After Winter Pride announced a hiatus for 2026, the team behind Frisky decided Queenstown’s rainbow community still deserved a reason to gather. The result is the Big Gay Chill Weekend — three events filled with food, drag, music and alpine mischief.
When Frisky producers Chris, Caleb and Glen booked their flights to Queenstown, they expected to spend several days celebrating Pride in one of Aotearoa’s most spectacular destinations.
Then Winter Pride announced that its 2026 festival would take a year-long hiatus, with organisers turning their attention towards a return in 2027.
Rather than cancel their trip, the Frisky boys decided to create a celebration of their own.
“We wanted to keep it a fun, low-key weekend for all of our friends and community who were keen to come to Queenstown this winter!” they explain.
What began as an opportunity to make the most of flights already booked quickly grew into the Frisky Big Gay Chill Weekend — a three-event programme inviting locals and visitors to eat, drink, dance and reconnect.
The celebrations will begin on Friday, 4 September, with Come Together Drinks at Ballarat. Guests can then recover — or keep the momentum going — at the Devil’s Long Lunch on Saturday afternoon before dressing for the main event, the Winter Olympics Sportswear Party, later that night.
All three events are open to the wider rainbow community, including queer, gender-diverse, transgender and non-binary guests and allies. Frisky’s official listings describe its events as spaces where everyone is welcome to join the fun.
Lunch, Drag and Local Flavours
Saturday’s Devil’s Long Lunch will take place at SODA in central Queenstown from 1pm until 3pm.
The two-course experience will combine local food and wine with drag hosts, socialising and prize giveaways provided by Queenstown businesses supporting the weekend.
“Centrally located, the two-course lunch at SODA is going to be FABULOUS,” the Frisky team says.
“Local cuisine and wine, Drag Queen hosts and amazing prize giveaways from our phenomenal local sponsors!”
The weekend has already attracted support from performers and creatives across Australasia.
Renowned drag queen Miss Geena will join the line-up alongside Brisbane’s Ney Like A Horse and Auckland DJ James Johnson, helping transform the hastily assembled weekend into a genuine celebration of queer entertainment.
The Main Event
On Saturday night, Frisky will take over Rhino’s for its Winter Olympics Sportswear Party.
Running from 10pm until 4am, the party invites guests to interpret the sporting theme however they choose — whether that means ski suits, rugby shorts, tennis whites, athletic singlets or something significantly less practical for actual competition.
“The Winter Olympics party will be a classic FRISKY dance party that locals and those travelling will LOVE!” the team says.
“Our party formula has been a great success all over New Zealand and we can’t wait to share it with you!”
That formula combines uplifting house music, enormous vocals and a crowd encouraged to participate rather than simply watch from the edges of the dance floor.
“The soundtrack to Frisky is uplifting house music with huge vocals, infectious grooves and hands in the air moments,” the team explains.
“We love DJs who can take people on a journey. From feel-good disco and vocal house through to driving tech house and euphoria late night anthems.”
A Party People Want to Return To
Frisky has expanded rapidly in recent years, producing queer dance events in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
Its growth has come not from trying to become the country’s largest party brand, the organisers say, but from creating events that feel welcoming, energetic and connected to the communities hosting them.
“Frisky’s ethos is to provide a platform for emerging queer talent who have been struggling to get their foot in the door,” they say.
“We’re not trying to be the biggest party, we’re trying to be the party people can’t wait to come back to.”
That commitment gives emerging DJs and performers opportunities to appear alongside established names while helping Frisky build a recognisable sound and atmosphere across different cities.
The Big Gay Chill Weekend also demonstrates the value of independent queer event producers being able to respond quickly when circumstances change.
What could have been an empty weekend in Queenstown has instead become a new opportunity for the rainbow community to gather, support local venues and celebrate Pride on its own terms.
Frisky’s Next Moves
The Queenstown weekend is only one stop in a busy calendar for the Frisky team.
On Saturday, 3 October, the brand will present its first Christchurch Halloween party at The Assembly. Frisky then returns to Wellington for its traditional Labour Weekend Halloween celebration at El Barrio on Sunday, 25 October.
Further Wellington and Auckland Pride events are also planned for 2027.
For now, however, the focus is on Queenstown — and on giving rainbow visitors a weekend worthy of the flights, accommodation and carefully planned sportswear already booked.
Frisky Big Gay Chill Weekend
Come Together Drinks
Friday, 4 September, from 6.30pm
Ballarat
Devil’s Long Lunch
Saturday, 5 September, 1pm–3pm
SODA
Winter Olympics Sportswear Party
Saturday, 5 September, 10pm–4am
Rhino’s
