How Mardi Grass will press ahead for its grand 2021 return

How the beloved Nimbin festival will handle coronavirus threats.

Enjoying the festivities at Nimbin Mardi Grass in 2019.

For almost three decades, the annual Mardi Grass festival at Nimbin has been the rally and celebration at the heart of Nimbin and now organisers have revealed what its triumphant return will look like.

The physical festivities were postponed in 2020 due to coronavirus but plans for 2021 celebrations have been floated since January.

Now Australian HEMP Party and Nimbin HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone has revealed more information about how the event will take shape.

The organiser said classic events like the Hemp Olympics, Kombi Convoy and the Sunday rally/parade were all “green-lit” and set to return.

“The parade is allowed to have 5000 people, we’ve done all the numbers and the Covid forms and I think we’re passing all the tests,” he said.

“The Sunday rally, at 2.30, is definitely a highlight and I think there’s a lot of passion for cannabis law reform now.

“They’ve finally agreed it is a medicine but are still hunting us down.”

The 2014 Nimbin Mardi Grass which aims to raise awareness about prohibition and marijuana. Photo Marc Stapelberg / The Northern Star

Despite a recent events scare in the Bluesfest cancellation, Michael said he was determined to see the festival go ahead.

“It was really tragic what happened at Bluesfest,” he said.

“We’ve made the decision that if we have to cancel it, it will be two weeks before not the day before, but we see no reason to cancel unless there’s some late Covid cases from Byron,” he said.

“It does look like it wasn’t as contagious as we thought which has been the really positive news from last week.”

Mr Balderstone added the variety of attendees this year was “particularly interesting” as the Nimbin community welcomed back the “festival with a purpose.”

Two highlighted guests would be the Legalise Cannabis Western Australia Party (LCWA) Upper House seat members Sophia Moermond and Dr Brian Walker who recently made history by becoming very first cannabis party candidates ever to be elected.

“In fact, there will be more politicians at MardiGrass than ever before which is encouraging and means something,” he said.

“ The Greens always come, but NSW Labor’s Rose Jackson MLC is also coming this year.”

See the full 2021 program online at NimbinMardiGrass.com