Site Selection

The bidding process to choose a host for the Gay Games XIII 2030 is now in its final phase, with 3 cities hoping to win the bid.

Finalist Cities

“This milestone brings us closer to hosting an event that will unite communities, celebrate our vibrant LGBTQIA+ whānau, and showcase Auckland’s stunning waterfront, breathtaking landscapes, and unique cultural identity to the world.”

Angus McDougall, Auckland Bid Team

“GGDen2030 is excited to continue our mission of bringing the Gay Games to Denver in 2030 to unite our global LGBTQ+ communities; Together! Out West!”

Lance Husak, Denver Bid Team

“We’re incredibly excited to move into the Top 3 to host Gay Games 2030. Perth’s bid is from ground up; directly from Perth’s LGBTQIA+ sporting teams. We want the world to share in our dynamic, vibrant and inclusive community.”

Laurie Butterly, Perth Bid Team

The bid process began in January 2024 with 25 cities across five continents expressing an interest in bidding to host the 13th Gay Games event in 2030.  

Ten cities then moved to the next stage of the process, by submitting an official letter of intent to bid and payment of the first bid fee. Each of those cities participated in a number of meetings over the next few months in anticipation of this deadline, including informational sessions, Q&A sessions, and individual meetings.

In order to proceed to the next phase, each of those ten cities was required to submit a “bid book” - a document which describes how they aim to host the Gay Games in their city.  Seven cities submitted their bid books, and were invited to present their bid at the FGG Annual General Assembly in Washington, DC. in October 2024 where the bid teams had their first in-person contact with the FGG stakeholders and member organizations, as well as presenting their Preliminary Bid Books to the assembly.

In December 2024 our delegates and members voted for the cities they think are offering the very best proposals, and three cities were chosen as finalists: Auckland, New Zealand; Denver, USA and Perth, Australia.

The three cities are now tasked with preparing their Detailed Bid Books, describing every facet of how they will host the Games, and will present these to the FGG in June 2025. The final vote will happen in València at the FGG Annual General Assembly 2025, where the host city for Gay Games XIII 2030 will be decided.

The FGG is proud to maintain an equitable, supportive, and transparent bidding process which empowers communities to mobilize their stakeholders and unite to participate in the global LGBTQ+ movement as athletes, artists, and allies.

Austin Manning, Officer of Site Selection

“We are thrilled to congratulate Auckland, Denver, and Perth on advancing as finalists on this journey toward selecting the host city for Gay Games XIII in 2030. Each city has worked incredibly hard to present themselves as a potential host, and has firmly stamped their local culture and uniqueness onto their proposals. This milestone is not just about choosing a city; it's about envisioning a future where LGBTQ+ sports and culture, and the values we have in common, shine brighter than ever.  We look forward to the next 12 months and working closely with the three teams as they prepare their final bid books for review in October 2025.”

Next steps

  • Prospective bidders will receive a document outlining the information they will need to provide in order to enter into the process officially

  • Bidding cities must provide an official letter of intent by this date

  • The first bid books are expected by this date, outlining how the city plans to host the Games and validating that they understand and have control over the whole process of the Games organisation and delivery

  • Potential bidders will be invited to attend an information session and interact with FGG stakeholders and member organizations, including presentation of Preliminary Bid Books and participation in Q&A sessions at the FGG AGA in Washington DC, USA

  • Having now reviewed the preliminary bid books, the FGG will announce who are the finalist cities entering the last part of the Site Selection process

  • Finalist cities will now have to deliver a more detailed, compehensive document outlining the organisation of the event down to the smallest details to ensure everything is anticipated

  • The culmination of the process will be the announcement of the presumptive 2030 host in November 2025 in Valencia, Spain

David Killian, Co-Chair of the Site Selection Committee

“The Gay Games has been an iconic event in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond for the last forty years, and adding these amazing cities to the Gay Games family in order to further our mission to change the world through sport and culture is truly gratifying.  We are very excited to work with them to get the best bids possible to showcase their city’s angle on  “Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best”.”

The Gay Games sporting and culture event is an opportunity to invite over ten thousand LGBTQ+ participants and allies to one’s region. The week-long event represents a critical cultural and economic opportunity providing significant economic impact to a region.

The positive financial impact to the host city of the Gay Games is clear, as evidenced by the official economic impact highlights from the 2018 Gay Games X in Paris:

  • Total economic impact: US $117.9 million.

  • Locals and non-locals contributed a total of US $72.7 million to the economy, in the areas of lodging, dining and entertainment, travel and other necessities, and tourism. An additional US $45.8 million was generated in local incomes - roughly the equivalent of 1,429 full-time jobs.

  • 23% of participants were from France (12% from Paris).

  • 40% of local participants said they would have traveled outside Paris, France to participate in the Gay Games, taking their spend of US $9.2 million to another region.