Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Country: Australia
When: 19th February- 6th March (Parade: 5th March)
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of the world’s largest and most exotic festivals. It runs throughout most of February and concludes with the extravagant Parade that is held each year on the last Saturday of the Festival. The parade itself typically has 10,000 participants and over 200,000 spectators.
Mardi Gras in Sydney was first celebrated in 1978. The festival has grown exponentially since. It is a celebration of sexuality, diversity and equality. The event itself has transcended the LGBTQI community and now attracts people of diverse identities and sexualities from all over Australia and beyond.
The costumes (or lack thereof in many cases) add to the pomp, flair and pageantry of the event. The parade itself features a mix of dancing, singing, drag queens, decorated floats and is an assault on the senses. This festival is filled with fun and excitement!
Festival Videos
Key highlights
- The Oxford Street Parade. Amazing costumes, edgy designs and much more.
- A wide variety of community events featuring everything from, theatre performances and Sundowner cruisers to tug-of-war, the rainbow run and an awards ceremony for people who have made significant contributions to the Gay and Lesbian community.
- The Harbor Party. Held at the Botanical Gardens, this is by far the best dance party in town.
- Fair Day at Victoria Gardens will be on Sunday February 9, 2014. This is a giant picnic with music, stalls and plenty of entertainment.
Where is it
Sydney is located on the east coast of Australia.
How to get there
Sydney is Australia’s largest city it is easily accessible both from within Australia and from around the world. Transport into the city from the airport will take 45mins via bus and about 20 minutes on the train.
The festival features many cool happenings and events right across the city. The best mode of transport is the local railway network although you can also use the ferry network for events located around Sydney Harbour.
Where to stay
Staying in central Sydney is preferable as it makes travel to and from Mardi Gras events easy. However, staying the in the heart of the city is more expensive than in outlying areas.
Good alternative for backpackers are locations like Bondi Beach and Manley Beach which offer easy access to public transport including; buses, trains and the ferry. Average transport costs from these locations into the city centre will be about $10 AUD. An added bonus is that you are close to the beach – for that early morning swim after partying all night long.
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Try and map out a schedule of the events that you would like to attend. With so much happening across the city, it is best to focus on a couple of memorable experiences – don’t try to do everything.
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