By ANNA USHER

North Sydney is marking Pride Month 2026 with rainbow-lit council buildings, drag queens and a commissioned portrait series celebrating LGBTQIA+ lives across the North Sydney area.

North Sydney Council has confirmed a month of events headlined by a free, family-friendly Pride Picnic at Ted Mack Civic Park on Sunday, 14 June, from 12pm to 4pm.

Council says the afternoon will feature “live music, dazzling drag performances, food trucks and much, much more.” Dog owners are also encouraged to dress their pups in Pride colours for a special rainbow dog competition.

“Pride is more than a celebration. It’s a statement of belonging,” North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker said.

“It creates space for visibility, for storytelling and for people of all ages, identities and backgrounds to come together in solidarity, joy and connection.”

Throughout June, Council buildings will be lit in rainbow colours, reflecting North Sydney’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Be Seen: Portraits of Queer North Sydney

Running alongside the picnic is a commissioned creative project celebrating the diversity and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people connected to the North Sydney area.

Led by artists Anna Hay and Sophie Willison, Be Seen: Portraits of Queer North Sydney invited participants to be photographed at locations of personal significance – their homes, familiar streets and other places meaningful to their queer experience.

Each portrait is paired with a short audio reflection. Together, the council says, they form “a living archive of queer life in North Sydney, exploring identity, memory and connection to place.”

The works will be on display at the Pride Picnic on Sunday, 14 June, and in Council Chambers’ gallery space.
Stanton Library will also host an Ask Me Anything YA Authors Pride Panel during the month, chaired by Carmen Geddit. Details and bookings are at northsydney.nsw.gov.au.

The full program is free and open to all. For more details visit the website.