March 07, 2023
13 mins Read
WorldPride is headed Down Under and in an amazing twist of fate, will effectively combine with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to create one massive celebration. With over 200 events crammed into just over two weeks, the program is practically bursting at the seams and tickets are selling fast.
If you’re a little late to the party, fear not. We know where you can still get in and get amongst it. We’ve got you covered for free festivities and ticketed events. Get in quick though, this is a celebration you won’t want to miss.
*All events were available to book at the time of writing.
Join leading community members as they come together to raise the Pride flag at Sydney Town Hall, signalling the start of the WorldPride festivities. This international symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community will fly proudly from one of Sydney’s most iconic buildings for the duration of WorldPride.
Sydney Town Hall will fly the Pride flag throughout WorldPride.
Designed to platform queer and First Nations artists, Linger, Dash, Talk will focus on the tensions surrounding visibility, erasure and public scrutiny by drawing on text-based practices, slang, gossip and other informal and encoded modes of communication. The program includes poet and textile artist Kirli Saunders and painter Troy-Anthony Baylis, with a host of other artists to be announced soon.
Hosted by Carriageworks, Melbourne-based collaborative The Huxleys will showcase a multi-art-form exhibition honouring legendary and influential artists lost to HIV/AIDS. The haunting works pay a heartfelt tribute to artists who paved the way and inspired not only The Huxleys, but countless other artists today. Bloodlines: The Huxleys is open from 10 am to 5 pm on Wednesdays and Sundays until 5 March.
Carriageworks will host multiple events throughout WorldPride.
Join the Different Strokes Dragon Boat Club for an on-water adventure at Dragon Boat Pride. Learn the art of Dragon Boating with the Different Strokes crew, with the opportunity to gain skills in technique and understand the world of competing. When it comes to it, you can either put your skills to the test and participate in the Pride Regatta or cheer on the crew from shore. The regatta and training are free, however, participants must register.
Join the Different Strokes crew out on the water.
Immerse yourself amongst some of the best after-hours entertainment at the Powerhouse Museum with Powerhouse Late: WorldPride. Expect live music, film screenings, workshops, talks and exhibition tours every Thursday night. Three programs will showcase some of Sydney’s most inspiring queer creatives; Absolutely Queer Launch (16 February), Queerbourhood (23 February) and Werkshop (2 March), each running from 5 pm to 9 pm.
Experience some of the best late-night entertainment at The Powerhouse.
Pride (R)evolution takes a queer lens to the State Library’s vast collection and presents more than 20 untold LGBTQIA+ stories that celebrate the community. Admire a range of posters, letters, photographs, costumes, scrapbooks, film and sound from industries and identities that have historically been overlooked and undervalued. Newly commissioned works from queer and trans writers and artists will also be on display. Visitors can also enjoy talks, screenings and performances from both LGBTQIA+ Australians and internationals. Pride (R)evolution will be open seven days a week.
Take a lens to queer history at the State Library of NSW.
The Seymour Centre will host Seymour Nights throughout Sydney WorldPride, where local and emerging LGBTQIA+ artists will play in the courtyard at dusk. Experience some of Australia’s best queer voices, DJs and drag artists including Clara Fable, Tanzer, Mowgli May and Dolly Llama. Sit back among the leafy surrounds and enjoy this contemporary music series, accompanied by food trucks to keep hungry tummies fed.
Areas on and around the famous Oxford Street will be closed off to traffic for WorldPride celebrations. Across nine days, Pride Villages will host daily performances, stalls, dining options and a place to relax between events. On the last weekend of WorldPride, Oxford Street will again be closed off for a street party like no other. The American Express Oxford Street Stage will have you dancing the night away with free performances from Aussie talents including Vassy, HANDSOME, Haiku Hands and Chela. For Pride Villages, Crown Street will be closed between Oxford and Campbell Streets, as will Riley Street between Oxford and Goulburn Streets. Pride Villages will not be open on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade.
Oxford Street will be closed off to traffic for the Pride Villages.
One of the highlights of Mardi Gras is Fair Day, in which over 200 stalls pop up in Victoria Park to get the festivities of WorldPride underway. Browse countless retail, food and information stalls, sample giveaways and enjoy live music at what has to be one of the coolest renditions of markets in Sydney. Pretty pooches dressed up for the Doggywood Parade and Pageant are also sure to turn some heads. The First Nations Circle is an important part of Fair Day, serving as a powerful reminder that Sydney WorldPride is held on unceded Aboriginal land. The circle is a meeting place for conversation and learning and includes a community tent and an Elder’s tent, along with LGBTQIA+SB First Nations performances, businesses and more. Mardi Gras Fair Day will run from 10 am to 9 pm.
The Mardi Gras Fair Day has always proven to be a hit with crowds.
If you missed out on tickets to the WorldPride opening concert, don’t fret. Join well-known Aboriginal Australian actress and singer Elaine Crombie and BeeDazzled Shanks, also known as the King of Redfern, for the ABC broadcast of Live and Proud. Whether you’re watching the concert for the first time or reliving the experience, this free event is the place to be. To keep the party going, DJ NAIAN and drag superstars will be performing for the crowds. The event runs from 5:30 pm to 11 pm, with the ABC broadcast beginning at 7:30 pm.
Join Stride With Pride alongside Sydney Frontrunners, who provide a safe place for the LGBTQIA+ community to exercise and socialise. To celebrate Sydney Frontrunners 40th birthday, you can partake in a five-kilometre walk or 10-kilometre run. Participants will not only be rewarded with fresh air and exercise; there will be prizes available too. The fastest walkers and runners and the most fabulous outfits for adults, children and even furry friends are up for grabs. You can also compete in the handbag throwing competition. Meet at the Duck Pond in Centennial Park at 7:30 am to take part, just make sure to register first.
Run or walk to celebrate 40 years of the Sydney Frontrunners.
This UNESCO World Heritage-listed site will be transformed during Sydney WorldPride with Queer in Warrane. Amazing light projections that tell the stories of various queer artists will illuminate the Barracks over five nights. Experience the world premiere of Dylan Mooney’s light artwork, titled Still here and thriving. His work focuses on love in queer communities, with large-scale portraits exploring Dylan’s lived experience as a proud and queer Indigenous man. Day-time entry is open from 10 am to 5 pm, with the light installations starting on 23 February and running from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm.
Hyde Park Barracks will illuminate with light installations.
The world’s first accredited amateur boxing championships for the LGBTQIA+ community will take place during WorldPride 2023. Boxers will fight for the world title across two days, conducted under Boxing Australia rules. This isn’t your classic comp though; drag queens, DJs and other entertainers will keep the crowd going between matches. Come along to cheer on known and emerging LGBTQIA+ boxers and dance along to their walk-out songs. Tickets start at $35.
Described as the “Gay Pride and Prejudice”, Lewis Treston’s Hubris & Humiliation is a comedy following one man’s search for his other half, and himself. Combining Jane Austen’s witty writing with an outrageous satire of life in Sydney’s gay scene, this play promises full-belly laughs and maybe even a tear or two. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $54.
Hubris & Humiliation has been described as the “gay Pride & Prejudice”.
Brought to you by The Wett Ones and Sydney Stingers, the AQuA (Australian Queer Aquatics) Festival is set to make a splash at WorldPride 2023. Local and international aquatic clubs are coming together to compete at swimming spots in and around Sydney Harbour. Take part in water sports such as swimming and water polo, then carry on the celebrations at a beach festival and closing party. The beach festival will be held at Manly Beach (11 February), the water polo comp at Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre (1 – 2 March) and the Swimming comp at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre (1 – 2 March). Finals day will take place at Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool on 3 March. Tickets are priced from $90.
AQuA’s beach festival will be held at the iconic Manly Beach.
Queer Screen presents the 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival, hosted at a variety of Sydney locations across 16 days. Over 165 films will screen over 100 sessions in cinema, outdoors and on-demand. Also planned are panel discussions, workshops, industry networking events and after parties. Queer Screen will showcase a variety of Australian, Sydney and world premieres throughout the event, including TRANS GLAMORE, which follows the journey of transgender DJ, Victoria Anthony. Tickets for the film festival are on sale now, starting at just $10.
Films including Uyra – The Rising Forest will be shown at the film festival.
Take to the greens this WorldPride with Sydney Rainbow Golfers for the Rainbow Golf Tournament. Those both with and without a handicap are welcome to play. The general rules of golf will apply, with men, women and non-binary tee selections. The tournament will be a Stableford competition with all levels of experience welcome, but social play is also an option. Prizes and celebrations will follow the tournament, with tickets beginning at $60.
Tee off with The Rainbow Golfers for two days of fun.
Making their world debut at the Sydney Opera House during WorldPride 2023 is Kae Tempest, an artist and polymath hailing from Britain. Tempest works across poetry, fiction, theatre and hip-hop, but their incredible spoken-word poetry will be the focus of this one-night-only performance. Having been nominated for the Mercury Prize, Ivor Novello Award and winning the Ted Hughes Award for innovation in poetry, their work is not to be missed. This event runs from 9 pm to 11 pm, with tickets starting at $37.
If you’re not in Sydney for WorldPride 2023, don’t worry about missing out. Pink Salt is a three-course culinary experience like no other and is still part of the festivities, organised by Sydney WorldPride. The Station in Newcastle will be transformed into a long-table dinner party for everyone over the age of 18 to eat, drink, connect and celebrate. The food will be prepared by Christine Manfield, Nornie Bero and Reece Hignell, a talented team of queer chefs. While you feast, enjoy a showcase of queer art, music, drag, DJs and performances by some of Newcastle’s finest talent. Dinner is also accompanied by a four-hour drinks package including beer, wine and soft drinks. Tickets cost $165 per person.
Enjoy a fabulous long-table lunch at The Station in Newcastle.
If you’re looking for laughs, look no further than All Out Comedy at the Seymour Centre. Coco Jumbo, recent star of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, will take to the stage alongside other comedy favourites, Geraldine Hickey and Nath Valvo. This 90-minute stand-up special is the perfect way to kick off WorldPride; with lots of good belly laughs. Ticket prices range from $45 to $52.
Exciting news! The extremely popular Mardi Gras Kaftana Pool Party is now open for resale via Moshtix, the official resale facility for the event. Surrounded yourself with drag stars and performers at Ivy Pool Club, cocktail in hand and rocking your best outfit. Charlie Villas, Diva Cups, Jojo Zaho and Miss Katalyna will be among the many artists who will soundtrack the event. You’d be a fool to miss the Kaftana Pool Party, which will run from 4 pm to 11 pm. Tickets for this fantastic 18+ event start at $55.
Put together your boldest outfit for the Kaftana Pool Party.
Tennis Sydney is set to host the WorldPride Open, a three-day tournament sanctioned by the Gay & Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA). It will be the final GLTA World Tour event for the Australian Summer of Tennis. The tournament will cover singles, doubles and mixed doubles, with players allowed to enter a maximum of two events. Tickets cost $60 per person.
The WorldPride Open will host singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches.
Settle into your seat at Queer Lit: Double Bill for an evening of queer literary excellence across a diverse range of discussion panels covering a score of themes. Firstly, Mixed Metaphors will see a pack of notable poets, musicians and authors discuss the use of poetry and metaphor in expressing the nature of queer life. Later on in the night, a collection of Australia and South East Asia’s leading queer writers will discuss the nuances of queer East Asian identities for On Queer East Asian Pride. Tickets cost $35 a head, with the event running from 6 pm to 8:20 pm.
How else would you bring in the end of WorldPride other than a raving concert with thousands of new friends? The official closing concert of the entire festival, Rainbow Republic is the place to be to celebrate the wrap of one of Sydney’s biggest events. Seven hours of live music, DJs and performances await you for a mix of local and international queer acts. Guests can expect boogie-inducing performances from artists including Kim Petras, MUNA, Keiynan Lonsdale, G Flip and Peach PRC, plus many more. Running from 3 pm to 10 pm, tickets for this unmissable event are priced at $129 per person.
The line-up for Rainbow Republic is unmissable.
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