About
Our history
The Wellington Pride Parade Trust builds on a vibrant legacy of pride and protest in Te Whanganui-a-Tara dating back decades.
In 1986, amidst intense national debate over the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, Des Smith organised the inaugural Newtown Lesbian and Gay Fair at Newtown School. Named 'A Fair for a Fair Law,' it offered a safe, visible space to unite the community, push back against prejudice, and demand justice.
In 1991—five years after law reform passed—Peter Beardsley of the NZ AIDS Foundation launched the Devotion Festival to rally the community during the height of the AIDS crisis. By 1992, Devotion expanded into a legendary dusk-to-dawn dance party at Shed 21 on the waterfront, eventually growing into a full community festival, a magazine, and a street parade.
Progress accelerated in 1993. Wellington City Council approved the city’s first official Pride parade—featuring floats, classic cars, live musicians, and accessible transport for people living with AIDS—just months before the Human Rights Act 1993 made discrimination based on sexuality illegal.
The original fair also evolved. Relocated to Civic Square in 2008 as Out in the Square, the event adapted over the years through iterations like Out in the Park and Out in the Carpark, before becoming today’s Out in the City. Throughout every name change, its core mission remained unchanged: celebrating and advocating for Wellington’s Rainbow community.
In 2018, the Wellington International Pride Parade (WIPP) launched down Courtenay Place as a tourism-focused initiative. The event proved resilient; when the 2019 Parade was delayed by the Christchurch terror attacks, it returned successfully two months later in May. The 2020 parade marked one of New Zealand's last major public gatherings before COVID-19 lockdowns, featuring a Royal New Zealand Air Force flyover and Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy sporting rainbow-painted nails. Pandemic disruptions ultimately forced the cancellation of the 2021 and 2022 parades. In 2023, the original WIPP organisation disbanded, redistributing its remaining funds to local Rainbow groups.
Out of this transition, the Wellington Pride Parade Trust was established in August 2023. Founded as a new charitable entity, the Trust set out to return the Parade to its grassroots—delivering a safe, community-focused, and financially sustainable event. Today, we proudly draw over 15,000 people to the streets of Pōneke each year.
What began as a brave 1986 fair has grown into a massive celebration of our Rainbow whānau. Our efforts each year honour our activist pioneers while carrying the work forward for equality, inclusion and representation.
Wellington Pride Parade Trust
The Wellington Pride Parade Trust is a registered charity established in 2023 to rebuild, protect and ensure the long-term future of the Pride Parade for our city.
Purpose
Our purpose is to produce a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable annual Pride Parade that celebrates and empowers Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s Rainbow community.
Vision
Our vision is to grow this annual celebration into Aotearoa’s premier destination Pride event.
Our strategic priorities
As we work to grow the Parade, our mahi is guided by five core priorities:
1. Walking in step with our community
2. Expanding participation through inclusivity
3. Fostering authentic partnerships
4. Ensuring financial sustainability
5. Generating meaningful impact long after Parade Day ends.
Our focus in 2027
Our focus for 2027 is to deliver a Smoother, Bolder and Bigger Parade. To achieve this, we are building a strong organisational foundation to enable professional event delivery.
Our team
Our Trustees maintain oversight of the Trust’s strategic direction, financial sustainability, and accountability and compliance. Meanwhile, our Organising Committee involves a dedicated team of volunteer leads who design, manage and deliver the Parade.
Our Ethos
The Wellington Pride Parade Trust aims to produce a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable annual Pride Parade that celebrates and empowers Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s Rainbow community. As we seek to grow the Wellington Pride Parade into Aotearoa’s premier destination Pride event, we are guided by the following principles.
Our principles
A Parade for Wellington’s Rainbow community
Established to deliver a community-led, authentic celebration, community remains at the heart of our kaupapa. We ensure the Parade is inclusive, genuine and accessible to all while creating a lasting positive impact beyond Parade Day.
A warm and inclusive welcome
We actively invite the full spectrum of Greater Wellington’s Rainbow whānau—alongside allies across Aotearoa—to march with us. Our commitment to inclusion comes alive through our Open to All initiative: as the procession reaches its finale, spectators are invited off the sidelines to join in. It’s a uniquely Wellington way to celebrate Pride, ensuring space for everyone.
“The opportunity to join the Parade at the end was very meaningful to me. It gave so many of us—whose workplaces do not participate—a wonderful chance to feel included and part of the community.”
– Parade participant
Commitment to mana whenua
We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi through active partnership with mana whenua. We work to build genuine, enduring relationships with Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o te Ika across governance, planning and event delivery. We are deeply grateful for their guidance and support throughout the year, and their leadership in our Dawn Ceremony, Opening Ceremony, and Parade procession.
A Pride Accessible to All
Pride belongs to everyone. We are committed to becoming Aotearoa’s most accessible Parade by removing physical, social and cultural barriers. Partnering directly with members of our Rainbow disability community ensures our event is welcoming, navigable and enjoyable for people of all abilities.
Safe spaces to celebrate
We prioritise the safety of our participants and spectators. We partner with the New Zealand Police, Māori Wardens, professional security, and operational partners like Downer, to ensure a secure environment. The Trust retains the right to exclude any individual or entity that jeopardises the safety, dignity or well-being of our community—particularly for our Trans, Non-Binary and Takatāpui whānau.
A focus on bringing our community together
We keep the Parade focused on connection, unity, and shared joy. Acknowledging that Pride sits on a spectrum between celebration and protest, we do not dictate how groups express themselves. Instead, we offer a safe platform for diverse groups to participate in ways that reflect their unique values and identities, asking only that every participant respects the safety, dignity and enjoyment of others.
Treading lightly on the environment
We treat our city and environment with care. By reducing waste and minimising our overall footprint, we aim to deliver an eco-conscious civic celebration that respects our taiao and sets a benchmark for future events.
A focus on financial sustainability
To safeguard the Parade’s future, we maintain disciplined financial management and steady growth. We build organisational resilience by diversifying income streams and growing our reserves to protect the event for years to come.
Impact beyond Parade Day
While the Parade will always be our primary focus, our responsibility to Te Whanganui-a-Tara doesn’t end when the march concludes. We work to actively uplift Wellington’s Rainbow ecosystem beyond Parade Day—demonstrated by our $5,000 contribution to support the 2026 Wellington Pride Festival and the 100+ events it delivers for our community.
our TEAM
Our Trustees and Organising Team bring a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds, and are deeply committed to supporting Wellington's Rainbow communities.
Dr Sam Mackay (Chair)
He / Him
Chair of the Wellington Pride Parade Trust since November 2025, Sam also leads the development portfolio. Driven to give back to the Rainbow community that welcomed him to Wellington nearly three decades ago, he draws on an international career spanning 24 countries. When not wrangling Pride logistics at night, he can be found steering international education initiatives by day.
Jeremy Baker (Trustee)
He / Him
Jeremy has lived in the heart of Te Aro for three decades, and is committed to building a strong Rainbow community in our city. He’s interested in political action for our community, celebrating our diversity and lives, and likes to run the occasional party. Jeremy is Event Director for the Parade, supporting our team of volunteer leads.
Jack Rainey (Trustee)
He / Him
Jack manages Everybody Eats Wellington and volunteers at The Compassion Kitchen and the wider community. He’s a chef and hospitality pro, eager to help with the Wellington Pride Parade. He’s been with his partner for 17 years, and they have been in a Civil Union for 12 years.
Dr Morgan Healey
She / Her
Morgan joined the team in 2026 to support and give back to Wellington’s rainbow community. Te Whanganui-a-Tara is her adopted home of 17 years, having journeyed to Aotearoa from the US via Ireland. Morgan has a background in public and non-profit leadership, with a diversity of passions ranging from equity in higher education to reproductive rights. She will be supporting the team with float participation and project management.
Jack Nolan
He / Him
Jack is our Creative Lead. With a bachelor's in creativity and a diploma in dance, Jack bridges the gap between production and performers. Performing and choreographing around the country, they understand what it takes to put a dazzling parade entry together. Jack's mission is to bring performers and groups from across Greater Wellington to showcase just how creative our community truly is!
Clayton Foster
He / Him
Clayton is our Marketing Lead. He has worked in a range of private and public marketing, brand, comms and content roles over the last two decades. Clayton lives in Brooklyn with his poorly behaved dog and mostly well behaved partner, and is involved in community theatre amongst other creative-y type things.
Frank New
Pronoun flexible
Originally from New Orleans, Frank moved to Wellington in 2025 after 12.5 years in New York City. Passionate about fashion and events, Frank brings a diverse range of expertise to the team. They are currently pursuing a PhD in Fashion Studies at Massey University, researching fashion dolls and play through a queer lens.
Have your say
This event is a welcoming space for all our whānau to celebrate together. Here’s how you can share your voice.
Community Hui
Before the Parade, we hold multiple hui to give community members a safe space to share their views and provide feedback on how we can enhance the event.
Online Submissions
You can share your feedback with us anytime using our online form, and we are dedicated to providing you with a response.
Direct Email
We've created an email address monitored by our community engagement team. If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas to share, feel free to reach out to us via email.
Join the parade
This is a celebration for our whole whānau. Here’s how you can get involved and be part of it!
Register Your Group
Get your team, club, organisation, whanāu, squad or band to join the parade and show their support for Wellington's Rainbow and Takatāpui communities.
Become a Partner
The Parade has a number of opportunities for businesses to show their genuine support for the Rainbow and Takatāpui communities.
Volunteer With Us
Join our amazing team and help make the parade and street celebration unforgettable! We have a passionate volunteer team ready to bring this event to life. Be part of something exciting - your energy will make all the difference!