Sydney Mardi Gras: when the whole city comes out to play
Every year Sydney erupts in a fabulous celebration of life as Mardi Gras, Australia's biggest party and LGBT celebration, sprays the city with sequins to stage one of the world’s best street parades.
It's one of the country's largest events and the best of its kind around the globe - and 2012 will reach new heights with a very special guest star.
Kylie Minogue, Australia's princess of pop, is returning to her home country to celebrate 25 years in showbiz at Mardi Gras. Her appearance at the parade and party has set the city alight with anticipation and along with international entertainment, more parties, shows and spectacles than ever before, Mardi Gras 2012 is set to soar.
This year's celebrations will be the biggest in the event's history. So kick up your high heels and dive into a sizzling Sydney Mardi Gras 2012.
Must not Miss
Don't miss these stellar Mardi Gras headline events:
Mardi Gras Drag Races on Bondi Beach Friday 2 March, 5pm. Sydney's world- famous beach becomes a chaos of high hair, heels and extravagant swimwear as Sydney’s drag queens emerge into the sunshine to battle for honours in the 14-year- old competition. New for 2012: the Dainty Dune Dash and Handbag Discus. Come and see Bondi in a whole new light.
Mardi Gras Parade, 7.45pm, Saturday 3 March. Once seen, never forgotten, Mardi Gras Parade is an after-dark extravaganza of spectacular costumes, colourful floats, energetic dancing and sheer joy winding its way through the streets of the CBD and Darlinghurst. More than 9,000 spectators line the route – and this year they'll be joined by guest of honour, Kylie.
Mardi Gras Party, 10pm-8am, Entertainment Quarter, Saturday 3 March. There's nothing to match the scale of the Sydney Mardi Gras Party... and 2012 is the hugest yet. The streets and buildings of the Entertainment Quarter will be transformed into a theme park – Mardigrasland – where more than 15,000 revellers will experience music, dance and extraordinary acts including RuPaul, Sam Sparro, Chicane and Horse Meat Disco. And of course, a special appearance from this year's most talked about guest: Kylie. sydney.com visitnsw.com nswevents.com
Recovery Party, midday-10pm, The Laneway, Sunday 4 March. The Laneway is a specially-created Mardi Gras party space embracing two of Sydney's hippest pubs, The Beresford and The Flinders, and Hill Street in between. This maze of good times will host drop-in DJs, pop-up performances and an old school/new school post-party paradise. The aftermath has never been so much fun!
And there’s more...
The celebrations don't stop for a second during Mardi Gras' three busiest days. Just some of the extra highlights:
Warm up for the weekend in the middle of Sydney Harbour at Cockatoo Party on Friday 2 March with sun, cocktails and amazing views from afternoon into night. Entertainment includes Kitty Glitter, Harry K, PowerPuma + DJ Booth.
Stay at the heart of the action at Festival Bar at The Oxford Hotel, Oxford Street. Throughout the festival, this social hub for visitors, locals and lovers of everything fabulous serves up a packed program of performers, big name DJs and comedy.
Meanwhile you'll find the ladies at the official Mardi Gras girls' bar in newly refurbished hotspot Ruby Rabbit, on the Oxford Street strip. On Friday 2 March the bar hosts one of the biggest girls' nights out on the calendar, featuring DJ Neroli, Sista P and Cunningpants.
Get your glitter on at Glamazon, featuring RuPaul at the Metro Theatre, Newtown, Sunday 4 March, 8pm. The world’s greatest drag supermodel is heading to Australia for the first time in over a decade to perform live. The A-List line up also includes The Margaritas, The Wild Spirit Aerialists and Kitty Glitter.
Toilesque on Sunday 4 March is a Burlesque recovery party featuring accomplished local performers including Fancy Piece and Glitta Supernova, at The Vanguard, Newtown's vaudevillian live entertainment venue.
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While you’re in Sydney
While you're in town for Mardi Gras, take time to soak up Sydney's dynamic cafe, restaurant and bar scene. True to the spirit of Mardi Gras, the city's world-class nightlife landscape has a hotspot for every taste, where eclectic, diverse and cutting edge combine with flair.
The Oxford Street entertainment strip hosts the bulk of Mardi Gras action and it's also home to the city's best-known gay venues. There's everything on offer from high octane dance clubs such as ARQ, Midnight Shift and Nevermind to camp institutions such as Stonewall and Palms, and entertainment hubs such as Slide, with its mix of cocktail bar, club and burlesque shows.
On Sydney's rainbow map, The Imperial Hotel in Erskineville is a very pink dot. This iconic LGBT venue hosts the classic Priscilla Drag Show, starring Minnie Cooper, Charisma Belle, Carmen Geddit and Millie Poppins, every Saturday. There's also Bingay on Tuesdays, Chix n' Stix women's pool comp on Wednesdays and Thursday Karaoke with Verushka Darling. www.theimperialhotelcom.au
The Beresford in Surry Hills is part of the Laneway on Mardi Gras Sunday, but it's also a major gay scene destination every week when Beresford Sundays draw a chilled-out crowd to kick back with cool drinks and attractive company in the courtyard.
Sunday afternoon is also a great day for dropping in at the Green Park Hotel, Darlinghurst. Everyone's welcome at this lovely old pub where regulars and bohemian staff mix with suits, students, tradesmen, doctors and drag queens.
The Sly Fox in Enmore is the city's unofficial girl central - especially on Wednesday nights. Relaxed, friendly, and with a traditional pub vibe, this is one of many welcoming, unpretentious pubs in a funky, gay-friendly suburb.
Just along the road in Newtown there's the Bank Hotel with its big, balmy beer garden. The Summer Sausage Fest with DJ Kitty Glitter is held every Sunday from 4pm to late and is popular with the eclectic mix of locals.
Bar100 is Sydney's hottest new venue; a collection of stunningly designed bars and restaurants in one of the city's most beautiful historic buildings, in The Rocks. Try one of BAR100's cheekier attractions: Monday night's weekly Turbo Trivia, hosted by drag queen Portia Turbo. www.bar100.com.au
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In boho, edgy Kings Cross, Time to Vino is a haven for a mixed crowd of wine and cocktail buffs and gourmands. During March the bar is offering Sexy Saturday Ciders in honour of Mardi Gras with cocktails from $4 and food to match from $8.
Mardi Gras season is the perfect time to catch the musical Annie, at the Lyric Theatre, The Star, in Pyrmont. While you're at The Star make sure to sample more highlights of Sydney's freshly opened entertainment and dining mecca: 20 new restaurants, hotels, bars and cafes and a fabulous retail collection. Gourmet must- tastes include Teague Ezard's BLACK by Ezard, David Chang's Momofuku and Sokyo at The Darling hotel. The city is expecting an unforgettable party when The Star's rooftop mega-nightclub Marquee has its grand opening on 30 March. www.star.com.au
Powerful performances
During Mardi Gras, Sydney's performing arts scene explodes with creativity celebrating diversity, equality and self-expression.
For gutsy cabaret see The Blackcat Lounge, at Sidetrack Theatre, Marrickville (until 10 March www.sidetrack.com.au), or lose yourself in the absorbing drama of The Paris Letter, a play about honesty and identity by John Robin Baitz, creator of hit TV series Brothers and Sisters. Darlinghurst Theatre (until 25 March www.darlinghursttheatre.com)
The Temperamentals at the New Theatre, Newtown, tells the story of political activist Harry Hay and Hollywood costume designer Rudi Gernreich, who fell in love while forming America’s first gay rights organisation (until 3 March www.newtheatre.org.au)n while Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens showing at the Seymour Theatre, is a new production of the moving, song-based favourite (until 3 March www.seymourcentre.com.au).
For a humorous and honest look at womanhood, see In Her Nature to Decide on 8.30pm Friday 16 March at The Red Rattler, a creative playground in Marrickville. It's an International Women's Day event with Edwina Blush, Candy Royalle, Jade Oldfield, Angela Stretch, Fran Callen and Catherine Golden. www.redrattler.org
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Mardi Gras 2012 facts
Kylie Minogue is exclusive to Sydney and Sydney Mardi Gras 2012.
The NSW Government through Destination NSW has partnered with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to bring pop legend Kylie Minogue exclusively to Sydney for Mardi Gras.
Destination NSW welcomes Kylie Minogue to Australia’s leading tourism and events city for one of the world’s leading events, Sydney Mardi Gras.
At Sydney Mardi Gras the city streets become the stage for one of the world’s most colourful street parades celebrating diversity.
Kylie is sure to make 2012 the biggest and best Sydney Mardi Gras ever, coinciding with her 25th anniversary in the entertainment industry and her recent induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Sydney Mardi Gras is a stand out event on the NSW Events Calendar, attracting hundreds and thousands of people and more than 20,000 overseas and interstate visitors who come specifically for the event, injecting around $30 million in new money to NSW.
Sydney Mardi Gras reaches huge media audiences of more than 70 million people from interstate and key international tourism markets via press coverage and social media feeds about the event.
Kylie Minogue Facebook
Kylie is heading to Sydney Australia (http://www.facebook.com/seesydney) to celebrate Sydney Mardi Gras (http://www.facebook.com/gaymardigras)! Bring on the beautiful Sydney weather! Team Kylie xx
Happy Mardi Gras Sydney (http://www.facebook.com/seesydney)!
Everyone should have Sydney Mardi Gras (http://www.facebook.com/gaymardigras) on their bucket list. It’s one of the most colourful events in the world! Team Kylie xx
sydney.com visitnsw.com nswevents.com
Lovers! Where better to celebrate Kylie’s 25 years in entertainment than in Sydney Australia (http://www.facebook.com/seesydney). Team Kylie xx
(With a great image of Sydney) Wow! There really is no place in the world quite like Sydney Australia (http://www.facebook.com/seesydney). It’s great to be home! Team Kylie xx
Kylie Minogue Twitter
@SydneyMardiGras #mardigras #Sydney
For more information go to www.sydney.com
For images go to www.images.tourism.nsw.gov.au
For media information on Sydney and NSW go to www.destinationnsw.com.au
Media Contacts: Diane Glasson Manager Destination Publicity and Promotion Tel: +61 2 9931 1475 Email: [email protected]
Elissa Tyrrell Destination Publicity Specialist Tel + 61 2 9931 1426 Email: [email protected]
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