- Virgin Australia Pride Flight is back for its seventh consecutive year, with seats on sale here.
- For the first time, Pinterest PredictsTM will define the official Pride Flight theme â set to be revealed in December 2026.
- Pride Flight will continue beyond the skies in 2027, with new events and partner experiences across the Pride weekend, including a Drag Brunch, Parade Viewing Party and accommodation offer with IHG Hotels & Resorts*.
- Virgin Australia will continue its partnership with The Pinnacle Foundation, with $10,000 from Pride Flight ticket sales supporting educational scholarships for LGBTQIA+ young people.
Thursday 8 October 2026: Virgin Australia Pride Flight is returning to the skies in 2027, with seats now on sale across two key celebration flights departing Melbourne and Brisbane to Sydney on Friday 5 March 2027.
Now in its seventh consecutive year, Pride Flight will once again bring together LGBTQIA+ community and allies from all over the country to kick-off Australiaâs largest annual gay and lesbian festival at 35,000 feet. The celebrations will also continue on the ground across Sydney with a line-up of new pride events hosted by the airline and its venue partners.
Pride Flight services departing Melbourne and Brisbane can be booked here for $289 one way in Economy and include:
- Departure gate parties;
- Bottomless beverages~;
- Sponsor giveaways;
- DJ music and drag entertainment by pride royalty, DJ Harry K, Beverly Kills, Freya Armani, Kora Kurvacious and Karen From Finance with more to be announced;
- Free Virgin Australia flights and holidays for the best dressed guests; and
- Complimentary VIP entry and three free drinks to the official Pride Flight Landing Party (after party) at The Beresford.
Pinterest PredictsTM theme to be revealed
For the first time, Virgin Australia is partnering with Pinterest to shape the official theme for Pride Flight 2027. Powered by Pinterest Predictsâ˘, Pinterestâs annual forecast of the trends poised to shape culture, style and creativity, the theme will be revealed in December 2026 - giving guests the chance to get ahead of the curve, build their mood boards and plan their Pride looks well before take-off. Following previous themes including Disco Rodeo and Sky High Disco, the 2027 theme promises to bring an even bolder dose of fun, self-expression and creativity to this much-loved annual celebration.
New Pride Flight events and experiences line-up on sale now
Virgin Australia and its venue partners have opened bookings for two new events taking place on Saturday 6 March 2027, extending the Pride Flight 2027 celebrations beyond the skies:
1.    The Bero Drag Brunch presented by Virgin Australia and Absolut (from 11:45am)
The celebrations (and the recovery!), will continue at The Bero Drag Brunch presented by Virgin Australia and Absolut.
For $119 per person, guests can bring their favourite queens to watch their favourite queens over a three-course shared brunch menu, with a two-hour beverage package, and music and drag entertainment. Tickets are available here.
2.   The Virgin Australia x Kinselas Parade Viewing Party (from 6:00pm)
Guests will be able to watch the Southern Hemisphereâs largest annual gay and lesbian parade from the best seat in the house at the Virgin Australia x Kinselas Parade Viewing Party.
Darlinghurstâs iconic Kinselas venue will put guests in the heart of the action, with uninterrupted balcony views over Taylor Square and the Parade. The event includes cocktail finger foods and grazing platters, bottomless drinks and entertainment by DJ Harry K, Beverly Kills, Freya Armani and Kora Kurvacious. All-inclusive tickets are available for $265# here.
Stay and save with IHG Hotels & Resorts
As the official accommodation partner of Pride Flight 2027, IHG Hotels & Resorts is helping guests make a weekend of the celebrations. Eligible Velocity Frequent Flyer members can save 15 per cent^ on stays across brands including InterContinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and more.
To access the offer, Velocity members simply need to click through to the Whatâs News section of their My Velocity account.
Pinnacle Foundation charity donation
Virgin Australia will also continue its multi-year partnership with The Pinnacle Foundation, with $10,000 from Pride Flight ticket sales supporting educational scholarships for LGBTQIA+ youth, helping provide access to mentoring, education and future opportunities.
Commentary
Virgin Australia Chief Customer Officer and Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO, Andrew Cleary, said Virgin Australia is proud to continue its support of Pride Flight, an event that has become a much-anticipated celebration for the LGBTQIA+ community.
âPride Flight was a home-grown idea from our people at Virgin Australia, and itâs incredible to see how it has grown into an event that our team, our guests and the community look forward to every year,â said Mr Cleary.
âItâs a great example of what we do best, bringing people together, creating memorable experiences and bringing that extra bit of Virgin Australia flair along the way.
âWeâre looking forward to making Pride Flight 2027 our biggest yet, with new on-the-ground experiences around the main event and more ways for our guests to celebrate from the moment they step onboard and throughout the weekend," he said.
Speaking of pride, Mr Cleary said: âPride Flight is a celebration of inclusion, and a reminder that we all have a part to play. We want Virgin Australia to be a place where our team, our guests and the communities we serve feel welcome every day. Weâre proud of that commitment and the progress we continue to make. Pride Flight is a great testament to that.â
For more information and to book Pride Flight, exclusive events and partner offers, visit here.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT
Virgin Australia Group Corporate Affairs: corporateaffairs@virginaustralia.com or 1800 142 467.
NOTES TO EDITOR
Pride Flight services:
Pride Flight services will once again be operated by Virgin Australia LGBTQIA+ crew and allies, with dedicated flight numbers paying tribute to important milestones in Australian LGBTQIA+ history:
- VA1978 Melbourne to Sydney, marking the year Sydney hosted its first Mardi Gras Parade.
- VA2017 Brisbane to Sydney, marking the year same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia.
About Virgin Australia Pride Flight
Virgin Australia Pride Flight is a core initiative of Virgin Australia's Pride Network, one of four employee-led networks contributing to the Virgin Australia Group Belonging Strategy. The Belonging Strategy outlines Virgin Australiaâs commitment to creating a culture that makes everyone - no matter their gender, marital or family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, abilities, ethnicity, religious beliefs, socio-economic or cultural background, perspective and experience feel safe, included, and valued.
Pinterest PredictsTM
Pinterest PredictsTM is Pinterestâs annual trend forecast, highlighting emerging ideas and trends that the platform expects to shape culture, style, creativity and consumer behaviour in the year ahead.
Pinterestâs ability to identify and understand emerging trends is powered by Pinterest Intelligence, which combines visual understanding with signals such as searches, saves, Boards, Collages and clicks to help people discover what to try, buy or do next. For consumers, this enables more relevant and personal discovery; for brands, it offers deeper insight into emerging trends and shopping intent.
Pride Flight partners
- DiDi
- Hard Rated
- Harry K Events
- IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Jacobâs Creek
- Kinselas Hotel, Darlinghurst
- Merivaleâs The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills
- Precious Nightclub, Brisbane
- SharkNinja
Plus more to be announced.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
*Pride Flight fares on sale from 7 October 2026 until sold out. The $289 price point is based on a one-way Economy Flex fare booked on specially marketed Pride Flight services from either Brisbane or Melbourne to Sydney, departing on 5 March 2027. All domestic Pride Flight fares can be booked at virginaustralia.com. You can change or cancel your booking to travel credit by paying a fee and any fare difference. See Virgin Australiaâs domestic Fees page (www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/plan/fees-surcharges/domestic/) for details. Refunds are permitted for a fee if you cancel this booking. You may also request a refund for other reasons, including under the Australian Consumer Law. Check your fare rules for more information. Full T&Cs at www.virginaustralia.com.
~Complimentary drinks available while stocks last. Virgin Australia is committed to the responsible service of alcohol and will monitor access to and consumption of alcohol by Pride Flight guests throughout the event. If deemed necessary to maintain a safe environment for those present, Virgin Australia team members and representatives of our partners, reserve the right to refuse the service of alcohol to those in attendance.
#Plus platform booking fees.
^The Virgin Australia Pride Flight 2027 Parter Rate Offer (the âOfferâ) is a discount of at least 15% off the Best Flexible Rate, which is an unrestricted, non-qualified, non-discount rate at participating hotels. The Offer is available to current, eligible members of Velocity Frequent Flyer (the âEligible Memberâ). IHG Hotels reserve the right to request proof of eligibility of Velocity Frequent Flyer membership at check-in. There is a requirement to be an IHG One Rewards member to redeem this Offer. Membership of IHG One Rewards is free. See www.ihgonerewards.com for further information and to enrol. Eligible Velocity Frequent Flyer members can make bookings either through this web page at participating IHG Hotels and Resorts. Book and stay between 1 February and 14 March 2027. Bookings must be made at least seven (7) days in advance of arrival. Cancellation within 7 days of check-in will result in a 1-night charge. Bookings include a stay on at least one night from Thursday to Sunday. Offer is available until further notice. Offer is only available at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts properties in select destinations around the world. Rates are limited and subject to availability. Rate details may vary by region and by participating hotel. Any unused components of the rate are non-refundable. No retroactive points will be awarded for nights stayed prior to IHG One Rewards enrolment. Blackout dates (days when the Offer may not be available) may apply at selected participating hotels. Rates are per room, per night, and extra person charges and rollaway bed charges may apply. Not applicable to group bookings. Other restrictions may apply. Rates do not include taxes, gratuities, or incidental charges, including food and beverages. IHG reserves the right to cancel, terminate or amend the Offer or these terms at any time with or without prior notification. Sections 10-14 apply to Eligible Members of IHG One Rewards. In the event that two or more than two Eligible Members who are also IHG One Rewards members check-in the same one room at the same time, Rewards points will only be credited to the account of one of such members who made the booking. IHG One Rewards points will be deposited to the Eligible Memberâs IHG One Rewards account in 4-6 weeks. If any Eligible Member is found conducting fraud or misusing regarding this Offer, IHG One Rewards has the full right and discretion to withdraw the rewards to such Eligible Member or even close the IHG One Rewards account of such Eligible Member. This Offer qualifies for IHG One Rewards points but cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, discount or promotion and has no cash value. This Offer is subject to standard IHG One Rewards program terms and conditions which can be found by clicking this link. Velocity Membership Terms and Conditions apply.
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