Sydney WorldPride 2023: Northern Beaches Council spending $34k to support local LGBTQ+ events
The LGBTQ+ festival, Sydney WorldPride 2023, will attract 78,000 visitors to the city in February. With Northern Beaches Council deciding how much cash will be splashed.
Manly
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About $34,000 will be spent by Northern Beaches Council to support the biggest LGBTQ+ event in the world.
As well as showing its commitment to inclusion and equity during Sydney WorldPride 2023, the council wants to attract tourists from the 78,000 expected visitors to the city during the three-week celebration.
The council is setting aside $20,000 to help local businesses and organisations to organise WorldPride related events and activities.
About $4000 will go towards “Rainbow” flags and banners across the peninsula, at five locations.
And another $10,000 will be spent on a temporary art installation, expected to be a large 3D “Manly” sign on the beach.
The council will also host activities including “Rainbow Storytimes” for kids held at public libraries. There will also be exhibitions, film screenings and author talks.
Talks are underway with NSW transport officials which could see a B1 bus and a Manly Ferry “dressed up” for WorldPride.
A proposal to light up Manly Town Hall in Rainbow colours — at a cost of $100,000 — has been dumped.
The $34,000 for WorldPride is coming out of the council’s annual budget for “place-based activities”, which normally covers a set program of 18 activations across the local government area, including eight in the Manly CBD.
WorldPride — set up to promote and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and human rights across the world — is Sydney’s biggest event since the 2000 Olympic. It will be held in conjunction with the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras between February 17 and March 5.
In August, five councillors — Kristyn Glanville, Vincent De Luca, Candy Bingham, Stuart Sprott and Ruth Robins — called on council staff to look into potential local WorldPride-themed events and activations.
As well as input from the council, Fusion Pride, a northern beaches’ Pride organisation, is co-ordinating a Pride Picnic at Dee Why Beach. The Harbord Beach Hotel, at Freshwater is planning a week-long series of activities including Rainbow lights, Rainbow cocktails, a drag comedy night, “Queer Talk” and “Story Time”.
Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan said the council was unanimous in its commitment to inclusion, equity, and support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Cr Regan said council officers had been meeting with community members including Fusion Pride, local surf lifesaving clubs’ Rainbow Beaches program and local chambers of commerce.
“The wheels are definitely in motion with a committed internal working group as well as a number of activations planned.
“We will also support WorldPride by exploring other partnerships,” Cr Regan said.
“Council looks forward to providing this amazing cultural and tourism opportunity both on the Northern Beaches and for greater Sydney. Standby for more news on events and activities.”
Greens councillor, Miranda Korzy said that while she recognised that Manly was the tourism focus on the northern beaches, she hoped that the money would be sent across the whole local government area.
“While we can focus on attracting tourists to the Beaches, we should also be sending a message that we celebrate LGBQTI residents here who are an integral part of the community,” Cr Korzy said.
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