Martha Stewart Confirmed to Speak at Sydney’s Vivid Festival

Martha Stewart Confirmed to Speak at Sydney’s Vivid Festival
Image: Vivid Sydney/supplied

In news that will delight gays across the country, Sydney has confirmed lifestyle icon Martha Stewart as its Global Storyteller for 2025.

The Emmy Award-winning television host and best-selling author of 101 books will headline an exclusive, one-night-only In Conversation event on Wednesday, 28 May, at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney.聽

Stewart, celebrated as the world鈥檚 original global influencer and the first self-made female billionaire, will reflect on her extraordinary career spanning more than four decades. Audiences can expect candid insights into her brand evolution, her take on the changing worlds of food, design, and home life, and her most iconic moments in pop culture.

鈥淚 have made some wonderful memories traveling to Australia over the years, so I am thrilled to return for Vivid Sydney,鈥 Stewart said. 鈥淭he conversation will be fun and honest, covering many aspects of my life and career. I鈥檓 always looking for inspiration when I travel so I鈥檓 excited to see what Sydney has to offer.鈥

Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini described Stewart鈥檚 inclusion as 鈥渦nmissable.鈥

NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism The Hon. Steve Kamper, praised Stewart鈥檚 enduring influence.

鈥淢artha Stewart is a powerhouse of innovation and entrepreneurship, and her inclusion in Vivid Sydney 2025 reaffirms the festival鈥檚 ability to bring the world鈥檚 boldest characters to our Harbour City,鈥 Kamper said.

Stewart rose to fame in 1982 with the release of her first book Entertaining, and has remained a cultural force ever since鈥攁ppearing on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover in 2023 and starring in the Netflix documentary 鈥淢artha鈥 in 2024.

Unsuspecting gay icon

Stewart has a long history of 17c起草社区IA+ allyship, and it helps that her refined tastes and effortless elegance resonate with queer sensibilities.

Years before marriage equality was on the table, her magazine Martha Stewart Living聽featured gay people throughout the 80s and 90s, bringing important queer visibility into mainstream media.

In 2009, Martha Stewart Weddings聽spotlighted its , that of Connecticut couple Andrew Shulman and Jeremy Hooper, who were married a year after the state had legalised same sex marriage. In doing so, the publication became one of the first mainstream wedding magazines to cover a queer couple, treating the union the same way they treated all their weddings.

to PrideSource in 2017, Stewart said that it was important to her to champion same sex representation at a time where it wasn’t all that common.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 absolutely a fact that all men are created equal, and so I just treated people like equals my entire life. Equals in every single way, no matter what their proclivity is or what their sexuality is, or their colour or their race. It doesn鈥檛 matter to me.鈥

Naturally, the gays in her life have invited her to their own celebrations, because the only thing better than a gay wedding, is a gay wedding with Martha Stewart in attendance.

鈥淚鈥檝e been to a lot! I mean, I have a lot of gay editors, both male and female. You know, every wedding is special to me,鈥 she said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 differentiate a gay wedding from a straight wedding. I just don鈥檛 differentiate.鈥

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