Tamworth Pride has cancelled this year’s Fair Day and After Party after organisers were unable to secure the sponsorship needed to run the event, in what its president says is a growing pattern among regional pride events across the state.
Tamworth Pride Inc president William Weller said the decision had not been made lightly.
“Cancelling Tamworth Pride’s Fair Day and After Party was a very difficult decision to make and one where we explored as many options as possible before making it,” Mr Weller said.
“We were devastated by this decision, and we feel the pain of the community at the loss of this event this year.”
Mr Weller said the event was about more than a celebration, offering a rare chance for local support services to reach people who needed them.
“Events like ours are so important for our community not simply just to celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride but are also an opportunity for us to bring local services supporting our community to the one place where people who might be struggling can access services we know are supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community,” he said.
“Vibrant community events like ours are a chance for our community to be visible and proud of who they are and are valuable chances for connection and building community.”
Tamworth Pride’s cancellation follows similar decisions this year affecting Wagga Wagga’s Mardi Gras and the Sydney Mardi Gras afterparty, both also due to a lack of funding. The organisation had been successful in getting in-kind support from Tamworth Regional Council, but just couldn’t find the cash necessary to stage the low-budget event.
“Sadly, this was the first year we’d secured council support. Councillors approved $5000 of inkind support at a recent council meeting but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get us across the line this year.”
Mr Weller said regional events faced particular hurdles when competing for grants.
“Regional events especially struggle to be successful in grant applications due to lack of local council support, competition with much larger metropolitan organisations and are often supported by small volunteer committees who are trying to work, raise families and make things happen in their community,” he said.
The cancellation has prompted the NSW Greens to renew calls for a dedicated state pride events fund, similar to one already operating in Victoria. Greens LGBTQIA+ spokesperson Dr Amanda Cohn asked the Minister for Arts earlier this year whether the government would provide dedicated long-term funding for pride events across NSW, and has since started an online petition calling for the fund.
“Pride events in NSW are often left to rely on piecemeal fundraising and short-term grants, with no specific or long-term government funding,” Dr Cohn said.
“LGBTQIA+ community events are vulnerable, despite their enormous cultural and social value. These events are crucial, especially for young people and for those living in regional and rural communities, where visibility and connection can be life-changing.”
Dr Cohn said the Sydney Mardi Gras’ reliance on Tourism NSW funding highlighted the gap facing smaller events.
“The Sydney Mardi Gras relies on Tourism NSW funding, but pride events are more than tourist attractions,” she said. “They are opportunities for queer people to connect, celebrate and show communities that LGBTQIA+ people belong and matter. This is crucial at a time where hatred and threats towards queer communities is on the rise.”
Mr Weller said a dedicated fund would give regional events like Tamworth’s a chance to become sustainable in the long term.
“A dedicated LGBTQIA+ Pride event fund supported by NSW government would make a huge difference to the viability of regional Pride events, giving them the chance to build enough community support to be able to become sustainable events that continue to support and celebrate regional LGBTQIA+ people for years to come,” he said.
“We welcome the support of the Greens in pushing for this kind of support from the NSW Labor government.”
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