The Federation of Gay Games has announced that Perth is one of the three cities shortlisted to host the 2030 Gay Games, and the only Australian city in contention.
At the start of the process 25 cities were under consideration with Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne in the running. Adelaide’s bid was knocked out of consideration in August, but both Perth and Melbourne made the top 10 cities being considered.
At that stage Melbourne’s Sport and Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos sledged Perth’s bid for the games, saying there was no comparison between the cities.
Today it was revealed that Melbourne withdrew from consideration with the team behind the bid saying they pulled out because there had been no firm commitment from the Victorian Labor government.
OUTinPerth asked Minister Dimopoulos if he regretted his statement in the light of our city making it through to the Top 3, and if he had any comment on Perth being selected.
A spokesperson for the Victorian government responded saying that Victoria is the major events capital of Australia, and the leader in fostering inclusive communities.
“We are the major events capital of Australia – we explore hundreds of event opportunities each year and we’re always looking for new opportunities that deliver a boost to the Victorian economy, jobs and businesses.”
“Visitors flock to Victoria for our pipeline of iconic events, including Victoria’s Pride, Midsumma and events held across the state as part of our investment in celebrating our LGBTIQA+ communities.”
The spokesperson said the bid was led by the local LGBTIQA+ communities, not the government.
“This was an early stage, expression of interest process that was being led by a LGBTIQA+ community group, not the Victorian Government.”
Melbourne bid team say they pulled out because there was no firm commitment from the Victorian government
Justine Dalla Riva, who was leading the Victorian bid, told the ABC that the level of government support required would have been in the “low millions’, but without a firm commitment from the government they didn’t feel confident proceeding.
Melbourne’s bid for the Gay Games was criticised in the media in the wake of Melbourne’s decision to pull out of the Commonwealth Games, a decision that ended up costing taxpayers $589 million. Presenters on Sky News compared the two events on multiple occasions, and Shadow Tourism and Sports Minister Sam Growth criticised the bid.
At the time Dalla Riva commented to OUTinPerth that the media commentary was akin to comparing “apples and oranges”.
Unlike other large sporting events competitors pay for their own accommodation, and existing facilities are used to stage a wide range of sporting events. The Paris Gay Games in 2018 is estimated to have a local economic impact of USD$117.9 million.
Perth based games expected to deliver over $100million in economic impact
Pride WA anticipate that if Perth is successful in being chosen to host the games generate more than $100million of economic impact, while also reinforcing Perth’s reputation as an inclusive and welcoming city. It is expected that 10,000 visitors would come to the city for the event.
Chairperson of Pride WA, Michael Felix, expressed his excitement at today’s announcement.
“The Gay Games is more than a sporting event—it is a celebration of diversity, unity, and visibility.
“Reaching the top 3 highlights Perth’s readiness to showcase its unique spirit and commitment to fostering equality on the world stage. This is a defining moment for our community and our city.”
Perth’s bid has been supported by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. At the opening of the recent PrideFEST a video used as part of Perth’s bid was played which showed the huge number of local sporting groups that have emerged in recent years. The video also included an enthusiastic endorsement from City of Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas.
