Taking Pride in Melbourne in June and Beyond

Victoria's Capital Celebrates LGBTQIA+ Pride with New Victorian Pride Centre and Events

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May 05, 2021, 11:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While many Americans take to the streets to celebrate with rainbow flags for Pride Month each June and Australia officially celebrates LGBT History Month in October, Melbourne celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community year-round. Considered one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, Melbourne boasts welcoming city enclaves and surrounds, countless LGBTQIA+-owned restaurants and businesses, and annual can't-miss Pride events like the famous Midsumma Festival.

Victoria's Midsumma Pride March 2019 (Photo by Suzanne Balding)

This year, Victoria's capital city aims to elevate the voices, history and communities that identify as LGBTQIA+ with the opening of The Victorian Pride Centre. Set to open later in 2021, the centre will be home to a range of organizations and businesses that work with the purpose of supporting and empowering the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to the resident organizations, the centre will also provide flexible and multi-use spaces, health services, training rooms, meeting rooms, a reflection room, café/bar and art gallery. Located in the center of bustling Melbourne, this space will serve as a hub for groups and individuals to share ideas and resources and to further their work in supporting equality, diversity and inclusion across the state. The building is currently still under construction, though the latest updates on the project can be found here.

Melbourne has long opened its arms to LGBTQIA+ travelers from around the world to enjoy the city's gay-friendly activities, attractions, nightlife and events. Visitors interested in exploring the city's most inclusive neighborhoods should visit South Yarra and Prahran – both with vibrant communities and blocks upon blocks of gay-owned restaurants and businesses with Pride flags waving on nearly every flagpole. Neighborhoods like St. Kilda and Fitzroy are well-known for laying claim to some of the city's trendiest cafes, independent music and bookstores and lively nightlife. Don't miss trendy and gay-friendly spots like Sircuit Bar, a nightclub well-known for their nightly drag shows, or The Laird Hotel, Australia's longest-running gay-owned and operated hotel and bar.

LGBTQIA+ travelers won't need to seek out specific neighborhoods or enclaves to find gay-owned and friendly establishments. In the heart of Melbourne's CBD – or downtown – you'll find The Bottom End, one of Melbourne's hottest pubs and disco clubs, known for their monthly "Swagger'' dance events that are a staple of Melbourne's party scene. To indulge in both delicious east Asian cuisine and an amalgamation of contemporary art and local culture, visit Chin Chin for dinner and drinks, or to fulfill a craving for delectable Spanish tapas while supporting an LGBTQIA+ business owner, make sure to make room for Chato in your dinner plans. And if visiting over the weekend, be sure to have Sunday brunch at The Railway Hotel, known for its stunning rooftop bar and 24-hour bottle shop.

For staple Pride celebrations throughout the year, check out the month-long celebration of events – the Midsumma Pride Festival – which is held each May and features the famous Pride March as well as auxiliary events like musical performances, workshops, public art displays, youth events and more. Beyond Midsumma, OUT in the OPEN festival takes place each October, the Melbourne Fringe each November, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival annually in March, and many more. The Pride Centre also has a host of events throughout the year, all of which can be found on the events page of the website. Beyond Melbourne and throughout Victoria, don't miss events like ChillOut Festival in Daylesford, which is the longest-running regional queer pride event in Australia. Film buffs can get their fix of cinema at the Geelong Pride Film Festival or Bendigo Queer Film Festival. These events and many more draw dedicated crowds even outside of the capital city.

With welcoming and inclusive businesses and activities throughout the state, it's easy to incorporate gay-friendly events, dining, art and more into any trip to Victoria. While venturing around Victoria and experiencing all the state has to offer in unparalleled food and wine, diverse natural landscapes and iconic wildlife, incorporating LGBTQIA+ support, appreciation and education is seamless, easy, and most importantly, fun!

For more resources and information about traveling to Victoria, visit www.visitvictoria.com. For related images and assets please contact the Victoria team at [email protected].

Additional Information on Victoria, Australia:
In many destinations, tourism is about ticking off a list of top attractions. But visiting Melbourne and Victoria is different. It's less about what you see and more about what you feel. And the best way to experience it is by exploring the depth and diversity of this incredible place in an immersive and authentic way. Melbourne is a city renowned for its superb restaurants, café culture, theatre and diverse art and cultural offerings and nightlife and is known as a stylish and contemporary city and a gateway to world class nature based experiences. Melbourne offers can't miss food and wine experiences and is home to an inventive food and wine culture. The unique blend of people, place and produce gives Melbourne/Victoria an approach to food and wine experiences that are based in creativity and unencumbered by tradition. Visitors get a glimpse into why Melbourne has so many times been voted the most livable city in the world.

Victoria's compact size allows ease of travel around the state. A variety of tourism experiences are all within close proximity to Melbourne, including wineries, regional gourmet experiences and spectacular natural attractions. Some examples of key experiences are listed below:

The Penguin Parade at Phillip Island
Food and wine experiences in Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula
Touring the Great Ocean Road along to the famous Twelve Apostles
Enjoy the breathtaking views and sandstone mountains of The Grampians for an outdoor lovers' paradise
Discover the pristine beaches, lakes, mountains, forests and lush vineyards of the Gippsland region