Yes, it’s that beautiful time again—a chance to celebrate Tāmaki Makaurau’s vibrant takatāpui and queer communities through creative talent, togetherness and love. This year the festival is directed by Hāmiora Bailey. While there are over 160 sensational events, gatherings and experiences to get amongst, including the iconic Big Gay Out (16 Feb), we’ve rounded up some of the secret gems you might not have heard about.
Here are some of the best events at this year's Auckland Pride Festival, from 1 February to 1 March 2025.
SKINSUIT
1 February | Raynham Park | From $30
Image credit: SKIN SUIT | Instagram
Enter a Queer wonderland of pole dance, striptease and ritual. SKINSUIT is a Queer strip club takeover. Featuring eight performances by local Queer sex workers, a shibari suspension room by Make Me Purr, a multimedia art room and freshly-spun DJ sets, this gig's kicking off Auckland Pride with one almighty bang.
LOVE IS LOVE: Take 3 Romances
All Month | Auckland Council Library | Free
Check out three romance novels from Auckland Council Libraries (we're talking actual books or e-books via the Libby app or OverDrive website) through February and you might just win a $100 eGift card to spend on you and your lover. Cute. For the uninitiated, it's totally free for residents and ratepayers in Tāmaki Makaurau to sign up for a library card.
Yarn For Pride 2025
All Month | Karangahape Road | Free
Image credit: Auckland Pride | website
One of the proudest hubs in Tāmaki Makaurau (and one of our favourite places at all times), the Karangahape Road cycleway is getting yarnbombed in Yarn for Pride 2025. Swing by and revel in the display or flex your crafting skills and knit or crochet a scarf to throw into the mix.
Hugo's Rainbow Show
Various Dates And Locations | Free
Drag superstar Hugo Grrrl is debuting their whānau-friendly Hugo's Rainbow Show and we can barely contain our excitement. Packed full of original songs, custom storybooks, outrageous costumes and plenty of glitter, the show is an exploration of rainbows and sky science and is especially for two to ten year olds including neurodivergent tots.
The Queer Kiss
1 Feb-1 March | HI-SO At SO/Auckland | $24
Image credit: HI-SO | supplied
Put your Pride where your mouth is—literally—with a punchy, tropical lil' sip the good folks at HI-SO have dubbed The Queer Kiss. With notes of citrus vodka, Pineaperol (pineapple-infused Aperol—yep, it's a thing), passionfruit, pineapple and lime, $10 from every one of these cocktails will be donated to Auckland Pride. Cheers to that.
Lucy's LGBTQ+ Speed Friending
10 & 24 February | Miss Lucy's Auckland | Free
Speed dating is all very well and good but speed friending is what we're really here for. Happening at Miss Lucy's in LyLo Auckland from 6pm, this one's a fun, upbeat situation for meeting new friends, potential collaborators or maybe even your next muse.
Flirt
15 February | Phoenix Venue | From $35
A sublime, sapphic shindig, snap up a ticket and get ready for a cheeky, steamy night on the dance floor. Hosted by Anika Moa, Flirt's lineup features rocking covers band all-womxn queer band White Chapel Jak and DJ Kirsty Sutherland on the decks. Fresh.
2025 Summer/Pride Season
11 Feb-26 April | Basement Theatre | From $8 or $17-30
Image credit: Flesh Or Wound | Basement Theatre | supplied
Our favourite theatre in a carpark, Basement Theatre, is coming in strong with not one, not two but 10 epic shows led by LGBTQIA+ artists and makers and that's just through February (there's even more come March and April). At a glimpse: trans and non-binary flesh explored through movement and perofrmance art, from SKIN SUIT (Flesh or Wound), spoken word poetry (In The Body), a dynamic and daring queer variety show (Can't Think Straight), a riff on queer dating and gay hookup culture (Before We Begin). Check out the gorgeous, juicy lineup here.
Dragged To Brunch
15 February | Palmer Bar | $79
Palmer Bar is celebrating pride with another of their iconic Drag Brunches. Hosted by Rosa Violeta and Yuri, expect a full-blown drag show while you sip on bottomless mimosas and bubbles. As for the eats, there'll be pancake stacks, bacon and egg muffins, soughdough toasties, fruit salad bowls and rainbow cake. And that's enough to have us skipping off to Palmer, no dragging required.
Thirst Trap Ball
16 February | Big Gay Out @ Coyle Park | Free
Image credit: Thirst Trap Ball | Peter Wing Seeto via House Of Givenchy Instagram
Heading along to Big Gay Out? Don't miss the Thirst Trap Ball presented by House of Givenchy. Walkers can strut their stuff across eight categories and the winners will be crowned by Sistrah Ivy, Minsoh Dawn, Mother Karamera Marama, Jessica 007, Mother Honey Givenchy, Mother Juju Iman and Legendary Father Tamatoa Aitu.
Body Story
18-22 February | Q Theatre Loft | From $20
Image credit: Auckland Pride | website
Consider your body as a reservoir of moments, of memories, of stories—your story. In Body Story artist Xin Ji performs in a debut solo work, dancing through the emotional and the physical, through uncertainty and euphoria. Body Story, along with What Happened To Mary-Anne? and Mā, is part of Auckland Pride Elevates, an initiative designed to empower distinct groups of artists and spotlight groundbreaking queer artistry.
Panti Bliss In 'If These Wigs Could Talk'
19-23 February | Wintergarden, The Civic | From $35
Salacious stories delivered in a silky Irish accent? Say less. Self-titled national treasure of Ireland, Panti Bliss, is bringing her smash-hit comedy If These Wigs Could Talk to The Civic. It's drag queen realness (like, tackling big existential questions-level realness) and you ought to round up your crew and snag a handful of tickets, stat.
Dance Workshops With Prowl Productions
22 February | Kinetic Studio | Free
The dancers at Prowl Productions sure know how to cut some serious shapes. Learning from Aotearoa's premier waacking and street dance company—directed by the exceptional Hayley Tekahika—should really come at a hefty pricetag but luckily for us, it's free. Three workshops are running alongside Auckland Pride. Make a beeline to Kinetic Studio to delve into waacking with Kuini, vogue with Princess and choreo with Caleb. Email prowlproductionsnz@gmail.com to register your interest.
HOMO HOUSE
22 February | The Mothership | From $35
This year the longest-running LGBTQIA+ party and club night is bringing its signature underground house to The Mothership. Headlining HOMO HOUSE star-spangled Sydney gal DJ Kitty Glitter alongside homegrown queer DJs Nic Tims and Jordan Eskra. This one's going to be massive. Don't miss it.
Morning People X Vector Lights Pride Party
28 February | Hobson Wharf | Free
Image credit: Morning People | Instagram
It's Morning People's high energy, bass-driven beats, plus a whole lot of Pride goodness. Yep, rounding up Auckland Pride is an unmissable morning rave, the silent disco edit. Running from 6.30-8am, don headphones and groove to freshly-spun beats by AJ Honeysuckle or switch it up and cut shapes to a different sort of sonic accompanied by an epic light show by Ariana Tikao and Mokotron.
Want more? Check out:
- Hāmiora Bailey On Pride, Really Good Kai And Club Culture
- The Best Spots In Tāmaki To Fuel Up At Between Gigs
- 10 Wellness Spots In Aotearoa To Help You Thrive In '25
Main image credit: Burnett Foundation Aotearoa / Facebook