Source : Perth Now news
After just two years of celebrating Freo Pride Fest, it has been revealed the colourful festival will not be returning this year.
The City of Fremantle confirmed the cancellation on its website, stating it did not have adequate resources and funding to host the city-wide event in 2026.
“Regrettably, Freo Pride Fest will not be returning this year. The decision was largely driven by the discontinuation of funding support from the Department of Communities, which had previously enabled us to deliver this event,” it wrote.
“It’s not the outcome we or our presenting partners had hoped for. Freo Pride Fest has been warmly welcomed by the community, local businesses and visitors to Fremantle over the past two years.
“We remain committed to supporting and celebrating our LGBTIQA+SB community and hope that some smaller-scale activities held during Pride Month this year can help maintain momentum while we plan a more sustainable approach in the future.”
Freo Pride Fest began in 2024 as a smaller-scale alternative to the Perth CBD parade and celebrations. Driven by locals and funded by a grant from the Department of Communities over the past two years, the port city streets were splashed in colour to mark WA’s Pride month in November.
The free, family-friendly event showcased live music, art, market stalls, face painting and exhibitions throughout Fremantle, and was supported by the city, Headspace Fremantle, FOMO and Neami National.
Despite more than 7000 people attending the inaugural event, the Department of Communities opted not to continue its funding support in 2026 due to a “competitive” applicant pool.
“The Department of Communities granted sponsorship funding to the City of Fremantle for their Pride Fest in 2025 through the Communities Sponsorship Program. Applications for the 2026 program have not yet opened,” a department spokesperson told PerthNow.
“This year, the State Government has delivered more than $250,000 through the LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Grants Program to support initiatives that work with and for LGBTIQA+ people and communities towards building a safer and more inclusive WA.
“The LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Grants Program is a competitive funding process, with all applications assessed against publicly available criteria. This year’s program attracted a strong field of applications from community organisations and local governments, with funding awarded to a range of initiatives across the State.”
They confirmed the WA Government has committed more than $3 million in the 2026-27 State Budget to grow the LGBTIQA+ services sector over the next three years.
However, it may not be the end of the rainbow in Fremantle.
Local business owners and community members could step in to organise their own initiatives, with Headspace confirming on social media it hopes to deliver a “smaller-scale community event” in November.
The Flaming Galah – Fremantle’s first and only bar dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community – has hosted the Pride Fest afterparty for the past two years, complete with themed cocktails, rainbow flags and live DJs.
Owner Leala Brekalo said the glittery venue will still be throwing its doors open for anyone wanting to celebrate this year.
“I’ve spoken to a few people in the community … and I think everyone’s disappointed. But I do think also, having Pride Fest over the past two years having never had it before, it’s probably kicked off a bit of a possibility that there could be demand for this,” she said.
“There might be more community interest and activation to try and get something back off the ground on a more community-level. If we can’t get funding, then we do it the way Pride started and do it ourselves.”
She said many small businesses across the city would likely be keen to get involved, even if it was only small.
“Fremantle’s never going to compete with Perth or detract from what happens in the city, but I think in our own way, there is potential to have some visibility and fun with it,” she said.
“I also think there’s a much wider community from south of the river and suburbs not super close to the CBD … it’s quite evident that we needed something that wasn’t in the city.
“I think there just needs to be one little spark that kind of ignites everyone.”
The City of Fremantle will announce its Pride plans closer to November.
