It’s party time! Hundreds of thousands of revellers paint their faces and show off their bright-coloured costumes as Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras begins
Advertisement
Hundreds of thousands of revellers have taken to the streets for Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Partygoers put their best foot forward with glitter ensembles and rainbow face paint for the 42nd annual LGBT celebration on Saturday.
Bright lights and outlandish costumes packed into Hyde Park and Oxford Street for the night of festivities, where the parade is expected to draw in crowds of more than 12,000 punters across four hours.
As per tradition, the ‘dykes on bikes’ will kick off the parade on Saturday evening.
Of the 191 floats in the parade, several will focus on climate change while Australia’s bushfire crisis ‘heroes’ will be front and centre.
One partygoer is seen getting a rainbow makeover for Sydney’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Saturday
Two revellers don barely-there matching poison ivy costumes, completing their look with green sneakers
A participant poses for a photo ahead of the 42nd annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney
Sisters Laura and Jacinda Purcell from Penrith have been coming to the festival for years but it’s their first time marching in the parade.
‘I’ve been coming to Mardi Gras every year since I was 14,’ says Laura.
‘We just love everything about it – that feeling of being accepted by everyone.’
James Cowin and George Stephan travelled from Brisbane to march in the parade.
‘We came last year and it was amazing,’ said Mr Cowin.
‘It’s such a positive experience but it also highlights such important issues,’ Mr Stephan said.
Parade creative director Kat Hopper said this year’s “What Matters” theme seeks to stoke debate around social justice, trans rights, sustainability, climate change and love.
Grammy Award-winning UK singer Sam Smith will headline the afterparty alongside American pop performer Kesha and Brazilian drag queen Pablo Vittar.
The parade has drawn a high-visibility police presence, with the riot squad assisted by officers on horseback and members of the sniffer dog unit.
The parade commemorates the ’78ers, a small group of protesters who were arrested and beaten by police when they tried to march as part of international gay celebrations back in 1978.
