PRIDE GALA 2026

Gippsland Pride Gala 2026

The Gippsland Pride Initiative is proud and excited to welcome you to our 6th Annual Pride Gala, returning to Lardner Park, Warragul on Saturday 13 June 2026.

Gippsland Pride Initiative is Gippsland’s LGBTQIA+ charity, resourced almost exclusively by a small team of dedicated volunteers from across the six shires of Gippsland. This event is proudly facilitated by Full Circle HR & Business Services and made possible through the generosity, energy and care of our community, partners and sponsors.

This much-loved annual celebration continues to grow year on year and has become one of Victoria’s most significant single-day LGBTQIA+ events. Whether this is your first Pride Gala or you’ve joined us many times before, we can’t wait to come together for a night filled with joy, connection, pride and celebration in Gippsland.

What You Need to Know

• This is a formal, ticketed, 18+ event

• Bright lights, loud music and a full dance floor are part of the experience

• Many people attend solo as well as in groups

• Tickets often sell out, so early booking is encouraged

• This is a community-centred, values-led, proudly LGBTQIA+ event

We’ll also be sharing a short FAQ video and an accessible written FAQ closer to the event to help you feel informed, comfortable and excited before the night.

Event Details

Date: Saturday 13 June 2026
Time: 6.00 PM – 11.30 PM
Doors open from 5.30 PM. Proceedings commence at 6.00 PM sharp.

This is a secure venue. As part of our security provisions, gates will be locked once proceedings commence.

Early departure can be supported by our security team for guests who do not wish to stay for the full duration of the event. Please note that once you exit the venue, re-entry is not permitted.

Venue:
Lardner Park Event Centre
155 Burnt Store Road, Lardner VIC 3820

Parking:
Free parking is available for the duration of the event. Vehicles cannot be securely stored within the venue after closing. Guests wishing to leave their vehicle on site must park outside the venue gates, as the site will be unstaffed the following day and access cannot be guaranteed or facilitated.

For guests requiring disability access, we encourage parking as close to the venue entry as possible or driving up to the front door to support safe entry. Parking is close by and free.

Audience:
This is an 18+ event for LGBTQIA+ community members and their allies. We proudly welcome adults of all ages and life stages and aim to create an event that is enjoyable, respectful and welcoming for everyone.

Dress Code:
Dress to impress – Formal

Based on community feedback, we have intentionally not adopted a fixed theme. Instead, we’re excited to invite you to bring your best self. Your best outfit. Whatever makes you feel confident, joyful and beautiful. Think sparkle, colour, celebration and pride, all within a formal setting (no t-shirts and shorts, folks).

Have nothing to wear or worried about the cost of buying something special? Gippsland Pride proudly runs free, gender-affirming and all-gender-affirming op shop pop-ups throughout the year. These region-wide pop-ups are open to everyone, often include gala-appropriate options across a wide range of sizes, and are offered completely free. While they don’t run on regular public hours, we encourage you to keep an eye on our Facebook page to make the most of this support.

Tickets and Pricing

General Admission:
$150 + GST (total cost $165 per ticket)

Concession:
$110 + GST (total cost $121 per ticket)

Humanitix applies a small booking fee, which also directly supports charitable causes.

We know tickets are a significant investment in the current climate. Please know that ticket prices for this event are set below the true cost of delivery and are supported by Gippsland Pride’s fundraising throughout the year.

Any margin generated through this event, including through our raffles and silent auction, directly supports our charitable purpose. These funds allow us to deliver LGBTQIA+ events, activities and activations right across Gippsland throughout the year, many of which are offered at low or no cost to the community.

Community Ballot Tickets:
In addition to concession pricing and Afterpay payment options, we will release a very limited number of fully or partially funded Community Ballot tickets closer to the event, subject to sponsorship availability and budget confirmation. These tickets support access for community members who may otherwise be unable to attend, including First Nations people, trans and gender-diverse people, people living with disability, carers, people aged over 60, people living remotely, and those receiving disability or other concessions.

We anticipate continuing our partnership with Pride in Ageing to support access for LGBTQIA+ people aged over 60 in Gippsland, including those connected to Forever Rainbows. Further funded ticket opportunities may be released as sponsorships or partnerships are confirmed.

Payment Plans:
Afterpay is available for those who need to pay over time. Tickets are not valid or released until full payment has been received.

What’s Included

• A drink on arrival (non-alcoholic and champagne options available)

• Two courses featuring beautiful Gippsland produce

• Live music and outstanding LGBTQIA+-affirming performers and artists

• A full dance floor all night long – bring your best or your comfiest dance shoes

• Major silent auction and generous raffles supporting Gippsland Pride

• Free photo booth and free portrait photography, with the option to opt out on the night

Special guests and performances will be announced closer to the event.

Transport and Getting There

Not sure how to get there? Based on community interest, we proudly provide buses from across Gippsland. These services are made possible thanks to the generosity of Uniting Vic/Tas, with a small nominal fee requested to help subsidise costs. Bus tickets must be purchased separately.

It’s really important to arrive at your nominated bus stop before the scheduled departure time, as we can’t guarantee alternative arrangements if you miss your bus. Further details will be provided as part of the bus ticket booking process.

As a regional event, we strongly encourage booking accommodation early. We have proudly worked with the Mercure Warragul in previous years and recommend this option where possible, noting it often sells out quickly. The venue is approximately a 12-minute drive from Warragul.

Train access is available, with buses collecting from Warragul train station and selected Gippsland train stations on the evening of the event.

Seating, Groups and Solo Guests

If you’d like to sit with specific people, let us know when booking and we’ll do our best to accommodate (no guarantees).

For groups, we strongly recommend purchasing a table or buying tickets in a single transaction. This greatly supports our volunteer team with administration and helps us better meet seating preferences.

Coming on your own? You’re more than welcome. Many people attend independently each year, whether it’s their first Gala or their sixth. If you’re attending solo, please indicate this when booking and we’ll do our best to seat you with others who are also coming independently or for the first time.

If you purchase a table and don’t yet have all attendee details, these can be updated later. Final attendee names, mobile numbers, dietary requirements and access needs are required no later than 14 days prior to the event.

Groups or Organisational Bookings:
Those wishing to be invoiced for tickets or tables can contact admin@gippslandpride.com. Tickets are not issued until payment is received. Sponsorship information is also available on request.

Important Information

Tickets are strictly limited. Entry requires a valid ticket scanned on arrival, either digital or printed. Spot ID checks will occur.

This is a secure, community-centred event focused on LGBTQIA+ people of Gippsland and beyond. Allies and loved ones are warmly welcomed.

Each year we’re deeply moved by the warmth, excitement and kindness of attendees. To keep the event safe and joyful for everyone, behaviour that is destructive, abusive or inconsistent with our values will not be tolerated. This includes behaviour toward guests, volunteers, performers, venue staff or event staff, and may result in refusal of entry or removal from the event.

Anyone who appears drug-affected or significantly intoxicated on arrival may be refused entry without refund. Drinks are available at bar prices and responsible service of alcohol is mandatory. This is otherwise a drug-free event.

Outside food and drinks are not permitted and may be disposed of prior to entry.

Your welcome drink must be redeemed before formal proceedings commence.

Please note that while early departure can be supported by our security team, re-entry is not permitted once you exit the venue.

This is a strictly 18+ event in line with our child safety policies.

Refunds, Changes and Transfers

Full refunds are available up to 14 days prior to the event. After this point, refunds are not available due to confirmed catering, security and operational requirements.

Tickets are not transferable without consultation. ID may be requested where ticket details do not align.

Dietary Requirements and Contact Details

Dietary requirements must be specified for each individual guest. If purchasing multiple tickets, please ensure each attendee’s dietary requirements and access needs are entered by the required date. Requests made on the night cannot be accommodated.

We also strongly encourage providing a mobile number for each ticket holder. If this isn’t available at purchase, please ensure it’s added closer to the event so we can reach everyone if an important update is required.

Access and Inclusion

We’re committed to doing our best to make this event accessible and welcoming.

This is an Auslan-supported event. If you have preferred seating locations, visibility requirements or other access needs, please let us know when booking and we’ll be in touch ahead of the event.

This event isn’t for everyone, and we want to be honest about that while still being welcoming. There are bright lights, loud music, lots of people and plenty of movement. For many, that’s part of the magic.

Guests are welcome to step into the foyer or outdoor areas for a break. A sheltered marquee may be provided for weather protection, but this should not be considered a quiet, sensory-safe or supported space.

Financial access is supported through our Community Ballot ticket program. Please let us know about any access needs when booking and we’ll do our best to support you.

What to Expect

If this is your first Pride Gala, or even if you’ve joined us before, we’ll be sharing a Frequently Asked Questions video ahead of the event. This responds directly to community questions and feedback and helps explain what this event is and what it isn’t, so you can arrive feeling informed, comfortable and excited.

We’ll also provide an accessible, easy-to-read FAQ document covering the same information for those who prefer a written format. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for both resources coming soon.

Support Gippsland Pride or the 2026 Pride Gala

We’re actively seeking partners to support the 2026 Pride Gala. Ticket prices are set below cost, and this event is made possible through community, corporate and hoped-for government support.

This is a branding-free, community-centred event. Other than acknowledgement in the program and on screens, we don’t accept sponsor paraphernalia, banners or promotional materials.

If sponsorship isn’t the right fit, we also welcome donations to our silent auction and raffles. Donations are accepted up to two weeks prior to the event so contributors can be appropriately acknowledged.

Gippsland Pride is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission, and all donations are tax deductible.

Enquiries, ticket assistance, donations and sponsorship requests can be directed to admin@gippslandpride.com.

Acknowledgement of Country

This event takes place on the lands of the Gunai Kurnai and Bunurong Peoples. Gippsland Pride proudly acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live, work and celebrate, and pays respect to Elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.

Our partners - Every day

Our heartfelt thanks to our partners Uniting Vic Tas and Aussie Broadband who make the operation of our small regional LGBTQIA+ community charity possible everyday. We are immensely grateful to all of our community, organisational partners, sponsors and peers who contribute to our work year round.