We’re here, we’re queer, we’re cultural: Midsumma vs Mardi Gras

Spoilt for choices when it comes to picking what to see in next year’s queer arts festivals? Let us help you choose.

Let’s get one thing straight – an ironic phrase to use when talking about queer culture – the Melbourne-Sydney rivalry should be laid to rest like a drag queen who’s still insisting on lip-synching to Kylie’s ‘I Should Be So Lucky’.

Both cities are unique. Each city has its good and bad points. Comparing them is a pointless exercise. Let’s celebrate them instead.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts