The Sydney Mardi Gras Parade is the biggest event on the calendar for the LGBTI community in Australia. I have put together this short visitors guide to help you have a great time during this fabulous festival. My best advice is to start planning now. The city gets seriously busy during the entire festival period, so it’s best to be a bit organised.
Updated: 7 September 2024
This page contains affiliate links. You can find our full disclosure policy here.
Sydney likes its big events and the Sydney Gay, and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of our biggest and most colourful. In this post, I have gathered tips from friends, both local and those who visited primarily for the event to help make sure you get all the best advice to help you plan your visit. If you still have questions after reading this head over to our friendly Facebook community and we will try to help.
2024 Mardi Gras Dates
While the parade on Saturday 1 March 2025 is the main event, there is a 16-day program that runs from 14 February to 2 March with plenty of highlights including Fair Day on 16 February and a whole series of talks and events.
The Mardi Gras Parade is the finale of the program. Over 300,000 people line the 1.7km long parade route to watch the 8500 participants march, dance and ride their way past. You can either book one of the ticketed areas or join the public at the start or finish points or in the crowd along Oxford Street. If you have mobility issues, you can register for access to one of the four accessible areas.
The Parade begins at 7:30 pm and winds up at about 11:30 pm. If you want any chance of seeing the action from the front of the crowd you need to head to the city in the mid-afternoon.
5 Tips for Enjoying the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade
My friend Andre who is a Mardi Gras veteran has shared his top 5 tips
- Position is everything! Planned to arrive early enough and secure a good spot to see the parade. Keep in mind facilities (toilets, mainly) as you wouldn’t want to walk for blocks when nature calls!
- Check local venues on Oxford St. some bars/clubs will have drink packages that will include access to venues balconies, which will give you an advantage and an excellent overview of all the action!
- Keep hydrated: it’s usually a long afternoon/evening, so keep your fluids up! Water is essential as you don’t want to be dehydrated or get too affected by alcohol.
- Keep an eye on your belongings and friends. The event attracts large crowds, which may allow for opportunistic crime to happen. Carry only the essentials (phone, transport card, cash/bank card, keys) and avoid unnecessary items on you.
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothes and check the weather forecast.
Best Places to Watch the Mardi Gras in Sydney
The biggest LGBTQI festival in the world takes place in Sydney, and people come from all over the world to participate in and celebrate. So yes, it gets busy, but in the best possible way because everyone is feeling the love.
Here are the best vantage points to see the action.
Getting ready
In the early afternoon wandering up and down Oxford St to start to get into the mood. Then head to the corner of Elizabeth and Liverpool Street about 4 pm to watch everyone heading into Hyde Park. It is an excellent vantage point as this is where the floats are setting up, also.
After you have had your full dose of drag queens, glitter and costumes, which you never will get sick of, go into Hyde Park as each of the groups is putting the final touches to their dance routines before the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade.
During the Parade
Now it is time to find a spot to watch the parade. Raquel’s Spanish restaurant on Oxford St was our go-to place for dinner, and we used to stand on tables to watch the parade or run outside. Now, however, it is closed, so if you can’t get into a restaurant on Oxford St, you can do what many many others do and buy a milk crate and stand on it at the starting point of the celebrations, the corner of College and Oxford St.
How to Feel Part of the Mardi Gras Action
Crystal from Castaway with Crystal shares her advice for enjoying the parade.
“I have been to Mardi Gras about seven times, and it’s one of my favourite nights of the year! My best suggestion for this exciting celebration of love is to dress up in your craziest outfit to have more fun. If you look like you were in the parade, you will be treated like royalty, with people wanting your photo and complimenting you as you strut the streets. I particularly like matching my outfits with my friends, so we look like a team. One year we all went as insects, another like an animal print girl-band.
When the parade is over the streets are opened up to pedestrians for a short time, and this is always my fave. We run around in the middle of the roads taking loads of photos and just generally having fun!”
Other Key Events of the Festival
Fair Day
I love Fair Day – so much colour and so many smiles when Victoria Park fills with families, pets and beautiful people. There are food stalls, live music performances, and my favourite spot Doggywood and the Fair Day dog show. Free entry.
Oxford street bar Crawl
Join Local Sauce Tours for an unforgettable Mardi Gras experience on Oxford Street, led by the fabulous Sydney icon, Kiama Blowhole. This 3.5-hour bar crawl, “Oxford Street Bar Crawl with a Drag Queen,” takes you through 3-4 iconic LGBTQ+ friendly bars in the heart of Sydney’s LGBTQ+ scene.
Along the way, Kiama will share engaging tales and insights into the area’s rich history and the origins of Mardi Gras since 1978.
The tour, capped at 12 people, suits anyone looking for a night of glamour and discovery, providing a map of visited spots and additional recommendations post-crawl.
When: 5.30pm-9pm 16, 17, 23 & 24 February
Where: Oxford Street Sydney l Tickets $70 include 1 drink and a shared snack.
Queer Screen
Queer Screen’s 31st Mardi Gras Film Festival returns! Over 155 LGBTIQ+ films . The film festival will hold World Premieres, Australian Premieres, and Sydney Premieres and give screens to a season of glorious, showstopping, spectacular, never-the-same, unique, completely not ever been done before, conversation-starting and conversation-continuing films.
When: 15 to 29 February
Where: Sydney Opera House, Dendy, OpenAir, Event Cinemas City and Hurstville & Randwick Ritz l See the full programme and buy your tickets now at queerscreen.org.au.
Pullman Hotel – Pre-Game Mardi Gras Party
Pullman Sydney Hyde Park is gearing up for its spectacular Pre-Game Mardi Gras Party, promising an even grander celebration this year. The event will feature the iconic drag queen Maxi Shield from RuPaul’s Drag Race as the host, with social media sensation Carla from Bankstown spinning the decks as DJ, and a live performance by Australian singer-songwriter Alfie Arcuri. You can also pay a visit to the INGLOT Cosmetics glitter bar for makeup touch-ups.
Located just by Oxford Street and near the Mardi Gras Parade’s starting point, the hotel offers prime access to the festivities. The party starts at 5 pm on March 2nd, offering flexibility for guests to come and go, concluding at 9 pm. nted by free-flowing drinks. This event is a must-attend for a fabulous start to Mardi Gras night.
Where should you stay to enjoy Mardi Gras?
Ok so now you are armed with some great advice on enjoying the parade I thought I should share my thoughts on the best places to stay for Mardi Gras.
You need to book early to get a good room at a reasonable rate. While writing this in late December, I am finding many of the best options getting close to being booked out. The prices are also going up steeply, so I suggest booking your Mardi Gras accommodation as soon as you know you will be coming.
Hotels at the City End of the Parade Route
Pullman Hyde Park
5-star hotel right on the starting line
The Pullman is one of the official sponsors of this year’s parade and the starting point of the parade route. The staff here go out of the way to make sure everyone feels welcome and enjoys the event. Some rooms have views out over Hyde Park and Oxford Street. It’s also an excellent location for exploring Sydney before or after the event.
Just stick “Mardi Gras” into the search box on the Pullman reviews on Booking.com to see how others felt about staying there during the Parade weekend.
Oaks Hyde Park Plaza
Book a room with a balcony or views of Oxford Street
With a rooftop pool for pre-parade tanning and rooms with balconies and unobstructed views of the parade route, this will book out early.
Rooms have kitchenettes if you fancy self-catering and studio, 1 and two bedrooms are available. Check current prices on Booking.com
Hotels Near the Middle of the Route and Just Off Oxford Street
Adge Apartments
Funky two-bedroom apartments
These apartments are perfect for two couples or a group of friends to share with two bedrooms and two bathrooms in each. They are nicely furnished with decent linens and nice extras like espresso machines and music docks. Some apartments have balconies with views out of the city.
I found the carpet a little too colourful but other than that this place is an excellent choice and only a few minutes walk from Oxford Street. Check out the photos of the carpet (and the rest of the property) on Booking.com
Adina Apartments Surry Hills
A perfect spot for wining and dining
I have stayed at Adina Apartments twice on staycations that involved too much partying to want to figure out how to get home. There are a dozen great restaurants within a 5 min walk, and Oxford street is just at the bottom of the road.
These apartments are 3-star and could do probably do with a good refresh, but they are a decent size and in such a good location that I still think they are a reasonable choice. However, I suggest you read the most recent reviews at Booking.com before you go ahead and book.
At the End of the Route and to the South
Meriton Suites – Waterloo
Foodie hotspot close to the city.
There are lots of Meriton complexes in this part of the city. This one is quite a large complex with 180 plus rooms all featuring full kitchens and close to the end of the route and the party venues.
Hotels for When You Want to Splurge
Little Albion Guesthouse – Surry Hills
Surrounded by fantastic small bars and restaurants
This is possibly my favourite small hotel in the city. The service is hard to beat, the rooms are beautifully styled and the attention to detail is impressive. No two rooms are alike and there is a variety of price points.
The communal areas are well-appointed and there are lots of nice little touches in the kitchen space that will impress.
Spicers Potts Point
Minutes walk to trains and buses
These three heritage terraces have been turned into a stylish 16 room hotel in one of the areas prettiest streets. An easy 15-minute walk into the centre of the city and just 2 minutes to Kings Cross Station.
So there you have it, my best tips for enjoying the Sydney Mardi Gras.
If you want some more info on areas to stay in Sydney, you can check out my comprehensive post Choosing where to stay for your Sydney holiday
Got a question about Mardi Gras in Sydney? Head over to our Facebook Group and ask a local.
Have questions about things to see and do in Sydney?
Head over and join our Facebook Group and we will be happy to help.
Now that same sex marriage was approved already here in Australia, I am expecting that the mardi gras event will be more fun and meaningful!
As a mother of a gay son, who is my primary travel partner, it is always refreshing to find some awesome places and events we can plan for, knowing we would feel welcome. Thank you for sharing this. It looks like a blast!
It really is fun! I hope you get a chance to experience it together.
A great article full of the best information to enjoy the Mardi Gras. It is such a major event in Sydney I did not realise it went on for so long. A great tip rebooking out one of the balconies of the pubs along the route, that sounds like the way I would enjoy it. Thanks for the article.