Cape Town has failed to make the shortlist of possible 2030 Gay Games host cities – losing to Denver, Perth and Auckland in the decision taken in Washington DC this month.
Cape Town was one of seven cities (including Melbourne, Taipei and Edmonton) contending to host the world’s largest LGBTQ+ sports and cultural event.
Although Cape Town’s presentation received a standing ovation, the city did not earn enough votes from Federation of Gay Games (FGG) members to progress to the final shortlist of three potential host cities.
“I am incredibly proud of our bid and the work that has gone into creating a world-class bid and international presentation,” said Ian McMahon who has been on a mission to bring the event to the Mother City for over a decade and supported the bid team for the 2030 Gay Games.
The bidding process began in December 2023 when cities across the globe expressed interest in hosting the games. A total of 21 cities passed this stage. In May this year, Cape Town progressed to the top 10 cities and was among seven that remained on the list in August after submitting official bids illustrating their readiness to host the event.
“While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, our journey is far from over. We wanted to use the Gay Games in Cape Town as a platform to start necessary and important conversations, reshape the narrative around what it means to be queer in Africa and leave a legacy of lasting change across the continent. I believe that we can still achieve this even if it’s not in the way we had envisioned," said McMahon.
Cape Town bid Co-Chair and CEO of Rhino Africa David Ryan said: “Our bid team displayed immense dedication and passion from the get-go and I want to thank them for their enthusiasm and professionalism. I also extend our team’s thanks to everyone – from the city to LGBTQ+ groups and human rights advocates – who supported us on our journey and believed in our mission.”
Open to people of any gender or sexuality, the Gay Games is a 10-day event, hosted every four years, with competitions in athletics, aquatics, bowling, cycling and dance as well as court, grass, racket, open water and mat sports.
The FGG will undertake comprehensive evaluations and site visits to the finalist cities, culminating in the final vote at the annual general assembly in October 2025 when individual and group Q&A sessions and additional in-person presentations will occur. The 2030 Gay Games host will be announced shortly thereafter.
