Victoria’s Pride 2025 Announces Melbourne’s Best Free Summer Street Party With An Inspired Line-Up Unveiled
Victoria’s Pride 2025
Sunday 9 February 2025, 12PM – 9PM
Gertrude and Smith Street Precinct
Midsumma and the Victorian State Government are thrilled to announce that Filipino/Australian artist, musician, songwriter, producer, and filmmaker Chelsea Wheatley, known as 'Chela et Cetera,' will headline this summer’s Victoria’s Pride Street Party on Sunday, 9 February 2025. This performance will mark the debut of Chela et Cetera's new music and the artist’s first live appearance under her new moniker.
Chela et Cetera’s journey began in a femme punk-pop band in Melbourne during her teens before skyrocketing as a solo artist with her self-released debut single Plastic Gun. With acclaimed releases like Romanticise and Zero under French tastemaker label Kitsuné, she gained international recognition, performing at SXSW and Coachella, and sharing stages with icons like The Presets, MIKA, and San Cisco. Chela’s genre-defying artistry, collaborations with global acts like Damian Lazarus, Seth Bogart, and Gus Dapperton, and over 20 million streams mark her as a standout in Australia’s music scene.
Victoria’s Pride Street Party, the grand finale of Midsumma’s three-week summer festival, is set to transform the iconic Gertrude and Smith Street precinct into an all-day, free celebration. Presented by Midsumma and the Victorian Government, this jam-packed block party for all ages will feature two live music stages, multiple DJ decks, and laneway activations, bringing together an array of community members, emerging artists, and high-profile performers to celebrate Victoria’s diverse and vibrant LGBTQIA+ communities.
Chela et Cetera will be joined by multi-talented festival favourite Bec Sandridge, known for her commanding stage presence and boundary-pushing pop-rock style. Alt-country crooner Leroy Macqueen adds a brooding blend of melodramatic baritone, punk rock energy and Thndo x NHT All Stars Band will enthral audiences with her soulful vocals and powerful lyricism, which has earned her the title of Australia’s ‘First Lady of Soul and R&B.’
Brimming with energy and passion, Brisbane’s fiery four-piece band Dizzy Days will light up the stage with their irresistible disco-dance pop anthems, alongside Melbourne’s iconic diva Tanzer, who will dazzle audiences with her signature blend of European disco and operatic vocals. Representing the Victoria’s Pride Regional Activation Program, rising star Mieke Louise from Beechworth will share her fresh and captivating sounds, using music to champion LGBTQIA+ youth and celebrate self-discovery.
For those who love to dance the day away, an impressive lineup of DJs will keep the energy high across the precinct, including DJ Tinika, who will play a closing set. Known for amplifying underground sounds, Tinika draws from the rich musical tapestry of the Afro Diaspora, with bass-driven percussive rhythms and drum-laden cuts promising an unforgettable experience.
A crowd favourite, the Pride Windows program will return to participating shopfronts across the precinct, showcasing local talent and stunning visual arts. Keep an eye out for RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under star Aubrey Haive, the mischievous mistress Tilly Capulet, and Melbourne’s beloved singing mermaid, Rosie Roulette.
Additionally, the annual Midsumma takeover of the Yarra Peel St Park Projection program will feature the remarkable work of Cassie Sullivan. A queer lutruwita/trouwerner First Nations artist based on Melukerdee Country in lutruwita/Tasmania, Sullivan’s multidisciplinary practice spans moving image, photography, writing, sound, installation, and printmaking. Her deeply considered work explores intergenerational experiences and ancestral memories of water, using materiality to give voice to complex identities and cultural narratives.
Attendees can immerse themselves in interactive creative activities, explore community stalls, and enjoy vibrant street performances, alongside delicious food, beverages, and goods from local traders. Families can look forward to a host of roving performers, spreading joy and entertainment for the young and the young at heart. With more artists revealed weekly, stay updated by visiting the Victoria’s Pride web page for updates: www.midsumma.org.au/vicpride.
Quotes attributable to Midsumma CEO Karen Bryant
“In just four years, Victoria’s Pride has established itself as a solid landmark in our queer arts and cultural landscape and is the perfect closing event for Midsumma Festival. Through our ongoing partnership with the Victorian Government, this statewide celebration brings together communities, supports the economy through local businesses, and showcases the strength and creativity of Victoria’s LGBTQIA+ artists. This year’s incredible lineup highlights our theme of Collective Identities—a vibrant and joyful reflection of diversity, pride, and unity.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Equality Vicki Ward
“I can’t wait to see LGBTIQA+ creativity and festivity come out at Victoria’s Pride Street Party – and I encourage everyone to get involved and show their support in February.”
“I’m excited to have Chela et Cetera headline this iconic celebration of Victoria’s diverse rainbow communities.”
Quotes attributable to Chela et Cetera
“It means so much to be performing at Pride in a city that is so dear to my heart, where I was able to fumble and figure my way out of some of my most formative years as a queer youth in safety and solidarity, a privilege that goes so unrecognised in comparison to many parts of this world.”
