biggest highlights in the LGBTQIA+ annual calendar.

Midsumma Carnival
Three happy looking people behind the counter of a food van

Food Vendor EOI

Expressions of Interest by Food Vendors for Midsumma Festival.

Food Vendor Expression of Interest
Principal Partners
Major Partners
Gold Partners