🏳️‍🌈 Pride Fest Boosts Darlinghurst, Exceeds Economic Goals

Darlinghurst’s cultural landscape has received a significant boost with the successful conclusion of Pride Fest 2025, a month-long festival spearheaded by Qtopia Sydney. The event, which wrapped up in June, has generated an estimated economic benefit of over $1 million for the wider Sydney area, while profoundly impacting the local community in Darlinghurst.

This year marked the second annual Pride Fest, demonstrating remarkable growth with a 180% year-on-year increase across programming, audience numbers, and participation. The festival showcased more than 150 performances, workshops, literary events, exhibitions, and community collaborations, firmly establishing itself as a vital cultural fixture in Sydney's winter calendar.

Revitalising Oxford Street and the Rainbow Precinct

A key focus of Pride Fest was its direct contribution to the revitalisation of Darlinghurst's historic Oxford Street and the broader Rainbow Precinct. Greg Fisher, CEO of Qtopia Sydney, emphasised the festival’s role in "re-energising our city’s cultural spine," highlighting Oxford Street as a enduring symbol of Sydney's Queer community. "We've proven that investment in LGBTQIA+ stories, spaces and creative communities delivers real returns for artists, audiences, local business and tourism alike," Mr Fisher stated.

The festival generated over $170,000 in direct revenue, shared between Qtopia Sydney and participating artists, complemented by $60,000 in in-kind support. Local Darlinghurst hospitality venues, including popular spots like Stonewall, Zushi, Beast & Co, Avia, Thainesia, and L’Amuse Bouche, actively cross-promoted the event, offering exclusive menus and drink vouchers.

Pride Fest 2025 utilised Qtopia Sydney’s various venues, including its headquarters at 301 Forbes Street, the former Darlinghurst Police station, a heritage-listed site brought to life with support from Create NSW. The festival remarkably accounted for over 50% of all programming during Sydney’s official Pride Month.

Diverse Voices and Community Engagement

The extensive program saw over 300 artists across 50 productions, including acclaimed acts and diverse voices from the Deaf community, Pasifika creatives, drag kings, Queer families, and emerging artists. Carly Fisher, Festival Director, commented, "Pride Fest is about visibility, connection and giving space to the stories that don’t always get told. The growth in just one year shows there’s a real hunger for this kind of programming and a real value in curating it with intention."

The festival also saw increased engagement from the education sector through its curriculum-linked program, "Honour the Past, Create The Future," with NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar endorsing Qtopia Sydney’s educational initiatives.

With 1,600 volunteer hours contributing to its success, plans are already underway for future Pride Fests, aiming to expand across Oxford Street, deepen partnerships with local businesses, and potentially introduce a Winter Fair Day, solidifying its place as a major LGBTQIA+ cultural event in Sydney.