Jan 13, 2026
CBR | 20 march
Geraldine Hickey — A Weight Off My Chest
I had breast reduction surgery, but they took them all. I didn’t want them, they were big and heavy and I wanted it to be easier to find clothes that would fit. I wanted to be ready to evacuate in the middle of the night and not think I would die in a fire with one arm stuck in a bra strap. I wanted to believe in the possibility of doing a handstand...without hitting myself in the face.
”This show is like a big warm hug from your favourite (undeniably queer) aunty.” ★★★★★ Time Out, 2025
Geraldine Hickey is a regular on our screens, appearing on I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Qu…
Jan 12, 2026
CBR | 11 - 22 March
Canberra Comedy Festival
Laughs are set to shake the capital this autumn as the 2026 Canberra Comedy Festival returns with a massive line-up of local legends and big-name favourites.
Jan 12, 2026
SYD | 9 Feb - 14 Mar
The Normal Heart
Almost 40 years later, Larry Kramer’s groundbreaking, semi-autobiographical drama returns to Sydney Theatre Company: a monumental tribute to those we lost, a poignant reminder for those who lived through the epidemic and a revelatory insight into the beginning of a world-changing movement
Jan 12, 2026
SYD | 12 - 16 FEB
Mardi Gras Film Festival
The full program will be announced on 15 January 2026, with member presales opening at 7:00 pm, followed by general public sales on 16 January at 5:00 pm.
MORE DETAILS
Opening Night Film
JIMPA
Three generations of an Australian family come together in Amsterdam to reconnect with Jimpa (Lithgow), a HIV-positive academic. During the visit, Jimpa’s non-binary grandchild Frances decides to stay with him for a year, only to begin questioning some of his attitudes and values as generational differences surface.
Jan 9, 2026
AUST
LGBTIQ+ groups urge greater protection from hate speech
Earlier this week Executive Council of Australian Jewry voiced its support for expanded anti-vilification protections for all minority groups. LGBTIQ+ Australians face alarmingly high rates of harm, harassment and violence for being who they are.
Jan 5, 2026
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan bans LGBTQ+ 'propaganda' amid local support and activist concerns
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a new law banning what authorities describe as LGBTQ+ “propaganda, a move that has drawn both local support and sharp criticism from human rights advocates and LGBTQ+ communities.
Jan 5, 2026
Islamic Pride
Islamic societies onced embraced queer love
Islamic societies embraced homoerotic love until the 19th century. What happened? For centuries, literature from Islamic regions, especially Iran, celebrated male homoerotic love as a symbol of beauty, mysticism and spiritual longing. These attitudes were particularly pronounced during the Islamic Golden Age, from the mid-8th to mid-13th centuries.
But this literary tradition gradually disappeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, under the influence of Western values and colonisation.
Islamic law and poetic licence
Attitudes towards homosexuality in early Islamic societies were c…
Jan 5, 2026
USA
Travellers forced to provide social media details
Australian travellers heading to the United States this year will be required to disclose all their social media information. If you're planning a trip, be aware that having tweets or posts critical of the US from the past 5 years will determine your ability to enter the country.
Jan 1, 2026
CBR | 12 DEC - 10 MAY
Hallyu! The Korean Wave
From BTS to aespa, Squid Game to Parasite. Glass skin to bibimbap. Hallyu has us obsessed – let’s dive deep into why as we step into a world of Hallyu at the National Museum of Australia. From K-pop and K-drama to fashion and beauty, discover how South Korea’s creativity has captured imaginations across the globe.