Sydney Mardi Gras 2021: Parade tickets, festival guide and where to watch

Amid a global pandemic, the organisers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival have had to get creative — and they’ve managed to deliver a sparkling festival line-up for 2021.

The 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival is set to explode in all its sequined glory across Sydney this week with a jam-packed program.

COVID-19 has forced organisers to postpone several regular events but the 43rd Annual Parade will go ahead with close to 5000 marchers at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

This year’s Mardi Gras theme is ‘rise’, a call to action to rise again through love, compassion, respect and understanding after a tough 2020.

Here’s what you need to know about this year’s festival.

WHEN IS THE MARDI GRAS?

The 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival runs from Friday February 19 until Sunday March 7.

The Sydney Mardi Gras parade began in 1978 as a march and commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall Riots of New York. It is an annual event promoting awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues and themes. Picture: Getty

MARDI GRAS PARADE

Expect a joyful display of LGBTQI+ pride and creativity when the annual parade takes a detour from its spiritual home of Oxford St due to the pandemic to the SCG.

Marchers will take over the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 6 where a COVID Safe Event Plan will be in place, enabling participants to meet physical distancing and contact tracing requirements of NSW Health.

Rita Ora will call Sydney home for the next few months after completing mandatory coronavirus quarantine at a local hotel.

WHO IS HEADLINING?

Rita Ora will headline the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

The British pop superstar follows a long line of big name talent to have taken part in the legendary festivities.

Electric Fields, Montaigne and G Flip will also perform at Mardi Gras on Saturday, March 6.

Penguin same-sex power couple Sphen and Magic pictured at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium get into the Mardi Gras spirit. Picture: Justin Lloyd

CAN I BUY A TICKET?

New ticket sales for the parade are temporarily paused as government recommendations continue to evolve. Organisers hope to bump up capacity in coming weeks and release more tickets. In the meantime, the public is warned not to buy tickets from reseller sites like Viagogo, eBay or Gumtree to avoid buying fakes.

The 2021 Mardi Gras Parade is happening at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday 6 March. Picture: David Swift.

WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?

Amazing of course. Expect serious bling, as this year’s event moves away from big floats and amps up the spectacle of costumes, props and even puppetry.

A stadium of people will be there to cheer on the 5000 marchers, across 120 parade entries capped to about 40 marchers each to meet health guidelines.

Expect crowd favourites like Dykes on Bikes, plus a massively diverse range of floats from the First Nations, celebrating the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQI+ community to the bin-chicken celebrating parade debutantes, the Emerald City Kickball group.

Expect all the colour and magic of the Mardi Gras with even bigger and more outrageous costumes and pageantry this year. Picture: AAP

HOW CAN I WATCH THE PARADE?

With tickets limited, SBS will broadcast the parade live on the night, so grab some mates and tune in at home at COVID-Safe Mardi Gras viewing party.

The parade will screen on March 6 from 6pm AEDT on SBS On Demand, or catch the full Parade at 7:30pm AEDT on SBS and NITV.

Marchers in the 42nd annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney last year. Picture: AAP

HEAD TO A VIEWING EVENT

Mardi Gras and Facebook Australia have also partnered to stage viewing events at 30 venues in NSW from regional towns to inner-city hubs.

Venues taking part in these COVID-safe nights of entertainment on March 6 will not only screen the broadcast but host queer entertainment from drag shows to live music, DJ’s, comedy and more. The list of venues includes:

Inner city: Bitter Phew Darlinghurst; Burdekin Hotel Darlinghurst; Cafe Fredas Darlinghurst; The Colombian Hotel Darlinghurst; Darlo Bar Darlinghurst; Home The Venue Sydney; Honkas Potts Point; The Winery Surry Hills; The Shakespeare Hotel Surry Hills; Stonewall Hotel Darlinghurst; Oxford Hotel Darlinghurst; Taylors Rooftop Sydney; Universal Darlinghurst

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade will be broadcast live with viewing parties being held across the state. Picture: David Swift.

Inner west: The Bank Hotel Newtown; The Bearded Tit Redfern;

The Imperial Hotel Erskineville, Lansdowne Hotel Glebe; The Oxford Tavern Petersham

Northern Beaches: Daniel San, Manly

Regional NSW: The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel Wickham; Palace Hotel Broken Hill, The Rainbow Underground Woonoona; Rex Tamworth and Forum 6 Cinemas Tamworth,

Cue Bar Wagga Wagga.

All the colour from Sydney Mardi Gras 2020. This year’s festival has been forced to postpone some events including Fair Day.

IS FAIR DAY ON?

Sadly, Fair Day which is always held at Victoria Park in Glebe will not take place in 2021 due to COVID-19’s current and changing restrictions. It’s is slated to return in February 2022.

Because Fair Day plays a vital role connecting people with LGBTQI+ groups and organisations, the resources accessed at Fair day can be found here.

Mardi Gras will work closely with NSW Health to follow any COVID restrictions/guidelines.

WHAT EVENTS ARE POSTPONED?

Restrictions on gatherings, social distancing and other guidelines have led the organisers to hit the pause button and not stage several regular events.

These include The Party, Laneway, Pool Party, Kaftan Party, Sissy Ball, Family Fun Day and Queer Art After Hours.

My Drag Story is among the events at this year’s Mardi Gras, which ‘uncorsets six queens, kings and gender-defying royals to reveal what’s beyond the painted facade. ’Picture: Nikki Short

WHAT EVENTS ARE ON?

The festival is still hosting a stellar program of performances, talks, film, music, art and more including Queer Thinking, My Trans Story and My Drag Story where speakers across the LGBTQI+ community will discuss and debate a range of topics.

LAUGH OUT PROUD!

Australia’s best and brightest LGBTQI+ comedians are back for Laugh Out Proud! with a line-up of queer stand-up talent including Geraldine Hickey, Thomas Jaspers, Rosie Piper, Margot Tanjutco, Selina Jenkins, Jake Howie, Nina Oyama and Jay Wymarra. At Enmore Theatre, Newtown, February 26 at 7.30pm. Tickets selling fast.

Dua Lipa at last year’s 42nd annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney. Picture: AAP

QUEER FILM

With 90 plus films on the program, the Queer Screen’s 28th Mardi Gras Film Festival will kick off in style with an opening night film Dating Amber under the stars at Moonlight Cinema in Centennial Park. February 18-March 4. Browse the program and book your tickets at queerscreen.org.au.

PICNIC SURRY HILLS

Local pubs, cafes and venues are offering special PICNIC menu deals and offers all weekend of Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th March for Picnic Surry Hills.

Singer Sam Smith at the 2020 Mardi Gras. Picture: Nikki Short

MINUS18 QUEER FORMAL

This year’s formal will head online, with a pride-filled, lavish night of LGBTQIA+ performers for youth aged 12-19. Its free so grab your mates and enjoy a watch party at home, with live performances, drag, competitions and more.

Bringing the bling: all the creativity and passion of the LGBTQI+ community will be on show this month.

THEATRE

John Donnelly’s critically acclaimed play, The Pass — a powerful, timely drama that asks: how much are you willing to lose in order to win — is among the theatre on offer for the festival and runs until March 6. Or check out Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey at New theatre in Newtown, a funny, irreverent coming-of-age story described as an urban fairytale for our times. Details here

SEE THE FULL FESTIVAL GUIDE HERE