The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or Sydney Mardi Gras is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ history and culture. [22]The term Mardi Gras derives from the celebration on Mardi (French for "Tuesday") when Gras (French for "fat") is eaten prior to the Christian abstinence period of Lent preceding Easter. Sydney Mardi Gras 2025 is here! Free to party, free to celebrate, free to laugh, free to be Festival-favourites, revamped returns and new queens on the block join the line-up for Sydney Mardi Gras 2025! Today, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of Australia’s most famous and well-loved events, bringing thousands of visitors to Sydney to join in the celebrations. It captures the imagination of Australia’s LGBTQI and mainstream communities, taking over the city for weeks on end, culminating in the world-famous Parade: a colourful and The Festival will wrap with the world famous Sydney Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday 1 March 2025. Festival theme: Free to be The 2025 Festival theme Free to be is a celebration of the strides toward true LGBTQIA+ equality while also acting as a global reminder that our fight is far from over, and that we are not truly free until we are all free The theme of this year's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is Free to Be. The 47th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade is set to attract huge crowds on 1 March. Credit: AAP. Sydney is expected to be buzzing for one of the biggest nights in the city's social calendar today as thousands are anticipated to march in the 47th annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. Dykes on Bikes open this year's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. (ABC News: Jack Fisher) The group is the country's longest-running female motorcycle club, and one of the country's oldest The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade will be held on Saturday night. (ABC News: Mridula Amin) The parade dates back to 1978, when homosexuality was still illegal in NSW. Sydney’s Mardi Gras is a glimmering celebration of queer pride | WILLIAM YANG GLITTER, RAINBOWS, LEATHER, and pride: these are what generally comes to mind when you think of Sydney’s Mardi The official dates for the Sydney Mardi Gras 2025 festival season will be February 14, 2025, to Sunday, March 2, 2025 The Mardi Gras season kicks off with Fair Day, which will be held on Sunday, February 16. The parade and official after-party are confirmed to be on Saturday, March 1. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) is an LGBTQIA+ not-for-profit member-based organisation that produces the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade and Festival and several other events and supportive initiatives throughout the year. The Mardi Gras Parade. When: Saturday, March 1, 6:45pm to 11pm Where: Oxford St, Flinders St and Anzac Parade, Sydney Tickets: free, with tickets to special parade viewing areas, more info (some sold out) The Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is now in its 47th year and is the jewel in the crown of the two-week Mardi Gras festival. Sydney Mardi Gras Parade 2025 on Saturday, March 1; Starts 7.30pm AEDT / 8.30am GMT / 3.30am ET; Watch the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, one of the biggest cultural events of the year in Australia, to The Mardi Gras Parade is the finale of the program. Over 300,000 people line the 1.7km long parade route to watch the 8500 participants march, dance and ride their way past. Sydney is buzzing with excitement as the 47th Sydney Mardi Gras Festival reaches its grand finale this weekend. With a lineup of events that promises unforgettable moments, it’s time to plan your weekend and soak up the energy of Mardi Gras. From the iconic Parade to the legendary after-party and the much-loved Laneway event, here’s [] Sydney's Mardi Gras originally grew out of a 1978 gay rights protest that ended with dozens of arrests. David GRAY; Sydney's annual Mardi Gras parade is a highlight of the city's social calendar. Thousands of scantily clad revellers danced through Sydney on Saturday for the 47th annual Mardi Gras parade, transforming the Australian city into a vibrant sea of colour and costumes. More than 10,000 people -- many of them painted in glitter makeup -- and 180 floats rolled down a packed Oxford Street, lighting up the vibrant heart of Sydney The Mardi Gras Parade. So, on to the main event. A lot of people come to Mardi Gras in Sydney just for the Parade, which is fair enough. Weaving along Oxford Street as a cacophony of joyful noise and bright colours, this takes place on the final Saturday of the festival (the first Saturday in March). The Mardi Gras Parade, which takes place on Saturday, March 1, is part of the broader Sydney Mardi Gras Festival, running from February 14 to March 2. Now in its 47th year, the festival spans 17 days of international performances, parties, theatre, community events, and more, celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride and visibility. About Sydney Mardi Gras. Sydney's Mardi Gras has grown to become one of the most popular carnival events in the world. It began on Saturday 24 June 1978 at 10 pm – a chilly winter's night (remember in Australia the seasons are reversed). Several hundred members of the LGBTQ community gathered at Taylor Square to protest.
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