Looking for an alternative queer Midsumma option? Look no further than the Blankë Pop Secret Garden Party, Freak Out! The After Party and Queens of the Galaxy.
There are parties of all kinds on this year’s Midsumma program: pool parties, boat parties, rooftop parties and street parties. But for those keen on a queer party with an alternative twist, there are three events you can’t look past.
There’s the Blankë Pop Secret Garden Party, an eight-hour dance workout with a focus on tribal and progressive house music and queer performance art; Queens of the Galaxy, an interstellar drag show produced by Beyond Rainbow Events; and Freak Out! The After Party, a night of 90s house music where circus, burlesque, cabaret and live acts collide.
Blankë Pop Secret Garden Party
- Saturday 31 January
- 3pm to 11pm
- Mission to Seafarers
- Tickets here
The Blankë Pop Secret Garden Party is happening in the beer garden at Mission to Seafarers Victoria on Saturday 31 January. Josh McKenzie, aka DJ Jack Hardmen, organises Blankë Pop with performance artist Timothy Christopher Ryan, with this being the ninth year they’ve been bringing queer events to Melbourne together.
“It’s really hard to describe,” Mckenzie says of Blankë Pop’s curious mix of music and performance art.
A night at the club can often be about losing yourself on the dancefloor, allowing the high decibels and constant kick drums to rub out your ego. But Blankë Pop is also “about engaging with all of these weird and wonderful things that are happening throughout the night, which complement the music,” Mckenzie says.
The performance art component can be fairly extravagant. For example, at one recent Blankë Pop event, a performer dressed as an anime monster spent half an hour walking around the crowd scaring people. There were also two neon aliens performing an alien mating ritual which stretched on for an hour.
That being said, it’s still primarily an electronic music event. “We play good quality house music, with this added element of spectacle through the performance art. People engage in this really fun way, and it brings a kind of joy to the experience that I don’t think many places have.”
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The secret garden behind the Mission to Seafarers courtyard is an ideal location for Blankë Pop’s signature frivolity.
“The vibe there is so nice,” Mckenzie says. “You get some of the lights from the city. There’s this massive tree at the back of the courtyard and a really gorgeous garden surrounding it. And then you’re just dancing under the stars, which is really lovely.”
Freak Out! The Afterparty
- Saturday 7 February
- 10pm to 12am
- Midsumma Spiegel Haus
- Tickets here
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Freak Out! The After Party will offer a similar mix of dancefloor freedom and live performances. Taking place at Spiegel Haus on Saturday 7 February, it’s a 90s club night with performance art, dancers and drag.
Freak Out! has been a popular Fringe festival show in recent years – it won Pick of the Week at Adelaide Fringe 2023 and Cabaret & Variety Weekly Award at Perth’s Fringe World in 2025.
“It’s got an incredible cast,” says Mckenzie. “Some of the best queer performers you’ll find in Melbourne.”
Freak Out! founder Flynn V – who’s also the star and co-producer of the Messy Friends cabaret – is known for combining drag, boylesque, and high-energy choreography. According to Flynn, ‘whether you lived the 90s or wish you had, this night captures the magic and euphoria of queer nightlife at its peak. Glitter-soaked bodies, outrageous entertainment and iconic club anthems’ will be the explosion of joy needed to cap off a stunning Midsumma festival.
Queens of the Galaxy
- Saturday 7 February
- 7:30pm to 10:30pm
- Coburg RSL
- Tickets here
Drag performers will be the centre of attention in Queens of the Galaxy, which is on at Coburg RSL on 7 February. The sci-fi themed event is presented by Beyond Rainbow Events, whose productions are informed by the understanding that queer art is a form of resistance and survival.
These are not events that merely include queer people as an afterthought; they are built by and for the community, drawing inspiration from the rich history, resilience, and joy of gay culture.
Another thing that stands apart at Beyond Rainbow Events is their commitment to supporting community. Emerging talent is placed alongside established names, creating a platform where expression matters more than labels, and where risk-taking is encouraged rather than discouraged. “This kind of nurturing is critical to young queer performers,” says Mckenzie. “It’s our future.”
Led by a cast of celestial queens serving otherworldly looks, Queens of the Galaxy is a must-see for fans of drag, sci-fi, and “all things fabulously extraterrestrial.”
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Together, the three events represent an alternative Midsumma schedule featuring some of the best events in queer performance spaces.
“If you want to come and see some interesting and cool performance and drag and experience something a bit more alternative to the mainstream, then these are the events to check out,” McKenzie says.
Follow Blankë Pop here, Freak Out! here, and Beyond Rainbow here.
This article was made in partnership with Blankë Pop.
