A New Era for Sydney’s Queer Community
As some of Sydney’s most iconic queer institutions on Oxford Street announce their closures, a new festival is stepping in to revitalize the area. This year marks the biggest edition yet for the Pride Fest, a vibrant celebration of queer arts and culture that aims to bring life back to the Pink Mile as winter approaches.
Pride Fest began in 2024 with just over 20 theatrical events but has since grown exponentially to more than 300. The festival has expanded beyond the walls of Qtopia, the Centre of Queer History and Culture in Darlinghurst, taking over the entire precinct. This expansion reflects the strong community demand for LGBTQI arts, culture, and theatre.
Festival director Carly Fisher shared with AAP that the growth of the festival is driven by the community’s desire to engage with their pride in new ways. “We are trying to give the community another way of engaging with their pride,” she said. “The desire is there and Pride Fest is the result of that… we want to make the whole area really buzz again.”
Oxford Street has seen several iconic venues close in recent years. The Stonewall Hotel, which had been a staple of the community, entered voluntary administration just three weeks after Mardi Gras. In 2025, Australia’s largest gay nightclub, ARQ, closed its doors after over 25 years of operation. The Bookshop Darlinghurst, which had been part of the street for more than 40 years, also closed in December following delays in a proposed redevelopment.
Many businesses along the strip have struggled since the implementation of Sydney’s 2014 lockout laws and are still recovering from the impact of COVID lockdowns.
“These are businesses that have tried to power through more than a decade of laws that are working against them,” Ms Fisher said. However, she also noted that the next generation of queer Australians is showing their pride in different ways.
To cater to younger audiences, Pride Fest has introduced a fitness stream, offering alternatives like pilates instead of traditional parties. “It’s our responsibility to make sure younger generations know about the history and how they have the rights that they do now,” Ms Fisher said. “We talk about the significance of the 78ers but the way to get the younger generation interested is to make them feel involved as well.”
She emphasized the importance of ensuring that everyone can find their own way to show pride. “It was really important for us to ensure that however people want to turn up, there was an opportunity for them to do that… everyone needs to find their way of showing pride.”
Events and Highlights
The month-long festival will kick off on June 2 with the inaugural Pride Fest Gala. Events will be spread across various venues including The Loading Dock Theatre, The BWYASSS Substation, The Eternity Playhouse, Ginger’s at the Oxford, and Universal Upstairs and Downstairs. Headliners include Skank Sinatra and Kala Gare.
Ms Fisher highlighted the significance of performances taking place in what was once a place where queer voices were silenced. “People are performing in a police station that tried to minimize the voices of the LGBTQI community, and we’ve turned it into a place of music and celebration and laughter,” she said. “There is something special about telling your story here because this place was trying to suppress voices and we are amplifying them.”
Qtopia Sydney, the largest queer cultural centre and museum in the world, is housed in the heritage-listed former Darlinghurst Police Station. This location serves as a powerful reminder of the struggles faced by the LGBTQI community and the progress that has been made. The festival is not only celebrating the present but also honoring the past, ensuring that the voices of those who came before are never forgotten.
