It’s almost that fabulous time of year again, friends. Mardi Gras season is upon us, and Sydney’s iconic celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride is here. Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival for 2024 is back again, so if you’re wondering how you can get involved, we’re here to help with insights on everything from floats to live stream details.
Here’s your guide to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras events for the year:
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Latest news on the 2024 Mardi Gras
- February 14: In rather upsetting news, it’s been announced that Fair Day has been cancelled for 2024 due to the discovery of bonded asbestos in the park’s mulch. On the news, CEO Gil Beckwith shared the below statement:
“Fair Day is one of our most loved events, and is attended by over 70,000 people each year. It breaks our heart to see this Sunday not go ahead, but given the safety concerns we must put our communities’ wellbeing first. Our festival is still bursting with events ready to welcome and celebrate with our community. Oxtravaganza on 24 February is a free community event that shines a spotlight on our local Gaybourhood businesses, many of which were set to participate in Fair Day; and festival highlights, including Bondi Beach Party, Parade and Mardi Gras Party, remain unaffected. This cancellation is a setback, however it presents us with an opportunity to unite and support one another more strongly. The rest of our festival continues unchanged, offering many chances over the 17 days for our communities to come together in celebration and solidarity.”
The Mardi Gras Parade: When and where is it being held?
After a triumphant return last year, the Mardi Gras Parade for 2024 is officially back at its home of Oxford Street. Hell yeah!
On Saturday, March 2, between 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will celebrate its 46th anniversary with a street parade to remember.
The theme for 2023 is Our Future, so start planning your outfits accordingly.
Which floats are appearing this year?
Get excited, folks, because there are some 12,000 marchers and over 200 floats ready to deck out Oxford Street this year. Classic floats like Dykes on Bikes and the First Nations Community Float are set to return to the street in 2024, along with new, bigger and brighter Mardi Gras displays too.
Who will be performing at the event?
We’re still waiting to hear who will be performing throughout the Mardi Gras Parade. However, some big names have been confirmed for the after-party. The biggest name to pay attention to is Queen frontman, Adam Lambert. Other artists confirmed include CeCe Peniston, Ultra Naťe and Patrick Mason.
The party will begin at 10:00 pm, down the road from the parade route at the Hordern Pavilion in the Entertainment Quarter. You can find tickets here.
How to watch the Sydney Mardi Gras parade in 2024
Mardi Gras has shared a breakdown of how to watch the parade and from where here. For information on the Mardi Gras accessible viewing area, click here.
If you aren’t able to attend the parade in person this year, however, don’t panic. You can still tune into the glamour and glory of it all by watching the Mardi Gras via live stream at home.
The ABC will be broadcasting the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade once again in 2024. You can catch the action on ABC live and iview from 7:30 pm, and you can follow along through the ABC Queer Instagram account too.
The broadcaster has secured Courtney Act and Mon Schafter as hosts of the show, with guests G Flip and Remy Hii set to appear throughout.
Fair Day
Update: per the above, Fair Day for 2024 has been cancelled. However, read on for what you can usually expect from this event.
The parade may get the most attention, but there are plenty of other events happening throughout Sydney Mardi Gras (which begins on February 16, and through to March 3).
Another favourite is the annual Fair Day, which is free to attend and is held in Victoria Park. There are great stalls to visit, plenty of food trucks to eat at and a main stage that has a rotating door of excellent queer musicians to sing along to. It’s a vibe.
Mardi Gras Film Festival
Running parallel to the festivities is the Mardi Gras Film Festival, and there are some stellar films to celebrate this year. Queer Screen’s 31st film fest will run from March 1 to 11 and feature films celebrating LGBTQIA+ stories and talent from all around the world.
Some highlights this year include the premiere of British neo-noir thriller Femme starring Nathan Stewart (Misfits) and George MacKay (1917). Goran Stolevski’s (Of An Age) next film Housekeeping for Beginners will close the festival.
You can explore the full lineup of films here.
Other Mardi Gras events to look out for
As mentioned above, there are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the excitement of Mardi Gras 2024. There is no way we could list out all the many events running, but you can search through the full list here.
- Oxtravaganza Darlinghurst festival: Now – March 3
- Rainbow Family Storytime: Now – March 6
- Briefs – Dirty Laundry cabaret show: Now – March 3
- Kiki Ivy Pool Party: March 4
Happy Mardi Gras, friends!
This article on the Sydney Mardi Gras for 2024 has been updated since its original publish date.
Lead Image Credit: Mardi Gras Instagram
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