Announcing Oceanside Pride
The Portland Arts Centre is excited to announce Oceanside Pride - a Pride event to celebrate the diversity and creativity of LGBTQIA+ people in our community, and their allies.
Delivered in partnership with BEAT Entertainment, Oceanside Pride will feature a large range of workshops and performance opportunities, culminating in a sunset variety show spectacular on the Portland Foreshore on Saturday 13 December.
Oceanside Pride has been supported through Victoria’s Pride, a partnership between the Victorian Government and Midsumma.
Workshops and Activities
The BEAT Entertainment crew will make an initial visit in mid November, before returning for the Oceanside Pride Week 8-13 December. Here are the activities that will be on offer - save the dates, and check back soon for bookings and more detailed information!
Initial Workshops
Friday 14 November
The crew from BEAT Entertainment will arrive in Portland to host a meet-and-greet, yarn, and open mic so they can discover the voices and stories of some of our abundant local LGBTQIA+ talent!
Saturday 15 November
In the morning, the Finding Joy through Commercial Dance workshop will be open to everyone of all ages and abilities who identifies as LGBTQIA+ and their allies. Participants who would like to, will have the chance to use the choreography they learn to perform as backing dancers in the variety show in December.
PLUS
In the afternoon, the company's costume director will run a workshop for the dancers who want to be part of the show to start creating their own individual, spectacular costume for the performance!
Oceanside Pride Week
Monday 8 December
Our Music Mondays & YUMCHA (Youth United Making Change Against Homophobic Attitudes) youth crews will come together for an inclusive celebration of pizza and pop music in our end of year karaoke party for 12-25 year-olds.
Tuesday 9 December
Youth Drag Workshop - our young people have been asking for this for a long time! They will work with the fabulous Cerulean to find their character, hone their sass, and explore their unique look.
Between Wednesday 10 and Friday 12 December, the BEAT crew will be in residence at the Portland Arts Centre, working with the local talent identified at their first visit to develop and rehearse the variety show, and to entertain PAC members at our 2026 Season Launch.
Saturday 13 December
The community will gather on the foreshore at sunset to enjoy the spectacular variety show in a memorable night of connection and celebration of our diversity.
There will also be an opportunity for allied community groups and businesses to propose additional activities to take place during the week, and opportunities for individuals interested in volunteering to make the event a success.
What is Victoria’s Pride?
Victoria's Pride is a landmark program of pride events and projects returns to Victoria each year as part of a statewide celebration of LGBTQIA+ communities.
Victoria’s Pride (previously Melbourne Pride) kicks off in November with a series of regional events and activations across the state in the lead up to summer. Following the suite of regional activities, Victoria’s Pride will culminate in a one-day street party in Melbourne’s iconic Gertrude and Smith Street precinct on Sunday February 8th, 2026.
The statewide event provides an opportunity for people across the state to demonstrate their pride in and support for LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as for LGBTQIA+ people to connect with one another and feel represented.
Midsumma delivers Victoria’s Pride in partnership with the Victorian Government.
What is the Regional Activation Program?
As a state government initiative delivered by Midsumma, Victoria's Pride includes the Regional Activation Program (RAP), which supports arts, events, and cultural projects run by community groups, artists, and organisations to enhance the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals in regional areas. Like Oceanside Pride in Portland!
I'm an ally - can I be involved too?
Absolutely! This is an event for all LGBTQIA+ communities and allies to enjoy, and we want to welcome anyone keen to celebrate Pride to join us in the festivities.
One of the major reasons for this event is for the LGBTQIA+ people in the community to know they are loved, safe and valued, so allies are vital part of making that happen - in short - we need you!
Please spread the word to other allies, come along to the public events (especially the free Variety Spectacular!) and think about ways that you can make your support visible through the Oceanside Pride Week of 8-13 December - and every other day too!
If you belong to a local business or community organisation that has ideas for how you could add activities or opportunities onto the week for the LGBTQIA+ community, reach out for a chat.