Perth has won the 2030 Gay Games, an event that is set to bring thousands of people to city to participate in sport, cultural and community events.
The announcement was made in Valencia Spain, the city that will host the 2026 games. Austin Manning, who led the site selection process announced that the Perth was the winner for the games next outing.
The final choice was between Denver Colorado and Perth, but the process began with 25 cities across five continents bidding for the event.
At the start of the process the 25 cities were under consideration included Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne in the running. Adelaide’s bid was knocked out of consideration in August 2024, but both Perth and Melbourne made the top 10 cities being considered.
In December 2024 Melbourne withdrew their bid when government support could not be guaranteed. The final round saw Perth, Auckland and Denver announced as the city’s still in contention. Auckland withdrew their bid in April.
In early July three city assessors from The Federation of Gay Games visited Perth and were shown around the city and given a look at the spaces which would host events should Perth be selected.
They were also entertained at Connections Nightclub, welcomed at a special event at Council House, and driven around town in a rainbow Transperth bus. Perth’s landmarks including Optus Stadium, Council House and the Matagarup Bridge were lit up in rainbow colours during their visit.
The assessors also got to meet the many LGBTIQA+ sporting teams who have exploded across Perth in recent years.
The Gay Games made their debut in San Francisco in 1982. Originally they were called the Gay Olympics.
The idea for a gay sporting competition akin to the Olympics was the brainchild of Olympian Tom Waddell. Wadell participated in the Decathlon in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, before becoming a medical doctor. He saw the need for a LGBTIQA+ focused event as people often experienced discrimination in the sporting realm.
Unlike the Olympics, there is not qualifying round, those who are willing to make the trip to the host city and take part are welcomed, and there is no requirement to disclose your sexuality.
Since its initial set up in San Franciso, which hosted the inaugural event in 1982 and the follow up in 1986, the event has been held in many cities.
Vancouver, New York, Amsterdam, Sydney, Chicago, Cologne, Cleveland-Akron and Paris have all played host.
The most recent games were originally planned to be held in Hong Kong in 2022, but they were pushed back a year due the Corona virus pandemic. Guadalajara in Mexico was added as an additional host city with events split across the two locations.
The 2026 Gay Games will be held in Valencia, Spain from 27th June until 4th July.
