Crowds Flock To Gold Coast Pride Fair Day Celebrations

Despite an overcast day record crowds have turned out for the fourth annual Gold Coast Pride Fair Day at Macintosh Island park.

A diverse crowd of attendees have descended on the Gold Coast location to celebrate the Gold Coast Pride together.

And event organisers are thrilled with the turn out.

Record numbers attend Gold Coast Pride Fair Day

Beginning the day with Australia’s only beach Pride March over 400 attendees marched along the ocean front making their way to the park, the largest march to date.

Following the Pride March a day of celebrations continued at Macintosh Island park amongst a sea of rainbows with nearly 50 stall holders offering a diverse range of products and activities. 2024 also saw the launch of the first creative arts safe space at the event, which proved a hit with attendees.

Organisers estimated over 3,000 people attended over the course of the day, again proving to be record numbers for the annual event.

Festival organiser Danni Zuvela noted the diverse and exciting crowd that populated the day.

“This has probably been our most diverse crowd yet. We’ve seen more families in attendance, more people with pets and bigger and brighter costumes than ever before.”

Meanwhile the main stage held some of the biggest the highlights of the day.

Hosted by Paul Wheeler and Carmen Taykett the stage saw the ever popular pet parade return and the highly contested Drag Pageant.

Seven talented queens strutted their stuff across the main stage in a variety of rounds in an incredibly tough competition.

Judges of the pageant included local and national talent to assess the queens charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.

They included the owner of Gold Coast  LGBTQIA+ venue Hairy Mary’s, Steven Fahd, Television star ‘The David,’ RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under alumni Hollywould star and 2023 pageant winner Eva Mendoza.

The judges were blown away with the talent on offer on the day.

“I’m so excited to be on the Gold Coast and to see the drag talent here, I love seeing all the familiar and unfamiliar faces” Hollywould Star told the Star Observer.

“I am truly shocked at the level of talent on display” she said.

“It’s so good to see people celebrating pride all over Australia.”

Steven Fahd was thrilled at the depth of talent, “As a local venue owner I know we are never short on talent here on the Gold Coast, it’s so great to see it showcased here at Gold Coast Pride.”

2023 winner Eva Mendoza had nothing but love for all of the contestants, “My heart is full seeing my sisters bringing the community together” she said.

Ultimately after a tough battle that lasted throughout the day there could only be one winner with Camilla walking away with the crown and her sisters Miss D taking out third place and Venus Amore walking away runner up.

The festivities continue tonight with the official after party at Hairy Mary’s.