Welcome to Midsumma!

With less than a handful of days left until Midsumma Festival opens, there is flurry of activity and excitement both in the office, and at sites all around Melbourne. Art is being hung, rehearsals and scripts are being finalised, marquees and stages are being erected at Birrarung Marr and everyone is getting excited for three weeks of Queer Celebration! 

Throughout Festival, I will be keeping you up to date with snippets, tid-bits and behind-the-scenes extras from Midsumma HQ.

As always, the first week of Midsumma 2013 will be action packed! Beginning with Carnival this Sunday! This year expect a host of family friendly Carnival Games, even a brand new miniature Ferris Wheel – how romantic! For the young and young at heart, Ivana Blastoff can be found at Kidz Zone to take families on a light speed journey through the galaxy on her search for new space cadets!

The bigger kids in all of us can enjoy two stages of free entertainment, including the fabulous Dulcie’s Dog Show (she’s back!) in the shady and extremely lush Speakers Corner. Or park your picnic rug on the real grass we’re bringing onto the Middle Terrace upon which you can watch the thrills and spills of the main stage!

Be sure not to wear yourselves out at Carnival, or if you do, pop a Berocca because we are just getting started. Both T Dance and The Gold Party will begin at 5pm. Those who are seasoned party-goers will enjoy the likes of M.A.F.I.A., Wayne G and Ruby Rose at T Dance (closing at 10pm) before strutting over to The Gold Party for Stereogamous Paul Mac & Jonny Seymour)! What a line-up, and this is just the FIRST day of Midsumma!

If you are visual arts fan, lock the following into your diary now as they are all in first week! Blue and Pink Phenomenon at The Substation, Roller Derby Saved My Soul at Gasworks and Yarra Arts at Red Gallery! All very different, all standout in their own right. You will catch me at all of these (even two on the same night - phew!).

For those who cannot wait until Thursday night openings for theatre, Psycho Beach Party at Theatre Works starring the quirky and extremely talented Ash Flanders launches on the January 11 and Gaybies, which is already hot with gossip and speculation, begins on the January 15 at the Sumner Theatre at MTC.
Happy Midsumma!

Monique Thorpe
Midsumma Festival Manager