Pride Western Australia Celebration to be Held in November

Pride Western Australia Celebration Events to Include Sneaky Sound System, DJ Jewel

Date/Location: Russell Square, Northbridge Saturday 2nd November 2013

by Jaye Johnson

“If the PRIDE PARADE is the rainbow, then PRIDE CELEBRATION is the pot of gold at the end of it!” - Pride WA

Pride Western Australia (Pride WA) is Western Australia’s largest LGBTI community Pride organization and festival organizer. This week, the group announced its annual November PRIDEFEST lineup which is stellar, as usual. Whether it’s drag parties, Pride events, or gatherings like its February FAIRDAY celebration in Hyde Park, when it comes to Gay Pride, the Aussies go big.

Centered in Perth and taking place throughout Western Australia, PRIDEFEST is a nearly month-long affair (well, okay…is three weeks “nearly?”). It all begins with a daytime Pride parade through the streets of Northbridge. Shortly after the parade, the march is followed up with “CELEBRATION,” an all day long music and arts festival in Russell Square.

According to the festival’s organizers, the group will hold over 50 CELEBRATION events: complementary happenings during the three week event include live theater, queer film fests, the full parade itself, a curated piece on the history of the Pride Parade and more—turning Western Australia into, in essence, a lively, colorful LGBTQ mini-village.

According to the group’s Facebook page, its first Pride March took place in 1989 in Perth, Australia. During the day, activists took to the streets to march on Parliament. They brought attention to the debate to decriminalize sex between consenting men in Western Australia. The group finally transitioned to incorporated status in 1993 as Lesbian & Gay Pride (WA) Inc., (renamed Pride Western Australia in 2003) evolving to become one of Australia’s largest gay and lesbian festivals organizers and they’ve never looked back.

The self-supported Pride organization funds itself through its many educational events, celebrations, festivals, donations and memberships.

CELEBRATION’s lineup alone is, in Pride WA’s own words, “massive.” Here’s the lineup:
PRIDE CELEBRATION Russell Square, Northbridge Saturday 2nd November, 1.30pm – 9pm

Sneaky Sound System
Didier Cohen
Sarah McLeod (Superjesus)
Sun City
Tomas Ford
Bastian’s Happy Flight
Axe Girl
Sarah Pellicano
The Amani Consort
Nat Ripepi
+DJ’s Timbee, Curlee, Ben Sebastian, Jewel
Pre-sale tickets for CELEBRATION are on sale now for $15 from Ticketbooth and patrons are encouraged to get their ticket early to avoid queuing at the venue. Entry will be $20 at the gate.
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Additional information from the event organizers:
* Pride Western Australia members receive free tickets to CELEBRATION
* CELEBRATION is a fully licensed 18 and over only event. However, there are plenty of events during the festival for families and teens/youth under 18.
* Due to sponsor assistance and participation, Pride WA has waived the $500 fee for community groups to participate in float building and Pride events (to get in touch with Pride WA to participate, contact Artistic Director Paula Hart).
* Though the event has acquired sponsors to help cover its costs, Pride WA still needs vendor and advertiser support. To place an ad in their program or in other event materials, they invite you to check out their online media kit.
All in all, ain’t nothin’ wrong with a (nearly!) month-long soiree.

Posted in: Australia,Events,GLBT,LGBT,LGBTQ,Pride