A colourful highlight on Newcastle's calendar is set for a pause this year after a funding shortfall.
Newcastle Pride will not hold its flagship Fair Day event in 2026, after organisers said they could not secure the sponsorship or grant funding needed to run it to the standard the community expects.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the volunteer-run organisation said the decision had been "difficult" and stressed the move was a pause rather than a permanent end to the beloved event.
"Rather than significantly reducing the event and compromising what makes Fair Day so special, we have chosen to pause, rebuild and come back stronger," the statement read. "This is a pause, not goodbye."
The Newcastle Pride Festival will still continue as planned, just without its crowning jewel.
The festival is set to run from October 9 to October 24 and would have culminated with the Fair Day celebrations.
The committee said they were still focused on strengthening the organisation's long-term sustainability and planning for Fair Day's return in 2027.
The organisation, which has been run entirely by volunteers since 2018, thanked its members, supporters, businesses and the broader community for their backing.
"It has taken an enormous amount of time, energy and dedication to build Newcastle Pride into the organisation it is today," the statement read.
"We remain committed to our community and to ensuring Newcastle Pride has a strong and sustainable future."
The announcement drew an outpouring of support and disappointment from the community.
Tamworth Pride, which cancelled its Fair Day earlier this year, offered solidarity in the comments: "We stand with you as you stood with us and we hope both of us can come back stronger next year!"
Long-time attendees said the event held special significance for local families.
"Pride Fair Day is sacred in our calendar," one commenter wrote.
"I don't know how I will be able to explain to the grandkids, who look forward to it every year."
Others linked the funding shortfall to a broader political climate.
"We've arguably never needed the moral courage of our convictions more than now," one comment read, while another said it was "important to be visible" and to "keep the party going" ahead of a planned 2027 return.
Similar sentiment followed on Instagram, where several commenters questioned why local sponsors had not stepped in to support the event.
One commenter said it "boggles my mind" that the City of Newcastle does not fund Fair Day annually, arguing the decision was short-sighted "even from an economic perspective ... let alone culturally and ethically".
Another asked directly whether the council could extend the same support it gives to events such as the Newcastle Writers Festival and New Annual to Newcastle Pride and Fair Day.
The City of Newcastle said it had been a long-time supporter of the Newcastle Pride community festival program.
"City of Newcastle is sorry to hear their popular Fair Day event will not go ahead this year," the council said in a statement.
"Through our annual sponsorship and grants programs, we have provided funding and in-kind support to assist Newcastle Pride with their delivery of their events since 2019, including a sponsorship for this year's Fair Day and grant for the 2026 Festival Program.
"We will continue to show our support for our LGBTIQ+ community through a number of initiatives and hope the Fair Day is able to return next year."
Other online commenters reflected on the scale of the effort behind the scenes to deliver the event.
"I also have a tiny insight into how much work the committee put into trying to avoid having to make it," one wrote.
"2027 will be a triumph."
Many others described the news as "devastating" and "heartbreaking", while expressing hope that businesses and sponsors would return in time for a bigger comeback.
Newcastle Pride's 2025 Fair Day, held at Gregson Park in October, was the sixth edition of the event and drew an estimated 18,000 people.
The day wasn't without drama after organisers discovered stage cords had been cut overnight, forcing a scramble to get the sound and lighting back online before the event could begin.
The festival was headlined by drag performer and singer Courtney Act
Newcastle Pride's decision follows a similar announcement from Tamworth Pride, which confirmed in late August it would not run its Fair Day and After Party this year after failing to secure adequate sponsorship.
The New England event has been cited by NSW Greens LGBTQIA+ spokesperson Dr Amanda Cohn as part of a wider trend, alongside the earlier permanent dissolution of Wagga Wagga's Mardi Gras after five years.
Dr Cohn has renewed calls on the NSW government to establish a dedicated pride events fund, similar to a scheme in Victoria, so regional festivals are not left reliant on "piecemeal" corporate and grant funding.
