Where’s The After Party? Mardi Gras Says Support Oxford St Venues Post-Parade
Today, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival kicks off with a celebration at Sydney Town Hall.
Over the next three weeks the festival will include events that put a focus on the diverse, beautiful and queer reflecting our contemporary LGBTQIA+ community. On top of the annual Mardi Gras Film Festival (Queer Screen), there will also be a series of talks hosted by queer Australian thinkers with Queer Thinking, and people sharing their stories – My Drag Story and My Trans Story.
The festival will culminate on Saturday 6 March with the Mardi Gras Parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
This year the parade will be different to make it COVID safe, however, it will be just as diverse and a celebration of queer culture as ever. The SCG was chosen too because it was close to the parade’s spiritual home, Oxford St and close to bars on the rainbow strip.
In the absence of the Mardi Gras party, parade goers are encouraged to head to Oxford Street to support the bars that have been hit with lockdown and COVID.
If you can’t get to the parade in person, you can also visit venues across Australia that will be hosting Mardi Gras Parade viewing events. Check the NSW Health website for info on COVID restrictions on the day.
For those watching from home SBS will be livestreaming the parade.
More information and tickets available at www.mardigras.org.au.
