WHANGĀREI PRIDE FESTIVAL 2026
March is Here, Love it Queer!
Join us for the fourth annual Whangārei Pride Festival – a fabulous celebration of love, diversity, takatāpui, and our beautiful rainbow community.
The festival runs throughout the entire month of March, wrapping up on Saturday 28 March with our epic Whangārei Parade and Gaÿla.
GET INVOLVED!
There are endless ways to show your pride and get involved:
Volunteer!
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Be a hero and help us create an entire month of fabulousness.
Support the Parade & Gaÿla!
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Register your food, market, or craft stall and bring the flavour.
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Dress up, drag up, glitter up and strut your stuff in the Parade!
Support the Events!
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Party with us! Come along to every event and soak up the full spectrum of our rainbow performers and entertainers.
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Chill Out & Connect! Relax and connect at your own pace, with creative arty activities, board games, film nights, and conversation.
WHANGĀREI PRIDE FESTIVAL EVENTS 2026
QUEER CREATORS
Sunday 1 March
1pm - 4pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Our Queer Creation Crafternoons are a wonderful way to get involved in the festival and get creative with other artists and makers. There’s equipment and gear to use, sooooo many boxes of fabric, paints, rollers, sewing machines, and plenty of space to make decorations or work on your Parade and Gayla outfit and accessories.
All ages welcome!
OPENING - POT LUCK
Sunday 1 March
6pm - 9pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
Bring a Plate to Share
Kick off Pride Month in Whangārei with a chill evening down at Pride HQ. Meet your queer community, eat, drink, be merry and gay.
Bring something to share if you can. All ages welcome!
SHOUT!
Friday 6 March
5pm - 7pm
Yvonne Rust Gallery, 21 Selwyn Ave, Whangārei
SHOUT OUT to all Rainbow artists in Northland!
Join us at the opening of the annual Pride Exhibition on March 6th and and support all our fabulous queer creatives!
The exhibition runs until March 27th at the Yvonne Rust Gallery - Quarry Arts Centre. All ages welcome!
QUEERAOKE!
Friday 6 March
5.30pm - 11pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Whether it's a bit of Whitney Houston, Bohemian Rhapsody, Adele or Beyonce... Brush up on those Karaoke favs @ Queer Karaoke - Queeraoke!
This will be a night to remember so dig out your best dress, slick suit or sparkly number and don't forget your dancing shoes and karaoke faves! Bring your own drinks and snacks :) All ages welcome!
PRIDE @ PASIFIKA
Saturday 7 March
11am - 2pm
Kensington Sports Park, Whangārei
FREE
A low key MVPFAFF+ event where we meet up and go to The Northland Pasifika Fusion Festival together, have some pasifika style lunch there, talk to people, hand out pride festival flyers and connect with each other. There will be at least 2 of us at the table by the kids playground near the netball courts at 11am. Meet us there to join the group, we'll head into the event by 11.30am so if you are going to be later than that, please get in touch Hanariki 02108278140.
Queer Connecting -providing an opportunity for our community to come and connect in a relaxed and informal setting, quiet music, low lighting, accessible. BYO snacks and drinks if you want them.
R18+
QUEER CREATORS
Sunday 8 March
1pm - 4pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Our Queer Creation Crafternoons are a wonderful way to get involved in the festival and get creative with other artists and makers. There’s equipment and gear to use, sooooo many boxes of fabric, paints, rollers, sewing machines, and plenty of space to make decorations or work on your Parade and Gayla outfit and accessories.
All ages welcome!
WHANGĀREI PROUD POOCH PARADE
Saturday 14 March
10.30am-12pm
Hatea Loop, Whangārei
FREE
Let your pooch take you for a gentle Queer friendly walk starting at HQ and heading along the Hatea Loop ending at Kai Toi for Coffee and cake (or similar). Bring as many of your rainbow humans as you like. For those looking for a longer walk, they can keep going after Kai Toi if they want to.
More details to come
BEARDS, BEARS, BEERS & QUEERS
Saturday 14 March
8.30pm - 12.30am
Beer & Loathing, 7 Vine Street, Whg
$15 + booking fee Eventfinda
An event for the full Rainbow spectrum, and all our loud & proud allies!
Come an be part of a body positive night of genderqueer f#%kery. Fun, games & Performances from 9pm!
Sign up on the night: BEST BEDAZZLED BEARD & BEST DRAG KING, QUEEN and IN BETWEEN R18+
QUEER CREATORS
Sunday 15 March
1pm - 4pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Our Queer Creation Crafternoons are a wonderful way to get involved in the festival and get creative with other artists and makers. There’s equipment and gear to use, sooooo many boxes of fabric, paints, rollers, sewing machines, and plenty of space to make decorations or work on your Parade and Gayla outfit and accessories.
All ages welcome!
QUEER CREATORS
Thursday 19 March
1pm - 4pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Our Queer Creation Crafternoons are a wonderful way to get involved in the festival and get creative with other artists and makers. There’s equipment and gear to use, sooooo many boxes of fabric, paints, rollers, sewing machines, and plenty of space to make decorations or work on your Parade and Gayla outfit and accessories.
All ages welcome!
QUEER CONNECTING
Friday 20 March
6pm - 9pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Queer Connecting -providing an opportunity for our community to come and connect in a relaxed and informal setting, quiet music, low lighting, accessible. BYO snacks and drinks if you want them.
R18+
QUEER CREATORS
Sunday 22 March
1pm - 4pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Our Queer Creation Crafternoons are a wonderful way to get involved in the festival and get creative with other artists and makers. There’s equipment and gear to use, sooooo many boxes of fabric, paints, rollers, sewing machines, and plenty of space to make decorations or work on your Parade and Gayla outfit and accessories.
All ages welcome!
UNDERSTANDING GENDER & SEXUALITY
Tuesday 24 March
11am - 12pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
Come with your questions about gender and sexuality. An interactive session, non-judgemental and fun!
All ages welcome!
NEURODIVERGENT HANGOUT
Thursday 26 March
4pm - 6pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street Whangārei
FREE
Safe and inclusive gathering for neurodiverse and gender diverse people of all ages.
TAKATĀPUI KATOA
Friday 27 March
6pm - 9pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
Nau mai, haere mai ki tēnei hui mō ngā tāngata takatāpui kei Whangārei PROUD. He hui whanaungatanga, kōrerotia, whakanuia hoki tēnei.
Come along for a Friday night kai, inu & waiata with our Māori board members, community and manuhiri from out of town. We will have kōrero about the best way to create safe and inclusive spaces for Takatāpui and anything else relevant. All welcome - see you there
WHANGĀREI PRIDE PARADE & GAŸLA
Saturday 28 March
3pm - 7pm
Pohe Island to Putahi Park, Whangārei
FREE
SAVE THE DATE & GATHER YOUR WHĀNAU
Get ready to brighten up the Hatea Loop once again! Join us for the fourth annual Whangārei Pride Parade, a celebration of love, diversity, takatāpui and community, followed by the fabulous Gaÿla at Pūtahi Park.
FULL PARADE & GAŸLA DETAILS follow this link
AFTER PARTY
Saturday 28 March
8pm - 12pm
Pride HQ, 65 John Street, Whangārei
FREE
More details to come