Newcastle embraces pride

Open your heart and fly your rainbow colours this weekend for Newcastle's first-ever Pride Festival celebrating our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community.

The festival includes Pride Fair Day this Saturday 25 August from 12noon to 5pm featuring live performances, a pride costume drag off, 'Doggywood' dog fashion parade, community and retail stalls, food vans, children's activities and more.

"This colourful celebration will help to reinforce the wonderful diversity in the Newcastle community,” said Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes.

"I encourage everyone to come along to Foreshore Park sporting their rainbow best from flags and shirts to tights and wigs – and enjoy this event.

The Newcastle Pride Festival received $4,500 and is just one of many events sharing in nearly a quarter of a million dollars via Newcastle City Council's event sponsorships program.

"Supporting Newcastle's first Pride Festival is one more way Council is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to the region's LGBTQI community," said the Lord Mayor.

"We want to make sure the LGBTQI community feels included in the social fabric of our city and valued by all."

Council proudly supported the 'yes' campaign in last year's marriage equality plebiscite that saw 74.8 per cent of the federal Newcastle electorate vote 'yes'.

Newcastle’s result was well above the state and national averages and the fifth highest result in NSW.

Council first committed to marriage equality in 2015 and the following year officially opened the Islington Rainbow Walk, a 25-metre rainbow pathway through Islington Park that symbolises Newcastle as an inclusive community.

Our community engagement team will have a marquee at Saturday’s event, drop by for a chat and find out more about Council projects and activities.

More information about the Newcastle Pride Festival

WHAT: Newcastle Pride Festival
WHEN: Noon to 5pm, Saturday 25 August
WHERE: Newcastle Foreshore Park