Vision Australia Radio was proud to be part of the vibrant, joyful and inclusive atmosphere of Midsumma Festival Carnival Day 2026, broadcasting live from Alexandra Gardens on Sunday, January 18, in collaboration with JOY Media.
As an Inclusion and Access Partner of Midsumma Festival, Vision Australia Radio delivered a broadcast that brought the colour, creativity and community spirit of Carnival Day directly to listeners who were unable to attend in person, including people who are blind or have low vision.
The live outside broadcast showcased the power of community radio working together, amplifying voices at the intersection of queerness and disability, and ensuring listeners across Victoria and beyond could share in one of Melbourne’s most significant queer cultural celebrations.
A broadcast designed for access and inclusion
The Carnival Day broadcast began with a Vision Australia Radio‑exclusive radio reading program from 10am, sharing articles from LGBTIQA+ publications, mainstream media and Midsumma Festival materials. From 11am until 2pm, Vision Australia Radio and JOY 94.9 joined together in a live simulcast featuring interviews, music and on‑the‑ground Carnival coverage.
This collaboration built on a shared commitment to accessibility, representation and community storytelling, ensuring the Carnival experience was open to as many people as possible, regardless of whether they could attend in person.
Listen back: Midsumma Carnival Day highlights
Listeners can now revisit the Carnival Day experience through a dedicated series of Midsumma Festival podcasts available via the Interview Highlights from Vision Australia Radio feed.
Midsumma Festival 2026 Carnival Day – Reading program
This special program captures the Vision Australia Radio‑exclusive first hour of the broadcast, featuring curated radio reading content tailored for audiences who experience print disability.
Midsumma Festival 2026 – Three hour Carnival Day broadcast
Relive the full live simulcast with JOY 94.9, including interviews, music and the atmosphere of Carnival Day as it unfolded.
More Midsumma Festival interviews and features
Additional interviews and segments recorded during Carnival Day were progressively released across the Vision Australia Radio interview highlights podcast feed over the days following the broadcast. These episodes capture diverse voices from across the Midsumma community and reflect the energy, creativity and pride of the festival.
Explore all Midsumma Carnival Day content on Omny, or find them wherever you get your podcasts
A celebration shared beyond the park
Midsumma Festival is Melbourne’s largest annual queer arts festival, spanning 22 days and drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees across events including Carnival, Pride March and Victoria’s Pride Street Party.
By taking Vision Australia Radio outside the studio and into the heart of Carnival Day, this broadcast reinforced the importance of accessible media and the role community radio plays in ensuring no‑one misses out on major cultural moments.
Vision Australia Radio thanks JOY Media, Midsumma Festival, Brian and Nick of King Audio, our wonderful volunteers and staff, guests and listeners for being part of a broadcast that celebrated pride, access and connection, and for helping make Midsumma Carnival Day 2026 one to remember.
