RMIT has announced it is partnering with the Midsumma Pride March, as the LGBTIQA+ festival enters its 30th year.
The university says the collaboration builds on their leadership in diversity and inclusion and deepens existing connections with Midsumma to foster new collaboration in digital design, fashion, media, research, and community engagement.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Vocational Education and Vice-President Mish Eastman shared the university’s excitement about the new partnership.
“RMIT is proud to stand with our rainbow community as Midsumma’s new Major Partner. Our university community is proudly diverse, built on inclusion, creativity and cultural leadership.
“This partnership allows us to champion LGBTQIA+ communities while providing hands-on opportunities for our students across multiple disciplines. We’re excited to help bring the 2026 Festival to life.” Eastman said.
Through this partnership, RMIT will contribute to festival programming, design and media projects, student placements and collaborative initiatives aligned with both organisations’ values of inclusion, innovation and community impact. Attendees can expect to see and experience RMIT-led activations throughout the festival.
RMIT received its third SAGE Cygnet Award in 2025 for its work to create a safer and more inclusive environment.
These values are embedded in RMIT’s flagship IDEA framework, which is grounded in principles of inclusion and accessibility; creating improvements in the recruitment, experience and outcomes of students and staff who have diverse identities.
This initiative was co-designed with LGBTIQA+ students and staff from RMIT and the broader community and supports policies including gender affirmation, all-gender toilets, workplace and student pride networks, staff inclusion training and more.
RMIT experts are also undertaking impactful research; the new RMIT School of Law is leading groundbreaking research into reparations for LGBTQIA+ hate crimes in Victoria.
Midsumma Festival is described as Australia’s premier LGBTQIA+ cultural festival. The 2026 festival is running 18 January – 8 February. The festival showcases queer arts and culture through over 200 events across more than 160 venues throughout Victoria, attracting more than 300,000 attendees annually.
