Biggest festival yet as Albany Pride 2025 kicks off with launch party at Premier Hotel ahead of new schedule

WA’s biggest regional LGBTQIA event will soon be back bigger than ever as it kicks off festivities with a launch party on Friday.

Albany Pride 2025 will celebrate the free launch party for its ninth festival year at the Premier Hotel to inform the community what can be expected in its jam-packed schedule.

Festival co-ordinator Millie Reid said more events will join the 31 already announced across the festival’s 12 days and 44 stalls set up for its cornerstone Fair Day event.

“Last year we estimated about 1500 attendees for Fair Day and we only had 33 stalls,” she said.

“This year, applications just kept coming and we unfortunately had to knock back a few because we just didn’t have room.”

She said support for the event, both economically and socially, has improved year after year since its inauguration in 2016.

“Even five to six years ago we were begging businesses to get involved, but now we’re being approached by them, they’re coming to us to ask how they can get involved,” she said.

“It’s growing every year as we can see demonstrably in our numbers.

“It’s changed massively.”

Ms Reid said this year’s Town Hall dance event will be transformed from its normal disco theme to a farmyard barn dance, with OUTdance Perth leading through the steps of line and partner dances, drag queens BarbieQ and Alexas Armstrong providing entertainment and DJ Her Highness on music.

Other highlights acts include androgynous performance art duo The Huxleys, circus troupe Yuck Circus and comedic play Fag/Stag, as well as LGBTQIA twists on sporting events, swim clubs and run meets.

Ms Reid said establishing the Pride Round in the Great Southern Football League Women’s competition and scheduled kickball, lawn bowl and roller skate events encourage queer participation in a space they often feel excluded from.

“Obviously there are a lot of barriers to LGBT sports participation, not least of which is visibly accepting clubs to openly queer people in Albany,” she said.

“This helps provide a space where the clubs can showcase their support for the queer community and people in that community can feel they can safely enjoy sports.”

Pride received a $15,000 Lotterywest grant for its Fair Day and $20,000 from the City of Albany, as well as sponsorship from Dan Murphys, Albany Community Bank, Town Hall and the Great Southern Development Commission.

Albany Pride 2025 officially runs from February 20 to March 3, with the January 31 launch party serving as a soft launch.

Attendance for the 5.30pm launch can be registered on the Albany Pride website.