Denver a Semifinalist to Host Gay Games 2030

Denver is one of the seven finalists — and only American city — in the running to host Gay Games XIII in 2030.

The six cities joining Denver are Auckland, New Zealand; Cape Town, South Africa; Edmonton, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; Perth, Australia; and Taipei, Taiwan. There will be three cities chosen as finalists.

The Gay Games Denver 2030 Bid Committee, in partnership with Visit Denver, earlier submitted its official bid book to the Federation of Gay Games. Denver’s 100-page bid submission details plans for 36 sporting events and a complementary slate of cultural events to take place throughout the region.

A Denver-hosted Gay Games would bring over 12,000 participants and spectators from across the world to the Mile High City, joining local participants in events designed to promote the FGG mission of promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in sport and culture.

The FGG will have a first in-person contact with bidders at the FGG Annual General Assembly in Washington in October, where bidders will be invited to attend an information session and interact with stakeholders and member organizations, including presentation of Preliminary Bid Books and participation in Q&A sessions. A host is scheduled to be named in November 2025.

“The submitted bids represent months of hard work and mobilization of resources from the bid organizations,” said Austin Manning, FGG officer of site selection. “ The 100-page bid books showcase the unique approach each city has towards hosting Gay Games XIII. It is evident that these bid organizations have grasped the principles, scale, and legacy of the Gay Games.”

The Gay Games sporting and culture event regularly draws more than 10,000 LGBTQIA+ participants and allies to the host region. The inaugural Gay Games was held in San Francisco in 1982. Subsequent Gay Games in North America were held in San Francisco (1986), Vancouver (1990), New York (1994), Chicago (2006), Cleveland+Akron (2014), Paris (2018) and jointly in Hong Kong and Guadalajara (2023); the 2026 games are set to take place in Valencia, Spain.