Midsumma Carnival Stalls Info & Registration

Midsumma Carnival 2022. Photo by Suzanne Balding

Stallholder Information

Stallholder registrations for Midsumma Carnival 2025 will open in August 2024.

Here you will find information for Stallholders at Midsumma Carnival. Are you a Food Vendor at Midsumma Carnival or Midsumma Pride March? If so, see Food Vendor Information.

On the day of Midsumma Carnival, Alexandra Gardens is transformed for a day into the queerest precinct in town, and Midsumma invites your organisation to present yourself to a crowd of LGBTQIA+ friendly people, ready to interact with your brand, group or organisation.

Throughout the event Carnival attendees will set up picnics, watch hours of free entertainment, wander through the event site and most importantly - find out about your community group or business! Come join the fun and be a part of Midsumma Carnival.

Midsumma Festival does have some commercial exclusivity contracts in place and reserves the right to decline registrations and refund any stalls who fall under this. If you have questions please contact [email protected]

While we welcome all stallholders to participate, Midsumma Carnival is not designed to be a retail marketplace. The primary purpose of the stalls precinct is to connect our diverse audiences with community organisations, businesses and service providers. Stallholders intending to sell merchandise at Midsumma Carnival should be aware that most stallholders provide free items and handouts to patrons. This may affect merchandise sales and should be taken into consideration before applying for a stall.

 

ESSENTIALS

How do you get involved? Here are the first three steps to get you started!

  1. READ the information below to ensure you are totally ready for Midsumma Carnival.
  2. TALK to a Midsumma staff member about any queries you may still have. Email [email protected] or call 03 9296 6600.
  3. REGISTER and pay by the registration closing date (unless allocation is exhausted earlier).

Note: Failure to provide payment and documentation by the due dates may jeopardise stall bookings at Midsumma Carnival.

Below you will find all the information needed about hosting a stall.

Can't find the answer? Email [email protected] or call 03 9296 6600 to have a chat.

Key Registration Dates

Registrations Open: August 2024 (exact date to be announced)

Early Bird Registrations Close: 

Registrations Close

Stallholder Production Form Opens: 

Stallholder Production Form Due: 

Stallholder Information Pack Released

 

What does your registration include?

Each general booking consists of the following:

  • 3 x 3m marquee space (marquee provided)
  • 1.8 trestle table
  • 2 plastic chairs
  • 2.4 x 0.3m corflute sign with your organisation's name (and optional logo)
  • A listing on the Midsumma Festival website

There may be a maximum purchased per order. The placement of individual stalls within the site will be determined by Midsumma staff once applications have closed and final stallholder numbers are confirmed.

Corflute Signage

Since 2020, Midsumma Festival has included design, printing, and installation of a corflute sign for every stall at Midsumma Carnival, rather than offering this as an optional extra. This decision has been made in order to give all stallholders heightened visibility at the event, assist all stallholders and volunteers during bump in and give the event a clean, professional look.

 

Midsumma strives to make the event as accessible as possible to all groups, so registration fees are aggregated according to your organisation type.

Pricing for 2025 Stall Categories to be announced.

 

Tables: additional trestle tables - cost $TBA

Chairs: additional plastic chairs - cost $TBA

Power: Single 10 Amp Outlet - cost $TBA
For more advanced power requirements (15 Amp and above), please email [email protected] to organise. This may incur an additional cost.

 

Giveaways

Giveaways are a popular option for many stallholders. Food samples, branded merchandise, flyers and postcards are all great ways to engage with the thousands of attendees at Midsumma Carnival.
While a great option, we encourage stallholders to look at more innovative and green options such as reusable water bottles, digital promotions, or tote bags - and stay away from disposable options such as plastic or paper fans, paper flyers, or elastic wristbands.

Please note that any paper collateral distributed must contain the words "Please dispose of responsibly" or similar, printed on them.

If you are looking to give away anything intended for human consumption (lollies, fruit, or bottled water) you will need a food traders permit from the City of Melbourne - yes, even for bottled water! These permits are free and obtained through Foodtrader. If you do not have your food permit before Midsumma Carnival, you will not be able to provide food or beverages.
Don't stress - the process is usually quick and free, depending on what you are giving away.

Merchandise

While you are not allowed to sell food or beverage (as this is reserved for our Food Vendors on site), many stallholders will sell merchandise as part of their stall. This could be branded clothing for your organisation, pins and badges, swimwear/underwear, or something else entirely!

While we welcome all stallholders to participate, Midsumma Carnival is not designed to be a retail marketplace. The primary purpose of the stalls precinct is to connect our diverse audiences with community organisations, businesses and service providers. Stallholders intending to sell merchandise at Midsumma Carnival should be aware that most stallholders provide free items and handouts to patrons, this may affect merchandise sales and should be taken into consideration before applying for a stall.

Electrical Equipment

As part of your stall registration you can hire site power rated up to 10 amps (although if you need more heavy duty power, this can be arranged). Many stallholders will simply use this to charge their tablets and other devices but in some instances stallholders will include a photobooth as part of their stall, or some other activity to engage with the public.
We encourage Stallholders to get creative with their stalls but it is a requirement that all electrical equipment brought on site has been tested and tagged.

It is the responsibility of the Stallholder to ensure that they provide accurate information about the equipment they are bringing onsite.

10 amps is generally enough for a handful of tablets or devices, but if you are bringing a deep fryer, a popcorn machine, a slushie machine or something similar - it would be advantageous to check what amperage your equipment draws!

If you're not sure, contact the Midsumma Festival team at [email protected] or 03 9296 6600.

Signage

Midsumma Festival provides all stalls with a 2.4m x 0.3m corflute sign (see example below), but you are welcome to add any additional signage to your stall that you like.

Make your stall stand out with signage, but please ensure your signage stays within the 3x3m footprint of your marquee, isn't pegged into the ground, isn't attached to any of the surrounding trees, and isn't attached with any kind of adhesive.

If you are planning to get some signage made specifically for the event, the marquees provided are 3x 3x 2.28m (WxDxH). For more detail about the marquee dimensions, contact the Midsumma Festival team at [email protected] or 03 9296 6600.

Sample corflute sign: Australia Post corflute signCorflute Sign with text "Australia Post" and a copy of the logo.

Glitter

Due to environmental regulations, glitter is not permitted on site. If you are planning to use eco-glitter as part of your stall, contact Midsumma Festival to get prior approval.

Vehicles

In order to protect the grass at Alexandra Gardens, no vehicles are permitted onsite. Vehicles can temporarily access the entrance to Boathouse Drive with an assigned arrival time as part of the bump in. There is strictly no parking on site.

More details about bump in will be provided at a later date.

Signage

We encourage stallholders to bring their own signage to their stall, however, nothing is to be attached to the trees in the area or pegged into the ground due to City of Melbourne environmental restrictions.

In addition, we ask stallholders not to attach anything to their marquee with adhesives - cable ties or string are recommended.

Roving

Stallholders must contain their activities within the footprint of their allocated stall and cannot undertake activities beyond this site plan without prior approval in writing from Midsumma. Organisations are not permitted to conduct surveys or distribute roving handouts without current agreement from Midsumma – an additional fee for surveys or activities agreed beyond the footprint of your stall or for research or surveys agreed to will require an additional fee payable, to be negotiated with Midsumma in advance.

Donations

Midsumma is a non-profit organisation staffed by a small team of committed professionals, governed by a voluntary Board of Management, and supported by hundreds of generous and passionate volunteers every year.

Cash donations collected at major events help us to keep much-loved events like Midsumma Carnival and Midsumma Pride March free and accessible for everyone. As a result, we do not allow other people at the event to collect cash or on-the-spot donations.

Leave No Trace

In order to keep the site looking clean and beautiful, we ask that all Stallholders take responsibility for the removal of their own rubbish and leaving their stall in the same condition as on arrival.

REGISTER

Your registration needs to be completed by the closing date. Payment must be made by the date specified on the invoice. Prior to the event date you will be sent the Stallholder Production Form requesting key information. This form will need to be completed and returned by the specified date to ensure requirements can be met. 

 

Please read the Carnival Stall Terms & Conditions before proceeding to the registration form.

We highly recommend that you have all of the required elements ready to go when you commence registration.

To complete the Stallholder Registration Form you will need:

  1. Contact details
  2. The details of your organisation
  3. Additional stall facilities needed:
    • Extra 3 x 3m marquee spaces
    • Extra tables
    • Extra chairs
    • Site power

To complete the Stallholder Production Form you will need:

  1. Public Liability Insurance
  2. Foodtrader certificate of trade (if giving away edible products)
  3. Hi-Res organisational logo (optional)
  4. Some great ideas for what you are planning on doing on the day!

 

A DJ on a large stage before a large crowd at Midsumma Carnival 2019; lots of smoke present

Midsumma Carnival

Midsumma Carnival highlights the opening weekend of the three-week Festival each year. Midsumma Carnival is an iconic outdoor celebration that has become one of the biggest highlights in the LGBTQIA+ annual calendar.

Midsumma Carnival
Midsumma Carnival 2013 by Oliver Forbes

Food Vendor EOI

Expressions of Interest by Food Vendors for Midsumma Festival.

Food Vendor Expression of Interest
Principal Partners
Major Partners
Gold Partners