Tonight marks the opening of the Pride festival in Tāmaki Makaurau, which runs until the end of the month.
The gala is taking place at Q Theatre's Rangatira and is completely sold out.
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There are a mammoth 203 events planned in all corners of Tāmaki Makaurau for Auckland Pride month.
With its largest programme ever, Auckland Pride have added over 150 events, showcasing the diversity and excitement of the city's rainbow communities to come together to celebrate and fight for progress.
Pride Festival director Max Tweedie said the festival was important for representation.
He said that people had become complacent since same-sex marriage became legal in New Zealand in 2013.
"I think what is missing is the conversations around our transgender diverse community, our intersex community, but also our Māori Pasifika and migrant rainbow communities as well. Along with our disabled queer communities."
The theme of the festival is Karanga Atu, Karanga Mai, which Tweedie said was about a collective call for change.
"Calling out to our community and having them calling back to us about what's important to them and what they want to see during the festival.
"There's so much progress to be made and so this is about us painting Tāmaki Makaurau rainbow but allowing our community a platform to call out and ask for the change that they want to see."
Most of the events were free or koha entry. Tweedie said he wanted to make things as accessible as possible.
Max Tweedie, director of the Pride Festival. Photo: Dan Cook
"We're incredibly excited about expanding access for our communities all around auckland to participate in pride. So we've opened the doors to allow more people to come in and share their stories, share their communities, share their art."
Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick will host tonight's gala event and will make her drag queen debut tomorrow.
She said she found it harder to identify as bisexual growing up in a hetero-normative society and hoped the pride festival encouraged people to explore themselves.
"I think the thing about pride is enabling that exploration of one's identity, which in turn is ultimately what is necessary to be happy. So I hope that pride is an oppourtunity for people to reflect on who they are our societies capacity to be better and more inclusive."
Manchester-born Bryony Skillington is performing and also hosting the gala as her alter ego Ms Lady B.
She has been involved with the festival each year but said it was a massive oppourtunity to be a bit more loud and proud.
"It is special to many people and I think it's not just about being queer it's about celebrating human beings. it is an expression of love as well and I'm very proud to be who I am."