Everything you need to know about the Sydney Mardi Gras including glitter is out and flutter is in

Hold on to your tiaras as this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras has gone glitter-free. Find out what else you need to know with our Mardi Gras guide.

The 2019 Sydney Mardi Gras will be full of colour and pride. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams

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The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is a global beacon of diversity, acceptance and LGBTQI rights. This year’s Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday starts at 7.30pm from Whitlam Square, Darlinghurst. The 1.7km route runs from Oxford St into Flinders St and ends in Moore Park.

ALL THAT SPARKLES

Hold on to your tiaras as this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras has gone glitter-free. Mardi Gras CEO Terese Casu said the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras had committed to begin the process of phasing out glitter, encouraging parade participants to use biodegradable flutter instead.

“We have also started supplying community groups with advice on alternatives to glitter they can use on their float including LED lighting, fluorescent paint and lanterns,” she said.

“Glitter is a microplastic that can be dangerous to the environment and in particular to our marine life. We feel we have a responsibility to do everything we can to reduce our impact on the environment. Other sustainable initiatives we have implemented include not allowing balloons at parade, encouraging the use of multi-use water bottles, reusing and recycling materials from past parade floats and party staging.”

She said the Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday would be 100 per cent carbon-offset thanks to a new partnership with energy retailer, Powershop.

Courtney Act will perform at the Mardi Gras Party.

CLASS ACT

The epic Mardi Gras Party line-up includes Scissor Sister’s Jake Shears and Courtney Act. Mardi Gras Party creative director Greg Clarke said The Party would feature 10 spectacular live shows, 20 DJs and five dance spaces.

“The RHI will be transformed into the Neon Playground, a fluoro-pop inspired wonderland featuring performances by international pop star Kim Petras, and local legends PNAU, Courtney Act and Briefs.

“The Hordern Pavilion has been renamed The Black Palace for this night-of-nights, becoming a seductive and decadent underground world in a heady mix of the Palace of Versailles meets Versace soaked in the decadence of the underground Berlin club scene. Headlining there will be Shears, with performances from Paul Capsis and House of Sle featuring Leiomy Maldonado from the USA.

“Max Watt’s gets a camp make-over becoming the Powder Puff – a disco-inspired beauty salon featuring giant fluffy pink powder puffs filling the dance floor with bursts of pretty white powder, glamour hosts and personal stylists”.

Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears will perform at the Mardi Gras Party.

PARTY HERE TO STAY

Moore Park will continue to be the Mardi Gras Party HQ, with the venues’ manager reaffirming the ”party is here to stay”. Playbill Venues managing director Michael Nebenzahl said Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries (RHI) would continue to host the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Party despite a $65 million project to revitalise the buildings and create a new shared outdoor entertainment space. From May this year, Playbill Venues will rejuvenate the Hordern Pavilion while the Sydney Swans repurpose the RHI as their new Sydney Swans HQ and Community Centre.

Sneaky Sound System will play at NightQuarter on the Gold Coast for the Ministry of Sound reunion tour.

LANEWAY PARTY

Sneaky Sound System will help close out this year’s Mardi Gras at the Laneway Party on Sunday from 2pm. Laneway has evolved from a portable stereo and a couple of milk crates on Hill St, Surry Hills into a spectacular street party celebration that takes over the Beresford and Flinders Hotels, and the street in between. The line-up also includes Jess Love, Kryptonite, Miss Poodle, Rhys Lightning and DJ Kate Monroe.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Alex Greenwich MP attend the 40th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade last year. Picture: Hollie Adams

NEON STATEMENT

City of Sydney will proudly show its support at the 41st Mardi Gras Parade with a float this year decked out with flashing LED lights, dance music and neon-costumed dancers. The parade entry features a high-energy choreographed routine to a soundtrack by leading Sydney DJ Dan Murphy. The City is also flying the rainbow flag above Sydney Town Hall and Taylor Square.