Auckland withdraws from Gay Games XIII 2030 Site Selection Process
The TAU team, led by Angus McDougall (centre) and Rosalin MacKenzie-Cripps (second left), and accompanied by New Zealand’s ambassador to the United States, Rosemary Banks (right), taken during their bid presentation at the FGG AGA 2024 in Washington DC
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) - the organization responsible for the bid to become the host city for the Gay Games XIII in 2030 - have withdrawn from the site selection process
The TAU have cited a lack of local government funding in response to changes in the way international events in Auckland are funded
The FGG will continue forward in the site selection process for Gay Games XIII 2030 with two remaining candidate cities: Perth, Australia and Denver, United States.
The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) is deeply saddened to announce the withdrawal of Auckland from the site selection process which will determine the host city for the Gay Games XIII in 2030.
The team behind the bid, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), have confirmed the withdrawal from the process, citing a lack of funding to continue the bid process. Until recently Auckland used a special tax - Accommodation Provider Targeted Rate (APTR) - to fund major events, in which hotels and accommodation providers supported initiatives from the local government to attract tourists. This was deemed unlawful following a High Court decision in June 2022, and an alternative source of funding - necessary to support the bid process for Gay Games XIII 2030 - has not been secured, resulting in the TAU’s withdrawal from the process.
The FGG would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the TAU and the extended bid team in the city. Throughout the process they have shown immense creativity and excellence in their bid preparations, as well as having invested an incredible amount of hard work and dedication. We credit them for their detailed initial bid book and their inspired and passionate bid presentation at the last FGG Annual General Assembly - which helped secure a spot in the final three bid teams.
“Working with the Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Team led by Angus McDougall and Rosalin MacKenzie-Cripps has been an incredibly rewarding experience.” said Austin Manning, FGG Officer of Site Selection. “The FGG remains thankful for the passion with which TAU’s team approached the bid process, understood the unique nature of the Gay Games, showcased the Auckland and Aotearoa culture and regions, and the professionalism of their world-class bid for Gay Games XIII 2030.”
Only two cities now remain in the Gay Games XIII 2030 site selection process - Denver, USA and Perth, Australia. These two cities, alongside Auckland, were the three cities selected by FGG associate members during the 2024 AGA where six cities in total were vying to become finalists in the bid process. The other cities were Edmonton, Canada; Cape Town, South Africa; and Taipei, Taiwan.
Despite the withdrawal of the TAU and their team, the site selection process will continue forward on its planned trajectory over the coming months - this time with just two candidate cities instead of three. This notably includes an international site selection trip, scheduled for July 2025, where a team of dedicated FGG site inspectors will visit both of the final bid cities to assess suitability of venues, facilities and activities.
The Gay Games XIII 2030 site selection process is then due to conclude in October 2025, at the FGG Annual General Assembly, where FGG associate members will vote for the bid city that will host the Games. The FGG continues to be determined to deliver another exciting and emotional vote for the host city of Gay Games XIII 2030.
The Gay Games is the world’s largest sport and cultural event celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion. Occurring once every four years, this event draws thousands of participants from around the world to enjoy a 10-day-long event packed with up to 40 sports competitions, cultural activities, opening and closing ceremonies and much more. The process to decide the host city for each Gay Games event takes place up to 6 years before the event itself and involves the creation of a “bid book” from each prospective city which outlines every detail of the event the city is proposing to an extraordinary level of detail. The preparation of this book can take months of work, and prospective cities are expected to demonstrate their proposals at key intervals during the process, each resulting in a smaller group of cities proceeding to the next round.
Key Milestones in the Site Selection process:
January 2024 - Expressions of Interest from 25 cities internationally
May 2024 - FGG narrows selection to 10 cities
August 2024 - FGG shortlists 7 cities
November 2024 - Final three cities selected
July 2025 - FGG Site Inspector tour of final three cities
October 2025 - Vote to decide Gay Games XIII 2030 Host City
Cities in the site selection process:
Finalists
Denver, USA
Perth, Australia
Withdrawn finalists
Auckland, New Zealand
Short-listed Candidate Cities [Semi-finalists]
Cape Town, South Africa
Edmonton, Canada
Taipei, Taiwan
Long-listed Candidate Cities
Adelaide, Australia
Frankfurt, Germany
Melbourne, Australia
Vancouver, Canada
Letter of Interest Candidate Cities
Athens, Greece
Atlanta, USA
Birmingham, UK
Boston, USA
Johannesburg, South Africa
Liverpool, UK
Miami, USA
Oak Creek, USA
San Diego, USA
São Paulo, Brazil
Seattle, USA