Perth’s LGBTIQA+ community is excited that the Gay Games is coming to town in 2030, but it’s just one of three major sporting events that the city has recently locked in.
Now the World Police and Fire Games 2027, World Masters Games 2029, and the Gay Games 2030 have formed the Perth Major Events Legacy Alliance, bringing three communities together around movement, connection and ambition across Western Australia’s Green and Gold decade.
Between 2027 and 2030, Perth will become one of the few cities in the world to host three major international multi-sport events back-to-back: the World Police and Fire Games in 2027, the World Masters Games in 2029 and the Gay Games in 2030, all in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032. It is a rare position for any city to be in, and it puts Perth on the map as a place built for activity at every age and every stage of life.
The three organising committees have formed the Perth Major Events Legacy Alliance (PMELA), committing themselves to share knowledge, resources and a plan for what these Games leave behind.
Each event tells its own version of the same story. The World Police and Fire Games bring together thousands of active, retired and volunteer law enforcement and emergency service personnel from around the world in the spirit of sport, service and adventure.
World Masters Games Perth will bring 30,000 masters athletes, officials, volunteers and travelling companions to Perth for 12 days in October 2029, with competing athletes expected to range from 30 all the way to 100, a seven-decade age span on the same start line.
The Gay Games champion belonging through sport for the LGBTQIA+ community. Together, three different communities are proving the same thing: sport keeps people moving, connected to each other, and chasing meaning through movement.
The Alliance sits inside what’s being called Australia’s Green and Gold Decade, a run of major sporting moments running from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 to the Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032. For Western Australia, it means the state will host four genuine world sporting events across a six-year period, and a model for doing it without starting from a blank page every time.
Jeremy Petersen, Games Executive Director, 2027 World Police and Fire Games, said his event would be the first to bring the city to life when it gets underway next year.
“Every competitor at the World Police and Fire Games has spent their career keeping other people safe; this is where they get to compete for themselves. Running the first of three major Games in as many years means we get one shot to set the standard.
“This Alliance means what we build in 2027, our volunteer model, our venue plans, our approach to inclusion and sustainability, doesn’t disappear when our Games end. It becomes the starting point for the World Masters Games in 2029 and the Gay Games in 2030 when we hand the baton over.”
The experiences from the World Police and Fire Games will be passed on to the next event, and Nathan Bennett, CEO, World Masters Games Perth 2029, said he welcomed the knowledge sharing.
“World Masters Games Perth 2029 will bring 30,000 athletes to this city, the biggest event of its kind in the world, built on the simple idea that competitive sport doesn’t come with an age limit. What excites me about this Alliance is that we don’t have to build that on our own. By the time our Games arrive in 2029, we’ll already be building on what the World Police & Fire Games learn in 2027, and we’ll hand all of that on again to the Gay Games in 2030. That’s Perth building on itself each time, a bigger legacy than any one Games could leave alone.” Bennett said.
Peter Foster, Chair of the Perth 2030 Gay Games and Pride WA said his event, as the final games in the trilogy, would benefit the most.
“The Gay Games has always been proof that sport belongs to everyone. When Perth/Boorloo hosts our Games in 2030, we inherit two years of hard-won lessons from the World Masters Games and the World Police & Fire Games before us. That’s the real value of this Alliance: nobody has to start from zero, and inclusion doesn’t have to be relearned every four years.”
The combining of knowledge sharing and resources has been welcomed by Samantha Rowe MLC, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier; Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment.
“Perth becoming one of the few cities in the world to host three major international multi-sport events back-to-back is not only a tremendous achievement, but demonstrates our status as world-class events destination. We look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of competitors, spectators, officials and volunteers over the coming years, delivering significant social and economic benefits for the state.
“That’s why the Cook Labor Government supports major events – they are a key part of our vision to diversify WA’s economy by growing out-of-state visitation, boosting the tourism sector, stimulating vibrancy in our communities, and creating local jobs.” Rowe said.
