Sydney Mardi Gras Has Dropped Their Huge 2025 Program

Arts & Entertainment City Hub City News Festivals & Fairs Scene

Maja Janc
November 7, 2024

Image: Images: Supplied

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has just announced their 2025 festival and events lineup. The festival will run from February 14 until March 2, 2025.

The festival promises a refocused approach to the true core Sydney Mardi Gras: unapologetic self-expression, powerful inclusivity, and joyous unity.

The theme for 2025 is FREE TO BE, which memorializes and honours the long-spanning fight for equality and all of those who fought so hard for the safety, peace, and independence of the community. The theme also celebrates the individuality and collective strength of the vibrant community.

The 2025 festival will be jam-packed with new and old exciting events, bringing together thousands for an event of unforgettable moments, love, resilience, togetherness, and visibility.

Gil Beckwith, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras CEO, said “Each year, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras brings people from all corners of the globe together for a celebration of community, visibility, and progress. The 2025 festival embodies this spirit, reflecting the resilience, creativity, and unity of our LGBTQIA+ communities. We are thrilled to welcome everyone to this year’s festivities and look forward to continuing to champion the values of inclusivity and equality.”

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO, said “Mardi Gras is one of my favourite times of the year. Sydney truly sparkles with diversity, inclusion and love proudly on show. We’re delighted to welcome people from around the world to our wonderful city – a place that embraces and celebrates everyone, where you are truly Free to Be.”

Showstoppers at Sydney Mardi Gras 2025

The festival boasts over 80 different events over the two-week period, and returning signature events include the dazzling Sissy Ball, the stupendous Kaftana Pool Party, the uproarious Laugh Out Proud, the splashy Paradiso Pool Party, the iconic Mardi Gras Party, and everybody’s favourite kick-on, Laneway.

The icing on the Mardi Gras cake, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, will take to the streets in spectacular fashion, featuring three premium Parade Viewing Areas, including the newly revamped Taylor Square Takeover – giving revelers a new and improved block-party experience.

Returning from an unexpected hiatus in 2024, Fair Day is back in full swing at Victoria Park, where one will find over 200 food, retail, and community stalls. In addition, Trans Camp and the Karaoke Cave are set to make their Fair Day debut, adding even more fun to the festival’s grand opening event.

Image: ann Marie Calilhanna via Mardi Gras

The Mardi Gras Party is back and better than ever, and this upcoming year, headliner for the party include the fabulous Grammy-Award winning DJ and producer Honey Dijon, UK musician, DJ and songwriter Romy – one third of indie band The xx, debuting as a solo artist with her Grammy-nominated song “Strong.”

Also back by popular demand after debuting in 2024 are Ultra Violet, a day-to-night party for

LGBTQIA+ women and their nearest and dearest; Hot Trans Summer, a celebration dedicated to trans and gender-diverse communities, taking place on a luxurious floating venue; and First Nations First Light: A Festival Welcome, the second rendition of the event will take place on Gadigal, Bidjigal, Birrabirragal Land at Bondi Beach, featuring a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and performances to kick off the festival with an inspiring and unifying moment.

Sydneysiders and guests from across the country will get to experience countless events celebrating queer and indigenous identities and beyond.

New and exciting events at Mardi Gras 2025

The 2025 Festival sees the return of Blak & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert, which will be hosted in partnership with City Recital Hall in Sydney after its debut at WorldPride in 2023. The gala concert will celebrate Blak and Queer excellence, with performances that honour First Nations culture and LGBTQIA+SB identities.

Also new for 2025 is Mardi Gras + Qtopia, an exciting collaboration with Sydney Mardi Gras Community Partner Qtopia Sydney—the world’s largest centre for queer history and culture.

The festival-long event will feature a range of exhibitions, experiences, and performances, including the electrifying They Will Be Kings, a bold fusion of drag king artistry and contemporary performance celebrating modern masculinity from diverse queer perspectives.

Another newcomer is I Want It That Gay, a nostalgic and comedic journey through ‘90s and 2000s pop culture, blending cabaret and parody as it reclaims the queer milestones of millennial adolescence.

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible is Going to Happen is a razor-sharp, one-man show starring Samuel Barnett at the Sydney Opera House. Fresh from its acclaimed London season, this darkly comic hit dives into the anxieties of modern life, offering festival audiences a laugh-out-loud theatrical exploration of intimacy and ego.

Mardi Gras +

The Mardi Gras + open-access program showcases the creativity of LGBTQIA+ artists, communities, and venues across Sydney. This year’s standouts include the glittering Solid Pink Disco featuring international drag superstar Trixie Mattel, where vibrant pink fashion and infectious party vibes combine for the ultimate dancefloor experience.

The ever-risqué The Kaye Hole, hosted by cabaret icon Reuben Kaye, promises a wild night of no-holds-barred comedy, daring performances, and live music that push boundaries and celebrate queer art in its rawest form.

For a more family-friendly affair, Disco on the Green invites all ages to join in a joyous day of music, dance, and drag, creating a sense of community while raising funds for LGBTQIA+ charities. Slow-Cooked Mutton & The Church of the Clitori offers a hilarious and irreverent musical cabaret starring fierce women over 50, while tribute show An Evening Without Kate Bush honours the legendary singer with a witty, whimsical cabaret performance that invites audiences to embrace their inner Bush.

Pride in Sport Festival presented in partnership with Pride in Sport 2025 also marks the launch of the Pride in Sport Festival, an initiative that highlights LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sports across Australia. From self-defence workshops to volleyball tournaments, this new addition aims to inspire and empower LGBTQIA+ athletes of all levels.

Join the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2025 for two weeks of festivities, laughter, love, joy, acceptance, inclusion, and pride.