Mardi Gras 2024 program is out: packed with events for and on behalf of the LGBTQIA community

This year’s Mardi Gras theme ties in with tarot card designs. New Beginnings is considered the most important of the ‘Mardi Gras Major Arcana’ since the card is representative of an individual moving forward from the past and choosing their own destiny.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival program is out today and it’s packed with plenty of activity for and on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community this summer.

Bursting at the sequined seams, the expansive program boasts over 100 community events, theatre and music productions, and dance parties, of course, culminating with the globally renowned Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday, 2 March 2024.

Mardi Gras Festival returns from Mardi Gras Festival happens from 16 February to 3 March 2024 and with so much on offer, it’s best to start planning your calendar now.

Fresh off the heels of its 45th anniversary in 2023, this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras shines even brighter with a forward-focused theme: Our Future. The theme embodies a commitment to inclusivity, acceptance and optimism, celebrating past achievements while illuminating the path to a dazzling future.

“For 45 years, the energy, vibrancy, and unity of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has made it a globally significant event. And each year, our commitment to bringing forth an even more fabulous celebration grows,” said Sydney Mardi Gras CEO Gil Beckwith.

“In 2024, we embrace our roots and look forward with eager anticipation to our future. Our mission is clear: to echo the voices of our communities, to champion progress and instigate impactful change.”

Drag artists such as Peaches, pictured, are celebrated over the Mardi Gras season for magically transforming themselves and entertaining audiences.

The theme Our Future… is brought to life through a great creative campaign that reimagines iconic tarot cards to honour local LGBTQIA+ legends.

From HIV+ campaigners to trans and gender-diverse icons, activists and artists, each card captures the essence and diversity of queer communities.

David Polson has been fighting for HIV+ visibility for over 39 years.

These chosen community members, well respected within Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ circles, offer a harmonious blend of past recognition and future vision, with the creative campaign standing as a testament to an unwavering commitment to genuine representation, and a call to imagine a bright future for us all.

You can read about each of the community members featured in the campaign – and more about the 2024 festival, parade and party – at mardigras.org.au.

Antonino Tati

JUST SOME OF THE MAJOR EVENTS IN THE MARDI GRAS 2024 PROGRAM…

• Bondi Beach Party, a grand beachside celebration that captured hearts at Sydney World Pride returns. Bringing together 15,000 revellers as the iconic Bondi Beach is the backdrop to international DJs and performances for that distinct Sydney Mardi Gras flair.
• Ultra Violet, another WorldPride favourite, this invigorating day-to-night party is tailored for LGBTQIA+ women, set within the artistic walls of the National Art School, and curated by luminaries Sveta Gilerman and Jess Hill.
• Festival First Light, a city-wide Welcome to Country ceremony led by Elders from across the Sydney Basin.
• Hot Trans Summer, a total trans and gender-diverse takeover of floating luxury venue Glass Island. It is set to be a celebration dedicated to the trans and gender diverse communities, boasting an all-trans line up.
• Queer Futures, a series of talks and ideas, with conversations ranging from sport to the arts, politics and education.

www.thepopshop.shop

• Diamond Dance, presented by Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Pollys Club, and Dykes on Bikes, is a party celebrating Pollys Club’s 60th year through nostalgic rhythms and standout acts.
• Oxtravaganza and Darlo Big Drag Brunch, presented by the Darlinghurst Business Partnership, is an eclectic two-week fringe festival pulsating with nightly performances, art showcases, a dedicated family zone and more. Also returning from 2023 is Darlo Big Drag Brunch, where the glittering Oxford Street and surrounds will be taken over by simultaneous Drag Brunches to kick off the Bondi Beach Party day.
• Marks Park Dawn Sunrise Service of Reflection, in collaboration with the Bronte Surf Club, ACON and Waverley Council is a poignant dawn service to remember and honour victims of homophobic and transphobic violence in the 1970’s and 1990’s.
• & JULIET, presented by Michael Cassel Group in association with MTM/LeyLine, a one-night-only Mardi Gras special performance of the smash hit musical starring Lorinda May Merrypor, Rob Mills, Casey Donovan and Amy Lehpamer.