Bendigo Queer Arts Festival, Inc

BQAF aka Bendigo PRIDE Festival produces events throughout the year that celebrate and promote LGBTIQA+ creative talents. Our flagship event is the Bendigo PRIDE Festival timed around the second week of the Easter School Holidays. During that time, we curate and produce a range of events including Queer Country Art Exhibition, the Glam Tram, PRIDE WRITE events, and gendered events like The Meat Up and Big Girls' Bar where you are welcomed to meet up with YOUR people, in a safe, inclusive and accessible event. We put on new events each year and in 2027, look for some fabulous cabaret performers to light up the Engine Room stage.

PRIDE IN THE PARK is a full day in a beautiful park setting with performances from local singer-songwriters, community cultural groups, Drag Queens and Drag Kings and the fabulous Puppy Pride Parade and Competition [registrations on the day]. 

We also present the Bendigo Queer Film Festival, one of Australia's longest-running Queer Film Festivals. The 2027 Festival is already in planning with Star Cinema partnering with us to produce a 3-day event of newly created LGBTIQA+ content as well as some nostalgic nods to Queer cinema.

Bendigo PRIDE also collaborates with other organisations like headspace Bendigo, Thorne Harbour Country, YO Bendigo and Bendigo City Council to support and acknowledge our Queer community and other marginalised people - Neuro-divergent, Disabled, Culturally diverse, etc.