Midsumma

Three weeks of laneway parties and cabaret build toward Carnival Day at Alexandra Gardens, then the Pride March through St Kilda closes it out — all of it inside Melbourne's longest run of daylight in the year.

Melbourne, Australia

Victoria carries some of the strongest legal protections for LGBTQ+ people in the country, and Melbourne is generally read as one of the more visibly queer cities outside the festival calendar itself. Same-sex marriage has been recognised since December 2017, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity has been unlawful since 2000, and conversion practices have been a criminal offence since February 2022.

Day to day, public affection between same-sex couples draws little attention in the inner city. Midsumma itself falls deep in a Melbourne summer — expect a top around 30°C and a low near 20°C, with the odd sharp change thrown in, since the city's known locally for running through four seasons in a single day. Worth packing for both ends of the range.

Where to stay

• W Melbourne

• 1 Hotel Melbourne

• Sofitel Melbourne