Wave your rainbow flags, throw the glitters around as Sydney’s Mardi Gras big finale is on this weekend!
It’s is that time of year where Sydney is one massive rainbow on earth and citizens are shining in all that glitters, and tassels – yas, Mardi Gras is here!
This is Australia’s biggest yearly cultural event, with the two-week festival being more than just one big colourful, human confetti flamboyant extravaganza. Mardi Gras champions members of the LGBTQI+ community with celebrating the unity of culture and creativity with a whole lot of glitz and glamour. It’s about shining light (and disco balls and glow sticks aplenty) on topical issues affecting the community and rejoicing in our authentic selves.
Come along with us as we highlight the events not to be missed in the lead up to the Sydney Mardi Gras 2020 finale on March 1.
Mardi Gras Parade
The biggest event of them all is one worth marching, dancing and shimmering your sequins for.
The Mardi Gras Parade is the premier event of the festival, with the world-renowned spectacle bringing thousands of revellers together to celebrate the biggest LGBTQI+ night of the year.
The parade snakes through the city’s iconic ‘Gay Golden Mile’ Oxford Street, with over 200 floats and groups showcasing unique displays of camp and queer razzmatazz much to the delight of crowds. The procession today remains political and honour those who have marched for equal rights over the last for decades of the march’s existence.
For more parade info, head here.
Mardi Gras Parade dances off 7.30 pm to 11 pm Saturday, February 29 along Oxford and Flinders Street.
Festival Hub
Roll up, roll and prepare to be dazzled, delighted and wowed with some gender-bending, hair-raising, and genre-defying moments on stage with these stage shows running at the Seymour Theatre’s Festival Hub until February 28.
Hot Brown Honey – A cabaret of with a hot pinch of empowerment. Showing: Until Friday, February 28.
Yummy Unleashed – Blending outrageous drag and burlesque with OTT attire and choreography with sass. Showing: Until Thursday, February 27.
Laugh Out Loud Proud – Get your belly in stitches of laughter with a stellar line up of queer acts. Showing: Thursday, February 27.
Sex Education – With one parent refusing to talk about sex while the other buys their child good-old-fashioned gay porn DVDs, expect the story to be one fascinating story to be told. Showing: Until Friday, February 28.
See Festival Hub timetable here.
Where to party afterwards?
Tickets may have been swooped up for the official Mardi Gras party extravaganza but need not to fear; you can still love the nightlife and boogie the night away. There is plenty of events post-parade around the city to kick off festivities to allow you to kick your heels.
Oxford Street
Head to the rainbow of Sydney, Oxford Street and party the night away in dancefloor meccas:
Stonewall Hotel, ARQ Bar, Universal, Palms, The Beresford Hotel, The Oxford Hotel, The Columbian Hotel and many more.
Newtown
The inner-west hipster hood, Newtown is also king (or queen) when it comes to enjoying a top night out for Mardi Gras at places such as:
The Imperial Hotel, Newtown Hotel, Bank Hotel, The Sly Fox.
Redfern
Marry the night away at inner-city suburb Redfern fun late-night Mardi Gras hangouts:
The Bearded Tit and Henry’s Lee’s Bar.
Want to kick off parade celebrations early?
Shining disco balls! Potts Point hidden gem Silly Tart Kitchen is kicking off weekend festivities with a disco-themed bottomless brunch to get the party started. For 1.5 hours, let food and tasty, lip-smacking cocktails and local rum distiller Bricks be at your mercy. Go forth and cheer.
Saturday, February 29. 1 Kellett St, Potts Point NSW
See more Mardi Gras events at Silly Tart Kitchen here.
Related reads: News
Featured imaged: Jeffrey Feng Photography
