Melbourne’s 22nd annual Midsumma Festival has been hailed a success with record numbers attending the two premier events, Carnival Day and Pride March.
Cloud cover and a few spots of rain didn’t deter crowds at the official opening of the festival, Carnival Day on January 17.
‘Numbers would have easily exceeded 30,000-40,000 people. I cannot believe the number of people who were here throughout the day,’ Midsumma general manager Adam Lowe told Southern Star.
Recent Perth expatriate, Danae Gibson experienced her first Carnival Day in her new position as General Manager of JOY 94.9 (Melbourne’s GLBTIQ radio station) and described the day as ‘a massive event to organise for a diverse GLBTQI crowd that look forward to it as a highlight of the OZ queer calendar.’
‘We broadcast from our stall right next to the stage (a noisy challenge) as people filled in surveys, signed up as members and browsed through our Pink Elephant sale,’ she said.
Rug space was at a premium in front of the main stage, where King Victoria drag kings presented highlights from their festival show and singer David Rogers-Smith received a standing ovation for his rendition of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma.
A long-running crowd favourite, Dulcie de Jour’s Dog Show did not disappoint, with contestants competing for titles such as ‘Cutest Bitch’, ‘Longest Tail’ and ‘Best Dressed’.
The festival came to a close on February 7 as the annual Pride March made its way through the streets of St Kilda.
Chief Police Commissioner Simon Overland continued the tradition begun by former Commissioner Christine Nixon marching alongside other uniformed officers and the Police Band.
‘I have been to many community events, but never in my life have I experienced the sort of reception, and the sort of welcome that I got marching down the streets to come here today,’ Overland told the crowd in a speech after the parade.
‘I mean that with all sincerity. If I had any hair at the back of my neck it would have been standing up.’
Amy Henderson
