Sunday saw the launch of the Midsumma festival, with Midsumma Carnival held at Alexandra Gardens. I went there relatively early and roamed the stands, free goodies and enjoyed the show.
Midsumma will run into February and host dozens of events: shows, music, poems, exhibitions, sports, shows… I seriously need to plan this so I get to see most of it… A lot of events had little previews at the main stage, so you got a sample of what to expect…
The Prime Minister of the state of Victoria was also there to announce more financial support for the festival and a couple of legislative proposals that made the crowd cheer.
Half the city was there. It was a hot day and people camped out in the shadow, or brought their tents and umbrellas, their beers and food, to have a massive picnic in the park. The costumes were great, the level of nakedness varied, but it was all a very civilized affair.
I met Michael and Colin and Rajiv again, and some of their friends… We had a couple of light beers, but in the heat those had a pretty strong effect quickly… After the show part, a DJ took over and worked the crowed in the park till late…
Here’s a selection of the best pictures, they speak for themselves….
