Perth, Western Australia Confirmed to Host Gay Games XIII in 2030

The Perth Bid Team [left to right] Gemma Dale, David Budge, Michael Felix, Lauren Butterly, Catherine Janssen, and Justin Barnes

Western Australia will welcome thousands of athletes, artists, and participants from around the world for the world’s largest LGBTQ+ sport and cultural event.

The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) is proud to announce that Perth, Western Australia has been confirmed as the host city for Gay Games XIII in 2030, following a multi-year international site selection process that evaluated cities from across the globe. The announcement was made during the FGG Annual General Assembly in Valencia and the host contract has now been signed, confirming the city as our 2030 host.

The Gay Games, the world’s largest sport and cultural event celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion, will bring thousands of athletes, artists, and participants from around the world to Perth for a ten-day celebration of sport, culture, and community. Held every four years, the Gay Games are built on the core principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™, welcoming all participants regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, athletic ability, or background.

Perth’s successful bid reflects the dedication and vision of a broad coalition of community and civic partners. The Federation of Gay Games extends its congratulations and appreciation to the Perth bid team, including Pride WA, whose leadership and long-standing commitment to LGBTQ+ community events in Western Australia played a pivotal role in shaping the proposal. Our particular appreciation goes to the dedication of the bid team, including Lauren Butterly, Catherine Janssen, Gemma Dale, Michael Felix, Justin Barnes, Anthony Lynch, and David Budge.   The FGG also acknowledges the work of the local Perth sports league that recently applied to become Team Perth, whose involvement demonstrates the strong grassroots sporting culture supporting the Games.

The Federation also recognizes the contributions of Tourism Western Australia, the City of Perth, and officials from the State Government of Western Australia, who warmly welcomed the FGG delegation during the site inspection process earlier this year and demonstrated the region’s enthusiasm and readiness to host a global LGBTQ+ sporting event. Alongside civic support, The Event Team, led by Gemma Dale, Anthony Lynch, and David Budge were crucial to the successful bid and thorough site inspections in July of 2025, offering their expertise in large scale athletic events, opening venues to inspection teams,  and securing networking opportunities to both the Federation and Perth’s local LGBTQ+ sporting and cultural leaders.

The final decision followed an exceptionally competitive process. The FGG extends sincere appreciation to Denver, Colorado and Team Colorado whose bid team delivered an inspiring and highly professional proposal. The Federation would like to recognize the Denver bid committee for their outstanding body of work throughout the process, including the leadership of Lisa Seib, Lance Husak,  R. Tony Smith, alongside the entire Bid Board. Additional acknowledgement and thanks to Matthew Payne, Visit Denver,  and the Sports and Events Tourism Association for their expertise, support, critical handshakes, and strong commitment to the movement.  Denver’s collective dedication, leadership, and efforts produced an exceptional bid for Gay Games XIII and a site inspection in July 2025 covering every proposed venue, including logistics and transport throughout the region.

The FGG also wishes to thank the civic leaders who supported Denver’s bid and welcomed the Federation during its site visit, including the Mayor Mike Johnston and the staff of the office of the Mayor of Denver, the Chief of Police of Denver Ron Thomas and Denver Police’s certified LGBTQ+ Liaisons, the Mayor Lauren Simpson and the staff of the office of the Mayor of Arvada, and Darrell Watson, District 9 Councillor for the city of Denver, who joined the visit and demonstrated the region’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion and sport. Additional state level support for the 2030 bid was met with enthusiasm and participation from the offices of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Colorado State Representative Brianna Titone, and Colorado Attorney General Philip J. Weiser.

The 2030 site selection journey began in early 2024 when more than two dozen cities expressed interest in hosting the Games. Ten cities progressed to the next stage of the process, representing five continents, including Adelaide, Auckland, Cape Town, Denver, Edmonton, Frankfurt, Melbourne, Perth, Taipei, and Vancouver. 

The Federation would like to thank all of these cities for their passion, creativity, and dedication throughout the bidding process. Each proposal demonstrated the growing global impact of LGBTQ+ sport and culture, and the FGG is grateful for the time and commitment invested by every bid team.

The FGG also recognizes the important work of the site inspection team, including Julie Williams, Rob Smitherman, and Sarah Townsend, who conducted in-depth evaluations of finalist cities through venue tours, stakeholder meetings, and cultural immersion visits to ensure that each bid could deliver a world-class Gay Games experience.  The Federation especially recognizes the efforts of Christopher Olszyk, of Fox Rothschild, for their continued support and engagement representing the Federation in contract negotiations.

While the Federation now looks ahead to Perth in 2030, the immediate focus remains on Gay Games XII Valencia 2026, which will welcome thousands of participants to Spain for the next edition of the Games and continue the movement’s mission of building inclusion through sport and culture.

Looking further into the future, the Federation of Gay Games will open the site selection process for Gay Games XIV in 2034 in December 2027, with the host city expected to be announced in 2029, approximately one year before the Games take place in Perth.

Finally, the Federation would like to thank the many volunteers, delegates, bid teams, evaluation committees, the entirety of the Site Selection Committee, and community partners who contributed to this extensive site selection process. From the bid organizations and local governments to the site inspectors and countless volunteers across the movement, this global collaboration reflects the enduring strength of the Gay Games community.

With Perth now preparing to host the world in 2030, the Federation of Gay Games celebrates the beginning of a new chapter for LGBTQ+ sport, culture, and community on the global stage.