Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Welcome to the heart of Taylor Square, the spiritual epicenter of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. We are standing on hallowed ground where, on the twenty-fourth of June, nineteen-seventy-eight, a group of brave…

Taylor Square serves as the historic and geographic pivot of the Mardi Gras celebrations. It was here that the initial nineteen-seventy-eight protest crystallized into a movement. …

Whitlam Square, located at the southeast corner of Hyde Park, serves as the 'sparkling' starting point for the main Mardi Gras parade. On parade night, which often falls on a 'fine Saturday' late in February, thousands of…

Oxford Street is the 'stap straat' (going-out street) for 'open-minded' Sydney, and during Mardi Gras, it transforms into a river of 'sparkles' and 'dazzling' light. This 'Golden Mile' is lined with 'pubs and clubs' that have…

As the parade 'shimmies' away from the dense crowds of Oxford Street, it turns down Flinders Street, moving toward the vast expanses of Moore Park. This section of the route offers 'vantage points' that are often 'away from…

The parade 'finishes in Moore Park' at approximately eleven o'clock, but for many, the night is only just beginning. Moore Park is home to the 'official after party,' which is often 'sold out' months in advance, featuring…

While the parade is the 'dazzling' highlight, the 'Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is so much more than just the parade.' Darlinghurst, the neighborhood surrounding Taylor Square, is a 'vibrant' community year-round. It is a…

As our exploration of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras concludes, we return to the core message of the festival: 'love each other, love your neighbor, and look after each other.' This event is 'the biggest party down under,'…