A Handy Guide To Sydney WorldPride Bc There Are Over 300 Events To Get To & Sadly, Only One Of You

sydney world pride

Sydney WorldPride is coming up quickly, y’all!

From February 17th until the 5th of March, Sydney will be hosting the global festival that celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community. This year will be the first time a city in the Southern Hemisphere has hosted the festival since it began in 2000 so we have to show up and tell the world that we can host an A+ party.

It’s a big year to host it as well. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Gay Pride Week in Australia and the 5th anniversary of Australian marriage equality. It’s also the 45th anniversary of the first ever Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Huge. Besides the important historical anniversaries, Sydney WorldPride is hosting some BIG names on the stages including the true queens of pop Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX, Kim Petras, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessica Mauboy and Kelly Rowland.

Whilst some big parties are already sold out (this is Sydney’s largest-ever Pride celebration, after all) you can watch WorldPride’s Live and Proud show on the ABC. There are over 300 events scheduled for this bumper festival so here are all of the parties you need to know about.

Mardi Gras Fair Day – Sunday 19th February – Free

Held at Sydney’s Victoria Park, this event kicks off the WorldPride celebrations. Punters can wander the market stalls, listen to live music and have a few bevvies at the family-friendly park. Such a wholesome way to start the 17-day festival.

Queer In Warrane – Wednesday 22nd February – Sunday 26th of February – Free

Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks will transform into a series of queer artist activations during the first week of Sydney WorldPride. The Barracks building will be the backdrop to kaleidoscopic light projections and artists who are amplifying diverse stories. It’ll be a celebration of queerness and a little more low-key if you’re not in the mood to dance the night away.

Marri Madung Butbut – Thursday 23rd of February  – Tuesday 28th of February – Some Events Free, Some Ticketed

In the inner-city suburbs of Eveleigh and Redfern, the trainsheds of Carriageworks will celebrate First Nations creativity. There’ll be free exhibitions, theatre, dining and drag at the First Nations Gathering Space. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can access discounted tickets as well. 

Klub Village – Thursday 23rd of February & Sunday 26th and Monday 27th of February – Tickets from $69 

Klub Village is celebrating World First Nations excellence at Carriageworks through a drag, circus, cabaret and dance-party. The program features Haus of Kong, Casus, Humxn, Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, and many more. 

Pride Villages – Friday 24th of February – Sunday 5th of March – Free

From the 24th of February, the iconic Oxford Street precinct will close its streets to become home to stalls, performances, dining and partying. Crown street will also be staging nightly shows and special weekend entertainment all for free! And, to mark the final weekend of WorldPride, Oxford Street will be closed once more to throw the largest street party Pride has ever seen.

Considering the iconic history of Oxford street, this free street celebration isn’t one to be skipped.

Prepare For The Parade – Saturday 25th of February – Tickets from $229

At the Pullman Sydney Hyde Park, the lobby space will be transformed into an entertainment precinct that’s just minutes from buzzing Oxford Street. You’ll be right in the middle of the action and be able to come and go as you please.  Tickets include a five hour (!!) premium food and beverage package that features drinks from Little Creatures Pale Ale, Kylie Minogue wines, and King Valley Prosecco as well as substantial canapés, because we’ve all been to an event with sad (read: small) canapés before, right?

The line-up of entertainment includes drag performances from Kara Zmatiq and Vybe. There’ll be DJs on the decks all night including Leow and Ben Fox as well as a live band throughout the afternoon. Plus, if you book a room at the Pullman Sydney Hyde Park, you can get into bed without having to worry about public transport or expensive Ubers post-parade. Living the suite life.

Mardi Gras Parade – Saturday 25th of February – Free

The world famous Pride parade is back and is set to be bigger than ever at WorldPride. There’ll be 12,500 marchers across 200+ floats on Oxford Street. It’s the first parade since 2020 so is set to be huuuuge. This year’s theme is Gather, Dream, Amplify so dress up and come on down to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Domain Dance Party – Sunday 26th of February – Tickets from $159 

Okay, so you really can’t get a ticket to the laneway party? No stress. The Domain Dance Party can be your kick-ons. Set in the open-air at The Domain, a bunch of local and international DJs will be spinning tunes from 3pm. It’s the perfect way to end the weekend and say hello to the second week of WorldPride. This is also where Kelly Rowland will be making an appearance. 

Briefs – Dirty Laundry – Tuesday February 28th – Saturday the 4th of March – Tickets from $49

Briefs Factory is an Australian creative collective who are inspired by circus, drag, dance, burlesque, comedy and more. Over the course of one week, the Briefs boys will deliver show-stopping performances with an all-star line-up. The Sydney premiere is led by Fez Faanana (aka Shivanana) and getting to a gig at the Seymour Centre is a must-do in your WorldPride schedule.

Bondi Beach Party – Saturday 4th March – Tickets from $239 

Is there a Sydney festival that doesn’t include Bondi? WorldPride is showing off one of our best assets with its Bondi Beach Party. The sands will turn from a sunbathers paradise into a party for over 12,000 people. It begins at 3pm and ends at 10pm with pop-up performances, beach stages and DJs partying under the sun. 

Rainbow Republic – Sunday 5th of March – Tickets from $129 

As Nelly Furtado once asked, ‘Why must all good things come to an end?’. After 17 days of Sydney WorldPride it’s time to say goodbye. But we’re not going home quietly. On Sunday the 5th of March, The Domain will turn into a huge party of performances, DJs and live musicians.

Peach PRC, Keiynan Lonsdale and G Flip will be making appearances, while indie pop darlings MUNA and Kim Petras are headlining. It’s the perfect way to say goodbye to the friends we’ve made, the brain cells we’ve lost and a reminder to hold onto the memories. Don’t miss this one. 

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Kiki Gay Pool Party Finale – Monday 6th of March – Tickets from $75

You thought it was over? Taking place at The Ivy’s pool, the Kiki Gay Pool Party Finale is that last (no, really, the last) hurrah after Sydney WorldPride. DJs include Dani Toro, Phil Romano and Jose Rendon who’ll be spinning the decks while you sip on your recovery cocktails. There’s even a VIP private cabana option if you want to lounge in luxury.

These are just a handful of the parties set to go ahead at WorldPride this year. There are also art exhibitions and a literal human rights conference. It’s an important celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community and a party not to be missed. See you there!

Find out more at Sydney WorldPride.

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