Premium Content:

Sydney gets ready for the 2021 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

The 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is just a few hours away, and while this year’s celebration will be very different to years gone by, it’s still tipped to be a massive spectacular party.

- Advertisement -

Organisers say the biggest night of the year on the LGBTQI+ calendar, Mardi Gras Parade remains a beacon of hope, a vehicle for protest and the ultimate display of creativity for its communities – showcasing issues and achievements from the past 12 months through dazzling costuming, cheeky satire and limitless joy.

In front of a stadium crowd the parade will feature 5,000 marchers, across 120 parade entries. This year’s Mardi Gras theme is RISE, a call to action that now is the time to rise again through love, compassion, respect and understanding. The theme is a poignant message following the challenge and hardship of 2020, with Parade entries incorporating it into their final concepts.

The event is being broadcast on SBS from 3pm (WA time) and you can also tune in to Melbourne’s JOYFM for commentary too, and a camp party soundtrack all through the day.

A very special Welcome to Country curated by Ben Graetz will be performed at 3pm featuring Aunty Yvonne Weldon, singer/songwriter Scott Hunter, plus Koomurri dancers, NAISDA dancers, and Buuja Butterfly dancers. Then at 6:30pm the crowd will be revved up as the Dykes on Bikes take to the stadium on their hogs to perform a lap, heralding the start of the glittering Parade, led with the First Nations and 78ers floats.

This year’s coverage on SBS will again be helmed by drag icon Courtney Act, comedy superstar Joel Creasey, Perth’s own Narelda Jacobs and comedian Zoë Coombs Marr.

Happy Mardi Gras everyone!

OIP Staff


Love OUTinPerth Campaign

Help support the publication of OUTinPerth by contributing to our
GoFundMe campaign.

Latest

UK Reform leader Nigel Farage says gay marriage is “wrong”

Farage says the issue is now settled, but restated he's never been a supporter of same-sex couples being allowed to marry.

Barn Dance is heading to a Gold Rush

Tickets to Perth's big night of boot scooting and bandanas are now on sale.

Now You Know: Five quick news stories

A gay classic turned into a ballet, a country music star, arrests in China, a new leader for Mardi Gras, and coming out in the AFL.

Actor Julian McMahon dies aged 56 after private cancer battle

The actor first found success on 'Home and Away' before hitting the international stage.

Newsletter

Don't miss

UK Reform leader Nigel Farage says gay marriage is “wrong”

Farage says the issue is now settled, but restated he's never been a supporter of same-sex couples being allowed to marry.

Barn Dance is heading to a Gold Rush

Tickets to Perth's big night of boot scooting and bandanas are now on sale.

Now You Know: Five quick news stories

A gay classic turned into a ballet, a country music star, arrests in China, a new leader for Mardi Gras, and coming out in the AFL.

Actor Julian McMahon dies aged 56 after private cancer battle

The actor first found success on 'Home and Away' before hitting the international stage.

On This Gay Day | Thousands turned out to support marriage equality

Despite pouring rain thousands showed their support for changing the laws.

UK Reform leader Nigel Farage says gay marriage is “wrong”

Farage says the issue is now settled, but restated he's never been a supporter of same-sex couples being allowed to marry.

Barn Dance is heading to a Gold Rush

Tickets to Perth's big night of boot scooting and bandanas are now on sale.

Now You Know: Five quick news stories

A gay classic turned into a ballet, a country music star, arrests in China, a new leader for Mardi Gras, and coming out in the AFL.