TWO LEGACIES, ONE CELEBRATION! 🏳️‍🌈

A JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM WELLINGTON PRIDE FESTIVAL AND WELLINGTON PRIDE PARADE

A question we are often asked is: “Why are the Pride Festival and the Pride Parade separate?”

For 40 years, the Wellington Pride Festival has been the heartbeat of our community as Aotearoa’s longest running Pride celebration. Three years ago, the Wellington Pride Parade Trust was established specifically to manage the increasing scale and complexity of the Parade. While we have distinct origins, our future is one of shared purpose.

Over the past year, our community-focused kaupapa has become increasingly aligned. While our operational tasks differ, we are driven by the same core values: accessibility for all members of our Rainbow whānau, the safety and wellbeing of our participants, and a deep respect for the historical legacy of those who marched before us.

We recognise that our community is best served when we move as one. By aligning our efforts, we ensure that the visibility of the Parade and the grassroots depth of the Festival work together to create a space where every member of Wellington’s LGBTTQIA+ community feels seen, heard and celebrated.

As we approach the 40th Anniversary of the Wellington Gay and Lesbian Fair, we believe there’s no better time to formalise this partnership. For the 2026 Pride season, we’re thrilled to announce that we are working more closely than ever before.

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How we are working together

To honour our history and better serve our community, you’ll see a unified front from us:

• Joint vibes: Our teams now hold joint planning meetings to share ideas and resources.
• Unified vision: We’ve aligned our themes and cross-promotion efforts to ensure a seamless experience for all attendees.
• Visible unity: For the first time, the Festival team will officially march in the Parade, and the Parade team will join the Festival at Out In The City (OITC), which was the original Wellington Gay and Lesbian Fair.
• Shared space: We invite you to visit our combined stall at Out In The City, where members from both organisations will be available to chat, answer questions and hear your feedback.

This year is just the beginning. We’re committed to planning future years side-by-side, ensuring that Pride in Te Whanganui-a-Tara remains a strong, cohesive and vibrant celebration of our diverse community.

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