Gay pride sydney 2023
How we celebrated and supported Sydney WorldPride
WorldPride kicked off last week, and over the weekend, we felt incredibly lucky to be able to protest alongside our community as part of Google’s colourful parade float with our fellow Googlers, at the Sydney Gay and Female homosexual Mardi Gras parade.
This year’s celebration is a massive milestone with Sydney WorldPride , making Australia the first country in Asia Pacific to host the festival! It also marked the 5th anniversary of Australian marriage equality and the 45th anniversary of the parade - and with such important milestones it was fitting that this year’s event was bigger and more spectacular than ever before.
It's been wonderful to see Google build on a long-standing partnership with Sydney Male lover and Lesbian Mardi Gras this year, onboarding as a Major Partner for Sydney WorldPride
Finding Pride
Safe spaces are crucial - but they aren’t always easy to find, whether you’re in a town or a regional town. And for the LGBTQIA+ community we know this is an ever evolving challenge.
This year we wanted to bring to experience our commitment to helping people find safe places that they love - visualised through our colourf
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
February 25,
Take part in the historic procession that commemorates when this Sydney event first took place in
First Nations Gathering Space
February 23 – 28,
Take time to appreciate artwork and performances by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Pride Villages
February 24 – March 5,
Venture to the closed-off areas around Oxford Lane to attend performances and festive parties.
Human Rights Conference
March 1 – March 3,
This 3-day conference features inspiring panels, workshops and networking events to construct global change.
Pride March
March 5,
Close out the celebrations with this annual rally across Sydney’s Harbor Bridge.
See all events
Sydney Gay & Womxn loving womxn Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras Parade
When: 1 March
In , the Mardi Gras Parade returns to Oxford Street, Flinders Street and Anzac Parade, centred around the theme 'Our Future'. As always, the pride will be led by the beloved Dykes on Bikes, First Nations and 78er floats.
The parade is the biggest event of the festival, featuring more than 12, marchers and over floats captivating spectators with a spectacular display of colour, creativity and lgbtq+ fest. There are free viewing areas all along Oxford Street, as well as premium viewing spaces and accessible viewing ticketed areas to view the spectacle from Hyde Park to Moore Park.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Pride , Sydney
More exciting events
There are plenty of other events to enjoy across the city throughout the festival, including performing arts, comedy, films and talks. Key celebrations include:
First Nations First Light: A Festival Welcome
When: 14 February
To commemorate the start of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras , head to the shores of Bondi Beach for a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and performances to welcome festival-goers onto the unceded and sacred Gadigal,
WorldPride at the Art Gallery
This celebration of queer practice is staged across the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ newly expanded campus.
In the Art Gallery’s original South Building from 17 February, Queer Encounters features recent works by Bhenji Ra, Dennis Golding, Sione Tuívailala Monū and Sidney McMahon, providing a snapshot of some of the contemporary queer art being made in Australia today, while Queering the collection showcases the breadth of existing queer histories in the Art Gallery collection and the important role LGBTQIA+ artists have played in the evolution of art-making.
When it comes to events, crowd-favourite Queer Art After Hours returns on Wednesday 22 February, taking over the new North Building for the first second. Other highlights include modern work from Brian Fuata, Blu Jay, Al Joel and Leo Tsao, developed through their Sweet Incites artist residencies. Art Gallery Cinema presents an afternoon of queer video works, followed by a panel discussion with local artists, and Sydney bar and creative space The Bearded Tit bring their much-loved The Bearded Tit Talks to the Art Gallery with a series of panel discussions about culture and belonging.
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