Gay Ski Week Australia has confirmed the much-loved Falls Creek festival will “rest in 2026” while organisers review and reimagine its future.
The news follows the announcement from organisers of Queenstown’s Winter Pride that it will also take a hiatus in 2026, and marks a pause for one of Australia’s key LGBTQIA+ alpine events.
Organisers say the decision has been made from “a place of responsibility and care” for guests, partners and the long-term sustainability of the festival.
“Rather than rushing to deliver a version of the festival that doesn’t fully meet the standard we want for our guests, we’ve decided to take some time to review the format, strengthen partnerships, and thoughtfully reimagine what the future of Gay Ski Week Australia could look like,” organisers said in a statement shared with supporters.
The team behind Gay Ski Week Australia said the 2026 break will give them space to explore new partnerships, reassess the structure of the event, build stronger engagement with Falls Creek stakeholders and consider more financially sustainable ways to deliver queer snow experiences in the years ahead.
Importantly, organisers stressed that this is “not goodbye to the mountains”.
While the full festival will not take place in 2026, smaller community gatherings, mountain meetups and social activations may still happen during the snow season.
Artistic Director Dean Arcuri has also said he is open to collaborating on softer social experiences around Falls Creek.
The Gay Ski Week Australia team paid tribute to the community that has grown around the festival, thanking attendees for the friendships, memories and mountain moments created over the years.
