There will be a burst of colour, music and sequins as the LGBTQIA+ community is celebrated at this year’s Mardi Gras festival.
Charging into the future with its boldest program yet, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival is set to be spectacular. Featuring the 2024 theme of ‘Our Future,’ the party will burst across Sydney and the North Shore with a wide range of activities from 16 February to 3 March.
North Sydney CBD will be decorated with pride banners and play host to installations and events that share and embrace pride.
The stairs in Brett Whiteley Place will display a beautiful rainbow decal art installation throughout the month. To complement this, the NTH SYD Sessions: Embrace Love event will be hosted on 21 February from 12pm to 2pm, with live entertainment and sweet-treat giveaways.
Stanton Library will participate in the activities with a pride pin competition and a pride party for families. The library and historical services team are continuing to work on the project, mapping queer North Sydney, by collecting local LGBTQIA+ memories, stories and life events in the community.
North Shore’s wild side will be present too. Taronga Zoo will receive visitors travelling by ferry across Sydney Harbour accompanied by the sisters of perpetual indulgence on 29 February at 9am. The Sydney-based gay male nuns and lesbian clergy group from the LGBTQIA+, together with visitors, will be taken on a tour through Taronga Zoo. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will recite poems and share some 19th-century recipes of Australian fauna. Finish the tour with the Australian bird show at midday.
With more than 100 community events, dance parties, theatre and music across 17 days of glitter and laughter, the festival will conclude with the renowned Mardi Gras parade on 2 March.
Image credit: Taronga Zoo Facebook page
Independent federal MP for North Sydney Kylea Tink will once again host the ‘Independents for Inclusion’ float in the parade, welcoming everybody to ‘experience the spirit of North Sydney’.
“In 2024, Kylea Tink’s Mardi Gras float echoes the heartbeat of North Sydney -powered by people,” says Kylea’s marketing communications manager, Philasande Dladla. “The float will be a celebration powered by people.” Constituents can join the float ‘virtually’ by sending pictures to Kylea’s office, Philasande says.
Last year, fellow independent MPs Zali Steggall from Warringah and Sophie Scamps from Mackellar also joined.
More than 200 floats and over 12,000 marchers will fill Oxford Street, Flinders Street and Anzac Parade for the 46th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. The event promises to be a reminder to the world that: “No matter our future, we’ll march on because no future is a match for our future together.”
Organisers will facilitate an accessible parade viewing area for people with disabilities, which includes a free shuttle bus to and from public transport, low-sensory zones and flat road-level access.
Embrace the rainbow and join the celebrations of diversity, unity and happiness this February by participating in the Mardi Gras festival activities.
For more information and the entire program of events, visit mardigras.org.au