Auckland Pride is excited to announce a refresh of its brand and the dates of the 2022 Festival’s Major Events, with renewed confidence in the ability to deliver the 2022 Auckland Pride Festival with vaccine mandates under the COVID-19 Protection Framework.

“As the organisation turns 10 years old next year, there was a need for the brand to be updated to reflect the changing face of Pride in Aotearoa.” says Executive Director Max Tweedie. “Our updated identity is centred in activism, in flags, and intersectionality. The continued use of banners and a wider spectrum of colour grounds us in a Pride that’s political and intersectional.”

The iconic A in the Auckland Pride Logo has evolved, woven together with bands of tape that celebrates intersectionality and diversity by weaving the colourful strands of our community together to create the logo. 

“Our modern brand identity reflects the organisation that we’ve evolved into, and sets our intentions for the future of intersectional and bold Pride Festivals to come. We’re proud to be a community-centred Pride Festival that reflects our diverse communities in Tāmaki Makaurau, and we’re looking forward to delivering our 10th Auckland Pride Festival.”

The announcement of the COVID-19 Protection Framework has provided Auckland Pride and its community of event organisers and artists with greater certainty that the 2022 Festival will go ahead. Auckland Pride’s vaccine mandate was celebrated by the community, subsequently Auckland Pride is excited to announce the dates of the Major Events of the 2022 Auckland Pride Festival.

Auckland Pride is excited to announce the following dates for its Major Events:

1 Feb: Te Whakawhārikihia
1-27 Feb: Te Tīmatanga
3 Feb: Pride Gala
10-12 Feb: F.I.N.E Festival
13 Feb: Ending HIV Big Gay Out
16-20 Feb: Samesame but Different
26 Feb: Pride March
26 Feb: Pride Party

Auckland Pride acknowledges that understanding self is understanding the environment and are working on creating a festival that reflects that for takatāpui across Tāmaki Makaurau starting with He Whakawhārikihia to open festivities on 1 Feb followed by Te Tīmatanga running through to 27 Feb. The Pride Gala returns with a focus on celebrating pride whakapapa and queer creative excellence on 3 Feb.

Auckland Pride and Proud Centres are excited to announce the return of the F.I.N.E Festival which showcases renowned MVPFAFF/LGBTQIA+ Pasifika activists, artists, and community leaders from 10-12 Feb! The Ending HIV Big Gay Out is back on 13 Feb as Auckland's biggest harbourside celebration of rainbow communities with over 10,000 people gathering in Coyle Park for queer music, dancing and for the third year the Thirst Trap Vogue Ball with House of Aitu. Then from 16-20 Feb the Samesame But Different Literary Festival returns to celebrate and uplift queer literature and writers.

On 26 Feb the community will gather in Albert Park before the Pride March begins for queer-owned markets, chant practice, sign making, and a space for community advocacy groups to create the energy needed to echo through the city. The March route remains the same, we will march, walk, and wheel down Bowen and Victoria Streets, then up Queen Street, and through the Waharoa into Aotea Square. After demanding more for our communities we will reconnect with queer joy at the Pride Party in Aotea Square. Featuring two stages packed with talented rainbow artists, there will be something safe and accessible for every energy level as we party into the evening.

“Our team has been working incredibly hard during the past three months to ensure we do justice to the giants of our movement as we mark 50 years of Pride in Aotearoa. The show must go on, it can go on, and so we’re excited to share more of what we’ve been working on behind the scenes in December. We’re incredibly excited to expand our number of Major Events and see some Festival favourites return from our partners” says Tweedie.

To better support artists and event organisers, Auckland Pride will be extending its Festival Registrations and funding applications to late December to ensure as many as possible are able to participate in the 2022 Auckland Pride Festival. Applications for the Pride & Spark Empowerment Initiative and the Access Pride Fund will now close at 6pm on the 17th of December. All Festival Registrations will then close on the 20th of December at 10pm.

Thank you to our partners delivering Major Events, Phylesha Brown-Acton and Amanaki Prescott at F’INE Pasifika, along with Peter Matvos and Mike Sheeran at Auckland Council. Thanks to Mickey and the team at the NZ AIDS Foundation, and to Simie and the Board of Samesame but Different. 

The 2022 Auckland Pride Festival is possible thanks to our Core Funders Foundation North & Creative New Zealand. Thanks to our Major Pride Partners Spark NZ & Rocketwerkz, along with our Strategic Partners Auckland Council & Auckland Unlimited.

The 2022 Auckland Pride Festival will run 1-27 February 2022.