KEY DATES FOR 2008

Saturday 19 January 2008
Opening Celebration
Carnival Day / T-Dance
Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne

Wednesday 30 January 2008
Asia Pacific Outgames Human Rights Conference begins

Thursday 31 January 2008
1st Asia Pacific Outgames Opening Celebration

Sunday 03 February 2008
Pride March, Outgames Medal presentations

The Festival   Midsumma's 20th Birthday is coming and we need your help!

Even with our festivals proud history and success Midsumma still relies heavily on the generosity of Victoria's Queer Community to fund the program. This year more than ever we ask you all to dig deep to keep this wonderful festival alive and vibrant.

In 2008 Midsumma proudly celebrates 20 years of gay and lesbian arts, culture and community in Melbourne. In preparation for our 20th Anniversary celebrations , we're busy planning what promises to be another exciting and action packed 3 weeks.

CARNIVAL KICKS OFF MIDSUMMA 2008

Midsumma is delighted to announce that the 2008 Festival will open with gay and lesbian Melbourne’s favourite event; Midsumma Carnival Day / T-Dance.

Join us as we transform Alexandra Gardens into the gayest party in town! With all the old favourites and plenty of exciting new concepts, Carnival 2008 is gearing up to be our best yet.

The team at Midsumma are giving our traditional Opening Night celebrations at Federation Square a rest in 2008. Don’t despair though; we are already planning a spectacular return to Federation Square for our 21st Birthday party in 2009.

We look forward to seeing you all at Alexandra Gardens for Midsumma Carnival on Saturday 19th Jan 2008, as we celebrate twenty years of gay and lesbian arts, culture and community.

Midsumma welcomes the Asia Pacific Outgames to Melbourne
Play with your neighbours
30 Jan - 3 Feb 2008

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA TO HOST THE 1st ASIA PACIFIC OUTGAMES IN 2008.

The world-class Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre has been secured as a hub for the 1st Asia Pacific Outgames to be staged in Melbourne, Australia from January 30 - February 3, 2008.

Midsumma Festival brings together a diverse mix of artists and performers under a single umbrella for an impassioned celebration and innovative presentation of queer art and culture. The Midsumma Festival program is made up of a wide range of events and activities including visual art, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, live music, sport and social and political forums and debates. Each year Midsumma produces to two signature "bookend events" for the first and final days of Midsumma, to celebrate the opening and closing of the Festival.

Offering a diverse, exciting and relevant program, the Midsumma Festival continues to attract a broad and ever evolving audience to Melbourne and Victoria. Each year over 100,000 individuals across Melbourne and Australia participate in and attend Midsumma Festival events. Midsumma is presently concentrated over five inner city municipal councils across Melbourne: City of Melbourne, City of Stonnington, City of Yarra, City of Moreland and the City of Port Phillip.

Growing in popularity each year, Midsumma is positioned and identified globally as one of the top five gay and lesbian arts and cultural festivals, along with New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and Singapore. As such, Midsumma serves to identify Melbourne as a culturally sophisticated city and strengthens Melbourne's national and international profile as an artistically vibrant and invigorated city.