Big Gay Out is an LGBTQ festival in New Zealand. It has been running in Auckland since 2000. The event was founded by the Hero Festival, but is now organised by Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.
During the event, Mr Gay New Zealand is chosen.
History
The Big Gay Out was initiated by organisers of the Hero Festival, and was a play on words mimicking the music festival; Big Day Out. The event is always held at Coyle Park, in Point Chevalier. Organisers of the event stated that its location was intended to get back at former mayor Les Mills, who resided nearby and had a history of opposing pride events.
Political influence
The Big Gay Out has always attracted political attention, with protests being common in the early years from fundamentalist Christian groups.
In 2024, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was protested at the event by trans rights activists and pro-Palestine activists.
In January 2025, Burnett Foundation Aotearoa announced that MPs won't be taking the mainstage at the event “as organisers rethink how they engage with politicians.”
In 2026, the activist group Rainbow Action Tāmaki planned to "drown out the voices" of right-wing politicians speaking on the mainstage at the event. The comedian Janaye Henry withdrew from her scheduled performance, saying in an Instagram video, “I think it is irresponsible to platform someone who has caused grievous harm to the community on a day that is meant to be about celebration,”. The group held a banner reading "Drown out the voices that drowned out ours" and cardboard signs at the event included "Big Gay Out not bigot day out". Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick acknowledged the protest and said there was “a lot of righteous anger because people are aware of the things this Government has done”.
Part-way through the Big Gay Out 2021, it was announced that three cases of COVID-19 had emerged in South Auckland. Mayor Phil Goff learned of the outbreak on his way to the event, but was advised that the event could continue. The following day, Auckland went into a three day lockdown.
On 19 January 2022, it was announced that for the second time in Big Gay Out history, the event would be cancelled. This was due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.
The Big Gay Out 2023 was postponed until 12 March due to flooding damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Headlining Acts and Attendance
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Dates
!Attendance
!Headliners
!Additional Notes
|-
|1999
|February 1999
|"a couple of hundred"
|
- The Outrageous Miss Ribena
|
|-
|2000
|February 2000
|"a couple of hundred"
|8,000 - 10,000
|10,000
|Unknown
|
- Miss K
- Miss Buckwheat
- Mahinārangi Tocker
- The Morrisons
|
|-
|2007
|11 February 2007
|12,000
|
|-
|2008
|10 February 2008
|6,000 - 7,000
|Low attendance attributed to poor weather.
|10,000
|
- Razor
- Queenie
- Cindy Of Samoa
|12,000
|
|-
|2011
|13 February 2011
|10,000
|
- Anika Moa
|
|-
|2012
|12 February 2012
|14,000
|15,000
|
|-
|2014
|9 February 2014
|15,000
|
|-
|2015
|8 February 2015
|12,000 - 15,000
|10,000
|
|-
|2017
|12 February 2017
- Cindy of Samoa
- Parson James
- Ahakoa Te Aha
- Jimmy Moore & Cas.D
- Tuhoi Henry
- Lavina Williams
- The Pop Tarts
- Charlotte Yates
- The Diamonds
- ANJI
|
|-
|2018
|Cancelled
|Cancelled
|Cancelled
|Cancelled
|-
|2019
|10 February 2019
|Unknown
|
- Golfweather
|Postponed
|-
|2024
|18 February 2024
|Unknown
|
- Parson James
|
|-
|2024
|16 February 2025
|Unknown
|
- Lagoon
- Paige
- Kira Puru
- Tyrun
- Venice Qin
- Sheba
- Ahakoa Te Aha
- Janaye Henry
- House of Givenchy Thirst Trap Ball
- Auckland Pride Pre-Ball
- DJ Jordan Eskra
- Kita Mean
|
|-
|2026
|15 February 2026
|Unknown
|
- Jujulipps
- Dr. D
- VÏKAE
- Kia Mean
- Anita Wigl'it
- DJ Jordan Eskra
- Janaye Henry
- Miss Ribena
|
|}
Health promotion
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa also uses the Big Gay Out festival as an avenue to promote safe sex and develop condom culture in New Zealand. A survey administered during the 2012 Big Gay Out festival determined that those who stayed longer were more knowledgeable and positive toward condom culture and felt that the Get it on! message was an empowering one. Survey participants also said the programme "helped to educate men about safe sex" and "helped them feel good about having safe sex." In 2014, Get It On! was dropped and LYC was adopted as the main message. Love Your Condom (LYC) is New Zealand Aids Foundation's social marketing programme for gay and bisexual men. It addresses a complex mix of attitudinal, behavioural and social change amongst a community that can be difficult to define and reach. The LYC Social Marketing team talks about the programme's history, the challenges they face and what keeps them loving what they do. In 2017, New Zealand Aids Foundation dropped Love Your Condom and created a new campaign called Ending HIV. It has a goal of ending new HIV transmission in New Zealand by 2025. The campaign highlight key points including:
- Playing safe. Which means safe sex with the use of condoms and taking PrEP.
- Testing Often. Most HIV transmissions happen with people who do not know they have HIV and have unprotected sex. Testing often will diagnose people with HIV and get them onto treatment which will help stop spreading HIV.
- Treat Early. Treating early not only protects personal health, but it also reduces the chance of transmitting HIV to another person.
- Ending HIV Stigma. Stigma refers to prejudice and discrimination towards people living with HIV, their friends, partners and whānau. Even though HIV stigma was at its peak during the early days of the AIDS epidemic, many people living with HIV still experience prejudice on a daily basis.
References
External links
- Big Gay Out official website